09/07/2025
For the past year and a half, my life has changed in ways I never imagined. In October 2023, I got Covid. It also reactivated the Epstein-Barr virus I had when I was 19, and since then my body has struggled to regain balance. I’ve been diagnosed with Long Covid, POTS (a condition where my heart rate spikes just sitting still), Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome (hypermobile type), immune deficiency, and potentially MCAS.
There are times my health trends upwards, but even then I’m far from living the life of a “typical” 35-year-old. In late 2024, my legs started giving out and walking became hard — I bought a cane and began using wheelchairs in airports. Every outing requires careful planning: energy budgeting, weather, location, time of day.
💔 Most days, I’m home on the couch, recovering from even the smallest exertion. But I choose moments for my mental and emotional health — like seeing friends or going to a concert — even if they cost me a week of recovery.
This photo is me on my birthday. What you don’t see is how much I rested in the days before to have enough energy, or the days I spent on the couch afterwards to recover. You don’t see the calculations it took to even make this possible.
✨ Smiling, celebrating, dressing up — these are not signs that I’m “all better.” They’re moments that feed my soul, even as my body continues to heal.
This journey has been hard. But it’s also taught me gratitude, patience, and how to celebrate small wins.
To those fighting invisible battles: I see you. Your strength is quiet but extraordinary. 💛
