u/Character_Chemist_38

I’ve been trying to be responsible and get things checked out, but I’m starting to wonder whether all these appointments, calls, urgent care visits and attempts to get labs ordered are actually helping — or whether I’m exhausting myself when what I really need is rest and time.
I saw my cardiologist, who basically told me that my previous cardiac testing was reassuring, to hydrate, give my body time to recover, stop constantly watching my Apple Watch, and reassess in about a month if the heart-rate issue continues.
I also tried urgent care and, after a huge amount of time and energy, I really didn’t get much help.
My first appointment with a Long COVID clinic isn’t until October, so I’m trying to get some answers and make sure I’m doing the right things in the meantime.
I’m seeing my primary care doctor next and am considering asking for basic labs to rule out other causes of the fatigue/HR symptoms, plus Sjögren’s markers because the dry mouth and eyes have become pretty significant.
For those further along in recovery:
Were all the appointments and testing actually worthwhile?
Are there any specific labs that were genuinely useful or that you wish you had asked for earlier?
Did your doctors find anything actionable, or did everything come back normal and you ultimately just need time, hydration and pacing?
And how did you balance getting appropriately evaluated with not using all of your limited energy chasing medical appointments?
I don’t want to ignore something important, but I’m realizing that trying to get answers is taking a lot of energy that I could be using to recover.

I’m moving into week 5 of COVID recovery and today my heart rate has suddenly been running noticeably higher again.
I’m seeing approximately:
Sitting: 100–102 bpm
Standing: around 125 bpm
This is from my Apple Watch.
What’s strange is that this is really just happening today. Earlier in my COVID recovery I had episodes of my heart rate shooting up significantly with standing/activity, but that had gotten much better. Overall, I’ve actually been gradually improving.
Fatigue is still my biggest problem. If I do too much — appointments, driving, phone calls, errands, several hours without breaks — I can really crash afterward. I’ve been working much harder on pacing and inserting actual rest periods throughout the day.
Last night I also woke up around 3:30 AM with pretty significant anxiety and took buspirone, so I’m wondering whether poor sleep/anxiety/buspirone could also be contributing to today’s higher HR.
I’m hydrating and resting and I’m not planning to push myself physically today.
For those with Long COVID/post-COVID autonomic symptoms:
Did your heart rate improve and then randomly flare again around weeks 4–6?
Did you find that fatigue, poor sleep, emotional stress or doing too much the previous day made it worse?
I also happen to have propranolol that was previously prescribed to me for another issue, but I’m hesitant to just take it without checking with my doctor since this is a new post-COVID situation.
For anyone who was prescribed propranolol specifically for post-COVID tachycardia/POTS-type symptoms: did it help, and what did your doctor look at before deciding to prescribe it?
I’m especially interested in hearing from people whose HR eventually settled back down as their recovery progressed.

I’m moving into week 5 after COVID and I’m trying to understand whether what I’m experiencing sounds like Long COVID or whether I’m still within a fairly normal post-COVID recovery period.
My timeline:
Symptoms started July 14
Tested positive July 16
Took Paxlovid
Tested negative July 24
Later developed what seemed to be a sinus infection and needed a Z-Pak
The acute illness is gone. What’s lingering is primarily fatigue and reduced stamina, along with some brain fog/forgetfulness.
Earlier in my recovery, I also had pretty dramatic heart-rate spikes just from standing or doing basic activity. Thankfully, that has improved significantly and isn’t really an issue anymore.
The biggest problem now is fatigue.
I can wake up feeling relatively good and sometimes function normally for an hour or several hours. But if I push too hard — especially driving around, appointments, errands, stairs, or several hours of continuous activity — I can suddenly hit a wall and need to lie down for a long time.
For example, recently I was going pretty hard from about 9 AM–1 PM, including a lot of driving, and afterward I was basically wiped out and needed to rest for the remainder of the day.
At the same time, I am improving.
Compared with the first couple of weeks, I can do considerably more. My mornings are better. The heart-rate problems have improved. Some days are clearly easier than others. I’ve also discovered that 15–20 minute breaks with Yoga Nidra can sometimes restore enough energy for me to continue, whereas earlier the fatigue felt much more overwhelming.
Sleep makes an enormous difference too. If I shut everything down early and get into bed around 8–9 PM, I generally feel more alert the following morning.
I’m learning to pace myself and take breaks before I become exhausted instead of waiting until I crash.
But I’m now entering week 5 and the fatigue can still be pretty intense, so naturally I’m wondering:
Is this starting to sound like Long COVID, or can this still be part of the normal recovery period after an acute infection?
For those diagnosed with Long COVID:
What were you experiencing around weeks 4–6?
Did you have a pattern where you were clearly improving overall but still crashed when you exceeded your current stamina?
And for people who eventually recovered: did you go through a period like this before your energy gradually returned?
I’m especially interested in how people distinguished post-viral recovery/pacing needs from the beginning of Long COVID.

