Being ill

I rapidly deteriorated very, very quickly. I was in bed, but not ‘with it’, like a zombie, and then I would use all my energy for that hour when the girls came home. I think I was too ill to even be worried about being ill.

‘Time off work was very important’

Time off work, I think that's very important in my recovery story. At first, I had ten days off work, went back to work, crawled around the classroom, and then agreed with my head teacher I wasn't well enough to be at school. I got a sick note for a month which I was devastated about. I wasn't prepared to believe that I needed it, because I wasn't that type of person, because I don't get ill! I am mentally very strong. I had a three-month sick note next, and then I was actually, ‘I'm in a really fortunate position that I can take this time off’. The focus then was on me getting better.

‘A little bit of hope’

There was a little bit of hope with the Nuffield Health long covid programme. I'd say a few other positive things started to happen, like acupuncture, and feeling that other people were getting better. I was reading other people's stories, and that was giving me so much hope.

‘Something to look forward to every day’

And then, even though it wasn't great, and felt like very slow progress, I feel like every week, I had a plan. I could walk a little bit better, and I was having coffee, a lot of people were taking me out, I always tried to make sure that I had something to look forward to every day.

Finding purpose

I joined a befriending scheme, I was a volunteer. Because I had no purpose. In truth, the woman I befriended probably was supporting me!

‘I accepted resting and pacing’

I was very motivated to get better, and I accepted that resting and pacing was part of it. As soon as I saw resting as a productive activity, that's how I sold it to myself.  So it was an activity that I was doing, and that helped me get better. And I still do that now.

Journalling and gratitude

I did a lot of journaling – well, I didn't because I couldn't really write, but I did smiley faces and numbers, and thinking every day of something that I was lucky for. I mean, I'm really lucky, so it was easy to do, and I just wasn’t focusing on any of the negatives. I think if you feel lucky, fortunate, and grateful, then you don't feel like, ‘oh, this has happened to me, I'm a victim.’ I would have lots of internal thoughts to myself, saying, ‘you're better than you were a month ago’, you know, ‘I'm lucky’. So I could always talk myself round.

Going back to work

Eventually, I kind of had an acceptance that I might not teach again. But, after 9 months off work, I went back to work. I did an hour a day, then 2 hours a day. It was really hard going back to work. But then I started teaching groups, which maybe pushed me a little bit more. That was very purposeful. I realised ‘I’m going to be ok’. I was so lucky that I got my joy of teaching back. I’m back to working part time now, 3 days a week.

‘I try really hard to look after myself’

I’ve always worked too hard. I used to work till midnight every night – I don't do that now. I've got a massage booked in next week. I try really hard to look after myself and do little things that I would have considered selfish in the past. I will stop and I will rest and I will have lazy days. And I won't feel that guilty about it because it's very important that I do it. 

‘I feel strong’

It’s now a year that I have not really had any symptoms or any thoughts about long covid. I feel like as a whole, the situation's really good for me now. My friend came this week and we went to the pub and had tea and we were out from seven until nine. And I would never, never have done that in the past. But I said to myself, ‘I think it's really important that you go to the pub with your friend and then you can talk’ and, I really need that. I feel strong.