Nikita Slattery was diagnosed with long-Covid in June, 2022. The student (26) feels she is “mourning her old self,” after illness took over her life.
he Tipperary native first contracted Covid-19 in December 2021, where she made a full recovery after 10 days in isolation.
When she got it a second time in June 2022, Ms Slattery wasn’t expecting what was to come since the virus had no long-term effects on her the first time she had it.
“I was out of work for seven days of isolation and after that I just felt like it was a lot worse than the first time I had it,” said Ms Slattery.
“I went to my GP and was put on steroids and antibiotics to clear it but I continued to suffer from extreme chest pain and my initial fear was that I had a blood clot because my dad had passed away from a blood clot last year, which wasn’t Covid-related.
“I had all the necessary scans done but nothing came back, so my doctor said give it a few weeks because it is probably your body recovering but it just never got any better.”
Her local GP is the only medical professional to have given her a diagnosis, and she feels as though her hospital has not fully understood the severity of her condition.
“I kept going back to my own doctor and was referred to the hospital where they tested my heart because I get a lot of heart palpitations and fatigue, so they went down every avenue,” said Ms Slattery.
“I am on inhalers because they think maybe it’s a problem with my chest but I feel my own hospital has belittled me. They are kind of telling me it’s in my head and I felt kind of gaslighted.
“My own GP has been great but he has admitted to me that he doesn’t know what to do and that they don’t know enough about it yet.”
Since she was diagnosed with long-Covid, everyday tasks such as showering and brushing her hair have become big struggles for Ms Slattery, who says she “can’t get out of bed most days”.
“I am in pain with body aches, fatigue and my heart palpitations. I could just wash dishes and my heart rate could go up to 140 beats per minute,” she said.
“Some days a shower just takes everything out of me. Even brushing my hair, I often have to ask my mum and it feels like I have gone back to being a child.”
Ms Slattery worked in a creche, while also studying Early Childhood in college, but had to leave her job due to her illness.
“I work in childcare but because of this I haven’t been able to go back, so from running around after toddlers everyday to spending my days in bed has been really hard on me mentally,” she said.
“At the moment my job is still there for me. I just don’t know when I can go back but at the moment I am just on illness benefit.
“Financially it is quite hard because I am doing a degree in college so I have a loan out of the credit union that has to be paid back.”
Ms Slattery said she is trying to remain positive but misses the life she lived before becoming sick.
She even had to cancel her holidays to Scotland with her mum this year because physically her body wasn’t up to it.
“I don’t really get to see my friends because I can’t plan anything as I don’t know how I will be, it just hits me all of a sudden out of nowhere,” said Ms Slattery.
“I was a typical 26-year-old – I enjoyed my job, I was sociable, I enjoyed going out with my friends, and it’s like it’s all been ripped away from me and I have no control over it.
“I have been trying to keep positive, but it did hit me when my doctor said he doesn’t know what he can do for me.
“I wonder will I ever be better or will I ever have my old life back? It’s the fear of the unknown, there could be days where I’d be crying all day because I am mourning my old self.
“People just think you look fine so you must be fine and that sentence is a reality for so many of us going through this.
“I was so naive, I thought if I get Covid I will be fine. I knew it affected people with underlying health conditions but I didn’t have any of them.”