I’m moving into week 5 of recovery from COVID and would really like to hear from people who had a similar timeline.
My symptoms started July 14 and I tested positive July 16. I took Paxlovid and eventually tested negative on July 24. Afterward I also developed what seemed to be a sinus infection and needed a Z-Pak.
The acute COVID symptoms are gone, but the recovery has been much slower than I expected.
My biggest remaining symptoms have been:
Significant fatigue, especially after several hours of activity
Crashing after doing too much — driving around, appointments, errands, etc. can wipe me out for hours
Brain fog and forgetfulness
Periods of feeling lightheaded
Earlier in recovery I had significant heart-rate spikes with standing/activity, although thankfully that has improved substantially
Needing much more sleep and rest than usual
Some days feeling noticeably better and then having a much harder day after I’ve done too much
There has been improvement. I’m able to do considerably more than I could during the first couple of weeks. I’m having better mornings, my heart-rate issues have improved, and sometimes a 15–20 minute rest or Yoga Nidra helps me reset.
Sleep also seems incredibly important. When I shut everything down early and get to bed around 9–9:30, I seem to function much better the following day.
But the fatigue can still be overwhelming. For example, I recently pushed myself from about 9 AM–1 PM with a lot of driving/activity and basically needed to rest for the remainder of the day.
I’m learning that feeling better doesn’t necessarily mean I have my normal stamina back. I’m trying to pace myself and take breaks before I become exhausted instead of waiting until I crash.
For those who had significant post-COVID fatigue:
What did weeks 5–8 look like for you?
Did your stamina gradually come back even though you were still crashing at week 5? Did pacing and sleep make a noticeable difference?
I’m particularly interested in hearing from people who continued to improve over time, because I’m trying to understand what a normal recovery trajectory can look like versus when people started considering Long COVID.
:::

I’m trying to understand something about myself and wondering whether other people experience this.
My relationship with my mom seems to follow a repeating pattern. I love her and move toward her. I try to help, give, be kind, or repair things. Something happens where I feel dismissed, rejected, or deeply hurt. Instead of immediately protecting myself, I try to understand her. I question whether I’m interpreting things correctly. I think about what I could do differently. I hold the hurt inside.
Eventually I hit a wall.
What’s especially difficult right now is that my mom has essentially made herself unreachable to me. This isn’t simply a situation where I’ve decided to go no-contact. She has created a situation where I don’t really have access to her or a normal way of repairing or even addressing the relationship.
I’m already in regular therapy and grief therapy for anticipatory loss, because I know she may not have much time left. So I’m trying to process both the relationship as it actually is and the reality that I may lose her before there is ever any reconciliation.
There is also a family dynamic that makes this even harder. My brother has always been the golden child. My mom has gone out of her way to make sure he is very financially secure, while making very different choices when it comes to me. That disparity is painful, and at some point I have to ask myself: why do I keep hanging around hoping for something different?
And yet I still find myself struggling to hold onto the emotional memory of what’s happened.
Intellectually, I know this isn’t the first time I’ve experienced rejection, abandonment, or being treated as less important. But when something happens again, I somehow have trouble putting all the experiences together and thinking:
Wait. I know this feeling. This has happened before. This is the pattern.
Instead, the newest rejection can feel almost like I’m discovering the loss all over again.
My therapist has been encouraging me to stop asking only what I can do about the relationship and instead ask:
“At what cost?”
What is continuing to emotionally invest in someone who has made herself unreachable costing me?
I’m also changing the language I use with myself from:
“I’m trying to take care of myself.”
to:
“I’m taking care of myself.”
The hardest part is that I still love my mom. I know that one day she won’t be here. So there is this horrible conflict between wanting to protect myself and knowing that I may never get the connection, acknowledgment, fairness, or reconciliation I kept hoping for before she dies.
I’ve been crying a lot as this becomes clearer. I think I’m grieving much more than whatever happened most recently. I’m grieving all the times this pattern has happened before, the unequal treatment within my family, and maybe most of all the mother-daughter relationship I kept hoping we would eventually have.
For anyone who has experienced something similar:
Did your parent make themselves emotionally or practically unreachable while still keeping you psychologically attached?
Did you have a golden-child sibling and struggle with the unfairness of how differently you were treated?
And how did you eventually stop hanging around waiting for a relationship that the other person wasn’t actually making possible?

