I went to work like usual as a domestic nurse, to look after my patients on the ward making sure everything was okay, their areas were clean, they had all they needed etc. And I caught covid then on the 21st of March 2020, and I’m still suffering with Long Covid to this day. I lost my job because I couldn’t work, I’ve had such little support and help with it all. I just feel like I’m being punished honestly.

I’ve recently been diagnosed with Upper Airway Resistance Syndrome and been put on a CPAP machine. But I struggle with the feeling of claustrophobia, so I really don’t like it. Even If I do manage to sleep with it on, I end up pulling it off in my sleep. They’ve now taken my driving my license off me because I’m “not compliant with my treatment”. This has taken away my independence and is going to impact my daily living, I was using going to the shops almost like physiotherapy, and they’ve taken that away from me now which is essentially a push backwards. I feel like I’ve just been pushed aside and forgotten about. I always try to remain positive but It’s quite hard at the moment.

Fabulous! I felt like I was finally being heard. Nobody seemed to know about long covid, and I felt pushed aside because they would basically say “we don’t know what to do” – so for once I didn’t feel like I was going mad! 

Having someone to discuss everything with over the phone and not needing to leave the house because I don’t have the stamina and the mobility to get to those places was amazing. Doing it this way was fabulous, having the equipment brought to the house made a huge difference! The difference was immense, the impact was so great and the professional understanding of how to do it. Everyone was so friendly and helpful as well and that was amazing. Jon and Jakko, all of them have been above and beyond really. It started me on the right road. 

Yes! because I started learning to breath then as well, I didn’t realise but I had been doing the wrong exercises and was trying to push forward before I spoke to Jon, and he explained that what I need is a slow impact instead of getting on and trying to push yourself harder like the way I’ve always done it. It turns out I was making it worse! He told me you have to manage the exercises in a low impact manner and that made a huge difference. Nobody in the last 2 years had told me how to approach exercising with this condition.

Absolutely, because you can’t understand the condition really, wondering “what is this? Why am I still feeling ill? Why am I breathless?” even though the covid has gone. You go to the doctors and of course they’re helpful but it felt like I’m battering against walls, I’m still waiting for certain treatments 2 years on, I just felt like I was going mad.

To motivate myself to do the exercises gave me a huge sense of achievement and gave my mental health a boost. I think this type of thing should be the first port of call before trying to prescribe anything for poor mental health. It improved all sorts of mental issues and my wellbeing. You feel like you’re striving to get better and not just stuck with something that you know nothing about. It made such a huge difference to my mental health having someone in my corner. I’d researched all sorts of other treatments, and when I found Physio in a Box I thought “Yes!” this is exactly what I’ve been searching for, someone to help and to guide me and support me. Doing the physio at home with someone who knows what they’re talking about, in amongst everyone else telling me the wrong way I should be doing things, was fantastic.