TRIGGER WARNING: there's a brief mention of self harm in this episode.

It's Long COVID Awareness Month and we are talking silver linings and counting all the ways that we are #hashtag# BLESSED! Or something like that. In reality, Dr. Amy and Lance talk about what they've learned from their experience with Long COVID, share lessons from others from whom they've learned (shout out Patient-Led Research Collaborative & Brain Damage Diaries on Substack!), and consider how and whether the concepts of silver linings and bright-sided thinking are useful when dealing with the horrors of never-ending illness. It's a roller coaster of emotions, folks. Hold on tight!

SILVER LININGS

It's hard to know what color to pick when you've run out of silver.

I've always been a silver linings gal. Nothing in the fridge but a grapefruit, garlic, stale buns, and a leftover burrito? Operation Stump the Chef it is. Love that show! Case of strep keeping you from that weekend with your BFFs? If ever there was a more legit excuse to indulge in the trashiest of trash bag reality TV, I've never heard it.

But this Long COVID thing? Oof. I tried. Lord knows I tried. Even did my white lady with no actual real problems duty and posted as many damn silver linings as I could think of on ALL the socials.

I have time to nap!

I've learned how to knit!

I like crafting now!

I bake bread!

My husband is the BEST. SO supportive. #blessed

My friends are the BEST. SO supportive. #blessed

My colleagues are the BEST. SO supportive. #blessed

If you didn't know better, you might have thought I’d been #BLESSED with Long COVID. SO many silver linings!

What a goddamn crock of shit. What a steaming pile of poo. Fuck. That.

I am done with silver.

But what color now?

From https://amyblackstonephd.substack.com/

If you or someone you know is struggling, help is available.

988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline

Languages: English, Spanish

Hours: Available 24 hours

Mentioned in this episode:

Patient-Led Research Collaborative

Brain Damage Diaries by Christina Van Dyke

Bright-sided: How Positive Thinking Is Undermining America by Barbara Ehrenreich