I’m trying to understand something about myself and wondering whether other people experience this.
My relationship with my mom seems to follow a repeating pattern. I love her and move toward her. I try to help, give, be kind, or repair things. Something happens where I feel dismissed, rejected, or deeply hurt. Instead of immediately protecting myself, I try to understand her. I question whether I’m interpreting things correctly. I think about what I could do differently. I hold the hurt inside.
Eventually I hit a wall.
What’s especially difficult right now is that my mom has essentially made herself unreachable to me. This isn’t simply a situation where I’ve decided to go no-contact. She has created a situation where I don’t really have access to her or a normal way of repairing or even addressing the relationship.
I’m already in regular therapy and grief therapy for anticipatory loss, because I know she may not have much time left. So I’m trying to process both the relationship as it actually is and the reality that I may lose her before there is ever any reconciliation.
There is also a family dynamic that makes this even harder. My brother has always been the golden child. My mom has gone out of her way to make sure he is very financially secure, while making very different choices when it comes to me. That disparity is painful, and at some point I have to ask myself: why do I keep hanging around hoping for something different?
And yet I still find myself struggling to hold onto the emotional memory of what’s happened.
Intellectually, I know this isn’t the first time I’ve experienced rejection, abandonment, or being treated as less important. But when something happens again, I somehow have trouble putting all the experiences together and thinking:
Wait. I know this feeling. This has happened before. This is the pattern.
Instead, the newest rejection can feel almost like I’m discovering the loss all over again.
My therapist has been encouraging me to stop asking only what I can do about the relationship and instead ask:
“At what cost?”
What is continuing to emotionally invest in someone who has made herself unreachable costing me?
I’m also changing the language I use with myself from:
“I’m trying to take care of myself.”
to:
“I’m taking care of myself.”
The hardest part is that I still love my mom. I know that one day she won’t be here. So there is this horrible conflict between wanting to protect myself and knowing that I may never get the connection, acknowledgment, fairness, or reconciliation I kept hoping for before she dies.
I’ve been crying a lot as this becomes clearer. I think I’m grieving much more than whatever happened most recently. I’m grieving all the times this pattern has happened before, the unequal treatment within my family, and maybe most of all the mother-daughter relationship I kept hoping we would eventually have.
For anyone who has experienced something similar:
Did your parent make themselves emotionally or practically unreachable while still keeping you psychologically attached?
Did you have a golden-child sibling and struggle with the unfairness of how differently you were treated?
And how did you eventually stop hanging around waiting for a relationship that the other person wasn’t actually making possible?

