Alyssa, a Spanish professor, found herself grappling with unexplained fatigue, nausea, and cognitive issues that concerned both her students and herself. As her symptoms worsened, she struggled to find a diagnosis, ultimately discovering that she was suffering from Long COVID. Her journey highlights the challenges many face when dealing with post-viral syndromes, including inadequate medical support and a lack of understanding about this condition. Learn how art has helped her find her voice and advocate for better care.*

The Long Road to Diagnosis

Initially, Alyssa’s symptoms were dismissed by her primary care provider as a sinus infection, despite her insistence that it felt different. When fatigue, nausea, insomnia, low oxygen levels, and tachycardia became her daily reality, she again sought help, only to be told that she should lose weight. 

Even after making significant lifestyle changes, including losing 25 pounds, she experienced no improvement. 

The lack of answers and validation led Alyssa to seek care at Mount Sinai’s Center for Post-COVID Care, where she finally felt heard. The treatments offered there, which provided some relief, included:

• Supplements,  
• Dietary adjustments, and 
• Exercise.  

Alyssa notes, however, that for those with post-exertional malaise, exercise may not be a feasible part of recovery.

The Importance of Empathy in Healthcare

Alyssa emphasizes the critical need for healthcare professionals to listen and empathize with Long COVID patients, especially women, who often find their symptoms dismissed as:

• Anxiety,  
• Depression, or 
• Weight-related issues. 

For Alyssa, simply being believed was an essential part of her healing process. She advocates for greater understanding and validation of Long COVID symptoms, which even now are still often misunderstood or ignored. 

Coping Through Creative Expression

Like a growing number of people with debilitating symptoms, Alyssa has turned to creative expression and penned a poem to articulate the cognitive difficulties and physical struggles brought on by the condition. The poem sheds light on the profound impact that Long COVID has had on her life and identity.

In sharing her story, Alyssa calls for a deeper sense of empathy in the medical field, to stem the sense of isolation and alienation suffered by many people living with Long COVID.

For more Long COVID patient art, check out this article in the LA Times.

*Sanders, L. (2024, September 16). Living with Long COVID: A Poem and Cartoon Tell the Story. Long COVID Dispatches from the Front Lines with Lisa Sanders, MD. Retrieved from https://www.yalemedicine.org/news/living-with-long-covid-a-poem-and-cartoon-tell-the-story 

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