The Saguenéenne Isabelle Desbiens, who has been living with post-COVID symptoms for 14 months, challenges the government and wishes more recognition for those who suffer and swim in the unknown.
The life of this resident of La Baie has turned into a real daily battle.
Suffering from long COVID, it’s fatigue, post-workout symptoms when exercising, if I’m sweeping, things like that, work, concentration when I’m working on the computer , all activities of daily living are affected
she explains.
Over time, she learned from her occupational therapist to cut her day into segments to better distribute her energy in a day.
For example, my sweeper, I have to cut in three times to pass the sweeper in my apartment, between that, I have to take breaks.
Isabelle Desbiens would never have doubted she would suffer from post-COVID symptoms after contracting the virus. She begins to feel better in the following days, until she hits a wall when she is at a friend’s house.
crashed, crashed and I told my friend that I don’t know what’s going on, but I have to go”,”text”:”I was sitting, having a coffee, and inside a half hour, I crashed, crashed and told my friend that I don’t know what’s going on, but I have to go””>I was sitting down, having a coffee, and within half an hour, I crashed, crashed and I told my friend that I don’t know what’s going on, but I have to go
she recalls about her sudden drop in energy.
The woman then underwent a battery of tests, but nothing abnormal was detected. She turns to her family doctor, who agrees to help her despite her lack of knowledge of the long COVID. He quickly understands that things are not going well.
She is now limited to working fifteen hours a week, is financially stressed and has had to put her love for hiking on hold. She finds some comfort on a Facebook group with people who are going through the same thing as her.
The walls of his apartment are lined with decorations related to his passion for the outdoors, a question of maintaining the hope of finding his life before.
minutes on the board, that’s what I can do. I also had to cancel trips and attendance at shows”,”text”:”Before I could walk five hours, six hours in the woods in the rain in the mountains, but now, if I walk 20-25 minutes on plank, that’s what I’m able to do. I also had to cancel trips and attendance at shows””>Before I could walk five hours, six hours in the woods in the rain in the mountains, but now, if I walk 20-25 minutes on the board, that’s what I can do. I also had to cancel trips and attendance at shows
adds the lady who also says she suffers psychologically.
Patients stigmatized
Isabelle Desbiens is not the only one in this situation. In Canada, about 15% of people with COVID-19 develop long-term symptoms, according to Statistics Canada data.
However, these people must face several challenges because it is often difficult for them to receive the necessary support.
Dr. Alain Piché examines a patient who suffers from residual symptoms of COVID-19. (archives)
Photo : Radio-Canada
For the Dr Alain Piché, who has been running a specialized clinic in Sherbrooke since 2020 for post-COVID conditions, there is still a lot of ignorance related to this disease.
There is still a lot of misunderstanding I would say in relation to the long COVID, a lot of ignorance too and it is true that these patients in part are stigmatized. So it is important that the people who see these patients in the different clinics show openness and empathy to take care of these patients correctly.
reports the microbiologist-infectiologist at the Integrated University Center for Health and Social Services (CIUSSS) in Estrie – Sherbrooke University Hospital Center.
Opening expected in Saguenay
Last May, the Minister of Health, Christian Dubé, announced the creation of about fifteen clinics to provide care to patients suffering from long-term COVID, including one in Saguenay, but the opening is still pending. This is scheduled for the spring, according to the CIUSSS of Saguenay-Lac-Saint-Jean.
Isabelle Desbiens challenges Minister Dubé. According to her, still too many doctors mention mental health problems when it comes to long COVID.
: hey doctors, that’s enough, they have long COVID.”,”text”:”Even if tomorrow morning he can’t open the long COVID clinic, at least he can. [le ministre Dubé] give a hammer blow: hey doctors, enough is enough, they have long COVID.””>Even if tomorrow morning he can’t open the long COVID clinic, at least he [le ministre Dubé] give a sledgehammer: hey doctors, enough is enough, they have long COVID.
In her case, she says she is lucky that her employer Devinci is understanding. However, not everyone who has symptoms of the disease manages to keep their job, she found in discussions with other patients.
Isabelle Desbiens has had long-term COVID for 14 months.
Photo: Radio-Canada / Roby St-Gelais
In Sherbrooke, the demand is so strong that half of the patients come from outside. The waiting list has hundreds of names. The Dr Piché hopes that the entire population will soon have access to this service.
It is important to open these clinics. It’s not easy for these patients to travel great distances, especially in the context where these people have post-exercise discomfort. A lot of fatigue, stress such as travel, such as a visit to the doctor can be enough to cause post-exercise discomfort
notes the microbiologist-infectiologist.
According to the Dr Piché, some patients manage to no longer experience post-COVID symptoms after a while, while the situation persists over time for others. Research on the disease is still relatively recent, but drugs could eventually relieve those who suffer.
In the meantime, Isabelle Desbiens multiplies the appointments with the specialists who accompany her in the hope one day of seeing a little light at the end of the tunnel and become the girl before
.