Does anyone else struggle to hold onto the pattern with a narcissistic or emotionally unavailable mother?
I’m trying to understand something about myself and wondering whether other people experience this.
My relationship with my mom seems to follow a repeating pattern. I love her and move toward her. I try to help, give, be kind, or repair things. Something happens where I feel dismissed, rejected, or deeply hurt. Instead of immediately protecting myself, I try to understand her. I question whether I’m interpreting things correctly. I think about what I could do differently. I hold the hurt inside.
Eventually I hit a wall.
What’s especially difficult right now is that my mom has essentially made herself unreachable to me. This isn’t simply a situation where I’ve decided to go no-contact. She has created a situation where I don’t really have access to her or a normal way of repairing or even addressing the relationship.
I’m already in regular therapy and grief therapy for anticipatory loss, because I know she may not have much time left. So I’m trying to process both the relationship as it actually is and the reality that I may lose her before there is ever any reconciliation.
There is also a family dynamic that makes this even harder. My brother has always been the golden child. My mom has gone out of her way to make sure he is very financially secure, while making very different choices when it comes to me. That disparity is painful, and at some point I have to ask myself: why do I keep hanging around hoping for something different?
And yet I still find myself struggling to hold onto the emotional memory of what’s happened.
Intellectually, I know this isn’t the first time I’ve experienced rejection, abandonment, or being treated as less important. But when something happens again, I somehow have trouble putting all the experiences together and thinking:
Wait. I know this feeling. This has happened before. This is the pattern.
Instead, the newest rejection can feel almost like I’m discovering the loss all over again.
My therapist has been encouraging me to stop asking only what I can do about the relationship and instead ask:
“At what cost?”
What is continuing to emotionally invest in someone who has made herself unreachable costing me?
I’m also changing the language I use with myself from:
“I’m trying to take care of myself.”
to:
“I’m taking care of myself.”
The hardest part is that I still love my mom. I know that one day she won’t be here. So there is this horrible conflict between wanting to protect myself and knowing that I may never get the connection, acknowledgment, fairness, or reconciliation I kept hoping for before she dies.
I’ve been crying a lot as this becomes clearer. I think I’m grieving much more than whatever happened most recently. I’m grieving all the times this pattern has happened before, the unequal treatment within my family, and maybe most of all the mother-daughter relationship I kept hoping we would eventually have.
For anyone who has experienced something similar:
Did your parent make themselves emotionally or practically unreachable while still keeping you psychologically attached?
Did you have a golden-child sibling and struggle with the unfairness of how differently you were treated?
And how did you eventually stop hanging around waiting for a relationship that the other person wasn’t actually making possible?

I’ve been having recurring audio problems on Zoom — lagging, distortion, and sometimes robotic/choppy audio. It’s disruptive enough that I’m trying to figure out whether this is a Zoom issue or something with my setup.

What’s confusing is that **I do not have the same issue on Google Meet**, using the same computer and location.

I also tried switching to a different network during a Zoom call, and **that did not fix the problem**, so now I’m less convinced that Wi-Fi is the main issue.

Has anyone had this happen where:

* Zoom audio glitches repeatedly, but Google Meet works fine
* Switching networks does not help
* Video may be mostly okay, but the audio distorts or lags

If so, what fixed it for you?

I’m wondering whether I should be looking at:

* Zoom audio settings
* microphone settings
* reinstalling/updating Zoom
* hardware acceleration
* background noise suppression
* another app conflicting with Zoom
* or just switching platforms entirely

I use video calls professionally, so reliable audio is really important. Any suggestions would be appreciated.

I’ve been having recurring audio problems on Zoom — lagging, distortion, and sometimes robotic/choppy audio. It’s disruptive enough that I’m trying to figure out whether this is a Zoom issue or something with my setup.

What’s confusing is that I do not have the same issue on Google Meet, using the same computer and location.

I also tried switching to a different network during a Zoom call, and that did not fix the problem, so now I’m less convinced that Wi-Fi is the main issue.

Has anyone had this happen where:

• Zoom audio glitches repeatedly, but Google Meet works fine
• Switching networks does not help
• Video may be mostly okay, but the audio distorts or lags

If so, what fixed it for you?

I’m wondering whether I should be looking at:

• Zoom audio settings
• microphone settings
• reinstalling/updating Zoom
• hardware acceleration
• background noise suppression
• another app conflicting with Zoom
• or just switching platforms entirely

I use video calls professionally, so reliable audio is really important. Any suggestions would be appreciated.

