Have you ever felt like your body turned against you, leaving you exhausted and confused by symptoms that doctors can’t quite explain? As of September 2025, an estimated 400–500 million people worldwide, including roughly 17 million in the United States, are struggling with the lingering effects of Long COVID—a persistent global health crisis that demands urgent attention. I am one of those millions.
If you’re unfamiliar with Long COVID, let me break it down. It’s as if the COVID-19 virus leaves a trail of chaos in your body. Scientists believe remnants of the virus (possibly spike proteins) linger in places like the mucous membranes (for example, the throat), triggering ongoing inflammation. The immune system can go haywire, attacking healthy cells, or the initial infection may cause organ damage or tiny blood clots. Even an imbalanced gut microbiome might play a role.
The symptoms are as varied as they are debilitating. Some people battle crushing fatigue, mental fog, or shortness of breath. Others deal with chest pain, aching joints, or a racing heart. Headaches, memory issues, gut troubles, anxiety, or depression can also emerge, sometimes months or even years after the initial infection. These symptoms ebb and flow, making Long COVID unpredictable and deeply frustrating.
What’s worse, until recently, the medical establishment often dismissed Long COVID’s existence. There are no diagnostic tests, no standardized treatments, and many people—doctors included—remain unaware of what it is or how to help. So how did I figure out I had it? Persistence, a lot of research, and a little help from Dr. Google.
Unraveling the Mystery: My First Encounters with COVID
My story begins in August 2020, when I first contracted COVID-19, despite having had the Pfizer vaccine earlier that year. In August 2021, I was hit again, and then something bizarre happened: every ten days, like clockwork, I’d experience joint aches, fever, and extreme fatigue for 12 or so hours.
This cycle continued relentlessly until July 2022, when I woke up one morning and felt it was finally gone. I thought I was free! But then I noticed something odd occurring: whenever I was overly tired or sneezed, I’d develop a sore throat—always on the right side—paired with a vague, draining malaise.
A Lifetime of Vulnerability: Clues from My Health History
I’m no stranger to sore throats or illness; since infancy, I’ve been prone to strep, colds, flu, and pretty much every virus going around. This detail, as I’d later learn, was a clue to my Long COVID puzzle. For a while, resting for a few days would clear up my current sore throat and malaise.
That is, until Christmas 2023, when everything changed. The subtle signs I’d ignored built up, leading to a flare that forced me to confront the deeper roots of my condition.
Long COVID can take a heavy emotional toll—Discover how personalized therapy can help you.
The Conclusion
In this first chapter of my Long COVID journey, I’ve shared the chaos of initial infections, the cyclical flares, and the subtle triggers that hinted at something more sinister lurking. From vaccine breakthrough cases to recurring malaise, it’s clear how this condition can upend everything we take for granted.
As I look back, my persistence in piecing together these clues reminds me that awareness is the first step toward hope. If you’re navigating similar shadows, know that you’re not alone—research and community can light the way. This experience has already reshaped how I approach health, emphasizing rest, research, and resilience. For more on my journey with this frustrating illness, look for Battling Relentless Flares: Finding Relief in My Long COVID Journey – Part 2.
Don't let unexplained symptoms steal another day—Learn more about evidence-based therapy approaches and how they can help you.
Julie Jakobi
My main focus is working with clients and/or family who are struggling with Borderline Personality Disorder. I utilize DBT, EMDR, Internal Family Systems, and Brainspotting techniques, among other approaches, to help the client find a way to regulate their symptoms and utilize new ways of approaching issues. I believe in education about what is going on in the mind and body so the client can leave our sessions with information and skills that can be utilized on a daily basis in order to achieve real change.