Hello everyone, sorry this is a wee bit late, it should technically be the April Blog. I do have a good excuse, although not a note from my mother.
I am a first-time Granny as of 18th April, to a beautiful little boy called Ellis. Of course, I am smitten, and have more photos on my phone of the newbie than I do of the dogs….and that is going some!

These past few months I have been excessively tired, wabbit, some cognitive disruption, and breathless at the least bit of activity. I was diagnosed with Long Covid last September, but at the end of March, a GP at my practice quite nonchalantly said that I needed to be tested for Heart Failure. Excuse me!! HEART FAILURE? I don’t think so…
I am not having that at all, I am definitely here for a much longer time than that idea suggests.
Well, I had all the tests scans, and X-rays and thankfully I do not have heart failure. I can understand why all these tests have to be done. With a diagnosis of Long Covid then seeing a different GP and all of a sudden, there are more tests to be had.
The upshot of the tests was that my Ferritin was at 36. (Iron stores in the blood) After a bit of research, I discovered that the ferritin range is about 30 to 200. Now this GP said all my bloodwork was ok. Fine. Acceptable. But I questioned the Ferritin, and although she did not accept my suggestion that it was very low, she did prescribe some iron tablets (ferrous fumarate) for the next couple of months.
As yet I have not had another set of blood work done, it is due in a few weeks. But I am feeling a lot more awake already. Some of my fibro pain which i feel across my face and temples has reduced also.
Now I can’t reinforce this enough, it is so important to be proactive in our treatment, and do some research if need be, We are experts in our conditions. We understand best how we are feeling and what will help with our comfort.
I can’t be sure that the facial pains and discomfort are made better by taking iron tablets, but it is a significant difference that I have to note down along with the improvement in my cognitive ability.
I do not doubt that I have Long Covid. I do not doubt that this is a problem that I will be dealing with for some time. But I also do not doubt that not every medical ailment or issue that I experience is automatically ascribed to be part of the Long Covid syndrome, just as not everything I have issues with is part of Fibromyalgia Syndrome which I have had for much much longer.

Eileen