I’m trying to make a realistic decision about returning to full-time work after a TBI, and I would appreciate hearing from people who have faced a similar choice.
My ongoing symptoms include cognitive and physical fatigue, difficulty processing visual and auditory information, sensory overload, disrupted sleep, and reduced tolerance for commuting and busy work environments. I can function well when activities are structured and paced, but overscheduling or too many demanding activities close together can cause a significant crash.
I may receive an offer for a professionally meaningful position that fits my education and previous experience very well. However, the advertised schedule includes three days on-site each week. Based on my current functioning, I think one regular on-site day might be manageable, particularly with remote work, written instructions, clear priorities, advance materials, fewer interruptions, scheduling flexibility, and recovery time between demanding activities. I cannot assume the employer will approve those accommodations.
I currently receive SSDI and have five Trial Work Period months remaining. Returning to full-time employment could eventually cause me to lose my SSDI cash benefit, so this would not be a low-risk experiment.
For those who have returned to work after a TBI:
How did you determine what workload was genuinely sustainable?
Did commuting or required on-site days affect you more than expected?
Did you start part-time, remotely, or through self-employment?
Which accommodations made the biggest difference?
Did you initially perform well and then crash weeks or months later?
How did you weigh stable disability benefits against the possibility of meaningful work?
What warning signs told you that a job was becoming unsustainable?
I’m not looking for legal or benefits advice and will discuss those issues with the appropriate professionals. I’m mainly hoping to learn from the lived experience of others with TBI-related fatigue and cognitive or sensory limitations.

I first got sick with COVID on July 15, and I’m now going into week four of recovery. I took Paxlovid and tested negative on July 24, but I’m still having lingering symptoms.
My main symptoms now are:
Significant fatigue and weakness
Brain fog and forgetfulness
Lightheadedness
Sensitivity to noise, light, and too much stimulation
Feeling exhausted from talking or interacting with people
Temperature fluctuations
Sudden crashes after doing even a small amount of activity
Needing to lie down and rest during the day
Some days I feel a little stronger and can do more, but then I worry that I’ve overdone it because the fatigue hits me afterward. I’m trying to rest, stay hydrated, eat well, and avoid unnecessary stress, but I’m having a hard time knowing how much rest is enough and how much activity is safe.
For those who had a similar recovery, how did you balance rest with gradually increasing activity? Did you follow a pacing schedule or use your symptoms or heart rate to decide when to stop? Should I take very short walks and do light daily activities, or focus mostly on resting until the crashes and lightheadedness improve?
I would really appreciate hearing what helped others avoid setbacks during weeks four and five.

I’m wondering if anyone else experienced this during the first few weeks after COVID and whether it eventually went away.
My symptoms started July 14, I tested positive on July 16, and finally tested negative on July 24.
I’m definitely doing better than I was during the acute infection, but I’m still dealing with a lot of fatigue and forgetfulness/brain fog. Sometimes I’ll completely blank out on what I was doing or what I was going to say. My energy also runs out pretty suddenly. I can do things earlier in the day, but then I hit a wall and feel like I can’t do much of anything.
I also developed what seemed to be a sinus infection after COVID, so I started a Z-Pak three days ago. That may be adding to the fatigue, but I’m concerned because I’m still so wiped out and mentally foggy.
For people who experienced something similar:
Is this fairly normal during the first few weeks of post-COVID recovery, or was this how your Long COVID started?
Did the forgetfulness/brain fog eventually clear?
How long did it take for your energy to come back?
Did you find that sleep made a major difference?
Is there anything you wish you had done differently during the first few weeks of recovery?
My eyes look puffy.. anyone else had that issue?
I’m trying to do all the vitamins but really can’t afford Long Covid as I have a brain injury.
I know everyone recovers differently. I’m mainly trying to figure out whether I should be worried about Long COVID yet or whether my body simply needs more time to recover.

Hi everyone,
This is my first time having COVID, and I tested positive today. My doctor started me on Paxlovid, and I just took my second dose.
So far I’ve had:
Sore throat that started first
Fever (up to about 101.9°F) but now on day 2 down
Chills followed by drenching sweats
Fatigue
Mild cough and throat mucus
Elevated heart rate while I had a fever (around 100–105 bpm at rest)
Body aches on day 2
The good news is my oxygen saturation is 99%, I’m able to eat yogurt, drink fluids, and keep my medication down.
One thing I’m really anxious about is Long COVID. I have a history of a traumatic brain injury, so I’m especially worried about prolonged fatigue or cognitive symptoms.
For those who’ve had COVID:
Did you take Paxlovid, and when did you start feeling better?
Did anyone here develop Long COVID despite taking Paxlovid early?
Are there things you did during recovery that you think helped reduce your risk?
What vitamins did you take ?
How long did it take before you were back to your normal energy level?
I’m trying to rest as much as possible and follow my doctor’s instructions. I’d really appreciate hearing about your experiences, both positive and negative.
Thanks so much.

