Millions of Americans who previously fought COVID-19 continue to deal with lingering symptoms. Local doctors tell WLWT more than 50 percent of people who contract COVID-19, known as long haulers, deal with lingering symptoms.Hinda Stockstill, 34, of Pleasant Ridge is one of them. She contracted the virus in December 2020 and was later diagnosed with post-acute COVID-19 syndrome."I've been dealing with COVID and lingering symptoms for 11 months now," she said. "I'm glad to see some normalcy returning. I'm glad to see people are having social interactions because I think that's good for our mental health; however, for me I feel like every day has been in some ways Groundhog Day. I just wake up to the same issues every day."WLWT first spoke with Stockstill in April. At the time she was suffering from a long list of issues including hair loss, frequent fevers and chills, brain dog, numbness in her limbs, neuropathy and fatigue."Thankfully due to physical therapy at TriHealth, I can run now for about 10 minutes, walk for 30 minutes, I can clean my house, I can brush my teeth. I can work 40 hours a week," she said. "I'm still losing hair at large amounts. I had to cut it. The pain and the tingling in my hands is improving."She is back to full-time hours although she had to find a new job, one that she could work remotely. She is now working in medical staffing, helping fill vacancies in local hospitals.Stockstill said one of the most frustrating parts of her disease is that she continues developing new symptoms, most recently, insomnia and reactivated Epstein Barr, the virus that causes mononucleosis.She learned that at the Cleveland Clinic where she has been accepted into its reCOVer Clinic for long haulers."I never knew I had Epstein Barr virus. I had at some point probably as a child and it never bothered me, but COVID reactivated an old virus," she said. "They're still trying to figure out the brain fog so I have to go back for some neurological studies and some things going on with my stomach."Stockstill said her family, friends and strangers she's befriended in online support groups are keeping her going. She said she knows two people from those groups who took their own lives due to lingering symptoms, and she encourages any long haulers to seek medical treatment and emotional support."We have good days and we have a lot of bad days where we feel really sick, and so some days I just have to cry and I have to get counseling," she said. "It's definitely made me appreciate life. It's a horrible experience, but it's made me stronger and made me realize what's really important to me."
Millions of Americans who previously fought COVID-19 continue to deal with lingering symptoms. Local doctors tell WLWT more than 50 percent of people who contract COVID-19, known as long haulers, deal with lingering symptoms.
Hinda Stockstill, 34, of Pleasant Ridge is one of them. She contracted the virus in December 2020 and was later diagnosed with post-acute COVID-19 syndrome.
"I've been dealing with COVID and lingering symptoms for 11 months now," she said. "I'm glad to see some normalcy returning. I'm glad to see people are having social interactions because I think that's good for our mental health; however, for me I feel like every day has been in some ways Groundhog Day. I just wake up to the same issues every day."
WLWT first spoke with Stockstill in April. At the time she was suffering from a long list of issues including hair loss, frequent fevers and chills, brain dog, numbness in her limbs, neuropathy and fatigue.
"Thankfully due to physical therapy at TriHealth, I can run now for about 10 minutes, walk for 30 minutes, I can clean my house, I can brush my teeth. I can work 40 hours a week," she said. "I'm still losing hair at large amounts. I had to cut it. The pain and the tingling in my hands is improving."
She is back to full-time hours although she had to find a new job, one that she could work remotely. She is now working in medical staffing, helping fill vacancies in local hospitals.
Stockstill said one of the most frustrating parts of her disease is that she continues developing new symptoms, most recently, insomnia and reactivated Epstein Barr, the virus that causes mononucleosis.
She learned that at the Cleveland Clinic where she has been accepted into its reCOVer Clinic for long haulers.
"I never knew I had Epstein Barr virus. I had at some point probably as a child and it never bothered me, but COVID reactivated an old virus," she said. "They're still trying to figure out the brain fog so I have to go back for some neurological studies and some things going on with my stomach."
Stockstill said her family, friends and strangers she's befriended in online support groups are keeping her going. She said she knows two people from those groups who took their own lives due to lingering symptoms, and she encourages any long haulers to seek medical treatment and emotional support.
"We have good days and we have a lot of bad days where we feel really sick, and so some days I just have to cry and I have to get counseling," she said. "It's definitely made me appreciate life. It's a horrible experience, but it's made me stronger and made me realize what's really important to me."
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