Long Covid forces 23-year-old athlete in a wheelchair: "Ten near-fainting spells a day"
Created: 02/24/2022, 19:19
By: Yasina Hipp
23-year-old Natalie suffers from Long Covid.
© Screenshot/Instagram/nanasjourneywithlongcovid
Natalie F. was an active young woman until two years ago.
After being infected with the corona virus, she is still struggling with Long Covid months later.
Vienna – In March 2021, Natalie F. from Vienna tested positive for the corona virus.
The 23-year-old was not vaccinated at the time - it was not her age group at that time.
And yet: Natalie was lucky and had a fairly mild course of the disease.
The young Austrian was active in cheerleading until 2019 - somersaults, splits and a lot of training were the order of the day.
Then she took a break, wanted to prepare for her biology studies, then the shock: "About four days later (after the infection) I lost my sense of taste and smell, my tongue went numb.
From that point on, Covid-19 was already in my nervous system," reports Natalie F. to the Austrian news portal
Heute.at
.
The virus and its consequences threw the 23-year-old completely off track.
Long Covid: symptoms such as tachycardia and migraines
Shortly thereafter, Natalie suffered her first episode of tachycardia (palpitations).
Her pulse shot up to 150.
Doctors advised her to take it easy.
“That was an absolute nightmare for me!” says Natalie, who otherwise liked to go to the gym or go jogging.
Nevertheless, she followed the advice and took it easy until the infection was over.
But after that it actually only got worse: “I suddenly had migraine attacks, couldn’t tolerate sunlight for a while and could only lie in the dark.
Even painkillers didn't quite help.”
Long Covid: Bad symptoms even a whole year later
Now, about a year later, Natalie is still suffering from chronic headaches.
And postural tachycardia syndrome (POTS), in which the pulse soars to unimagined heights when standing up or sitting down and can lead to fainting, is omnipresent for the Viennese.
“Because I had up to ten near-fainting spells a day, I became wheelchair-bound in June.
In the summer I couldn't do without it, I even celebrated my birthday in it.
At the moment it's mostly possible without a wheelchair, but I still need it," said Natalie in an interview with
Heute.at
.
But that's not all of the long-term effects caused by the coronavirus.
Because of mast cell activation syndrome, Natalie suddenly developed allergic reactions to things she wasn't previously allergic to: "Basically, my body can react to anything, food, drink, medication, fragrances, stress, heat, cold or physical exertion."
Long Covid: Neurological treatment and medication
In the meantime, Natalie is being cared for in the neurological department of the Vienna General Hospital.
She has to take medication such as vitamin B, anti-epileptics and something for the overactive thyroid.
Everyday life causes her difficulties, not only because of the concentration and memory problems that occur.
"When I go out, it usually ends in a rescue operation because I'm passed out.
That's why I mostly stay in bed," says the young woman.
On her Instagram account nanasjourneywithlongcovid she reports on her experiences and provides intimate insights into her life with Long Covid.