I read that starting July 1, 2026, Medicare is supposed to provide access to certain GLP-1 medications, including Wegovy, for a $50 monthly copay through the Medicare GLP-1 Bridge program.
I’m trying to understand exactly how someone qualifies and what documentation the doctor needs to submit.
From what I’m seeing, eligibility may depend on Medicare Part D coverage, BMI, and certain conditions like prediabetes, uncontrolled hypertension, chronic kidney disease, prior heart attack/stroke, peripheral artery disease, or heart failure with preserved EF.
Has anyone gone through the prior authorization process yet? Did your pharmacy or doctor know how to process it? Were you already on Wegovy before July 1, or starting new?
Any practical advice would be appreciated, especially around:
what diagnosis/documentation was needed
whether the doctor or pharmacy submitted the prior authorization
how long approval took
whether it worked with Medicare Advantage + Part D
whether being on Wegovy already affected eligibility

I read that starting July 1, 2026, Medicare is supposed to provide access to certain GLP-1 medications, including Wegovy, for a $50 monthly copay through the Medicare GLP-1 Bridge program.
I’m trying to understand exactly how someone qualifies and what documentation the doctor needs to submit.
From what I’m seeing, eligibility may depend on Medicare Part D coverage, BMI, and certain conditions like prediabetes, uncontrolled hypertension, chronic kidney disease, prior heart attack/stroke, peripheral artery disease, or heart failure with preserved EF.
Has anyone gone through the prior authorization process yet? Did your pharmacy or doctor know how to process it? Were you already on Wegovy before July 1, or starting new?
Any practical advice would be appreciated, especially around:
what diagnosis/documentation was needed
whether the doctor or pharmacy submitted the prior authorization
how long approval took
whether it worked with Medicare Advantage + Part D
whether being on Wegovy already affected eligibility

I had several boxes of Wegovy stored in the refrigerator, still in their original boxes. The refrigerator was accidentally shut off for about one day.
The medication did not get warm or hot, it was not left in sunlight, and it was not frozen. It just was not kept at refrigerator temperature during that period. The pens still look normal, and the liquid appears clear/colorless.
I understand Wegovy can be kept at room temperature, below 86°F, for up to 28 days, but I’m confused about whether that means the 28-day clock starts after this one-day temperature interruption, even if I put the boxes back in the refrigerator afterward.
Has anyone had this happen, and is there any research saying I can continue to use them ?
I’m not looking for medical advice, just trying to understand how people handled a brief refrigerator shutoff with unopened boxes.

I had several boxes of Wegovy stored in the refrigerator, still in their original boxes. The refrigerator was accidentally shut off for about one day.
The medication did not get warm or hot, it was not left in sunlight, and it was not frozen. It just was not kept at refrigerator temperature during that period. The pens still look normal, and the liquid appears clear/colorless.
I understand Wegovy can be kept at room temperature, below 86°F, for up to 28 days, but I’m confused about whether that means the 28-day clock starts after this one-day temperature interruption, even if I put the boxes back in the refrigerator afterward.
Has anyone had this happen, and what did your pharmacist or Novo tell you?
I’m not looking for medical advice, just trying to understand how people handled a brief refrigerator shutoff with unopened boxes.

I had several boxes of Wegovy stored in the refrigerator, still in their original boxes. The refrigerator was accidentally shut off for about one day.
The medication did not get warm or hot, it was not left in sunlight, and it was not frozen. It just was not kept at refrigerator temperature during that period. The pens still look normal, and the liquid appears clear/colorless.
I understand Wegovy can be kept at room temperature, below 86°F, for up to 28 days, but I’m confused about whether that means the 28-day clock starts after this one-day temperature interruption, even if I put the boxes back in the refrigerator afterward.
Has anyone had this happen, and what did your pharmacist or Novo tell you?
I’m not looking for medical advice, just trying to understand how people handled a brief refrigerator shutoff with unopened boxes.