My blog from last year was full of optimism and the fun things I was expecting to happen in the year to come, as well as some milestones for the year that was. This year, things are different. Actually, this whole year has been different.

While I worked for a couple of weeks in January, at the end of January I went on sick leave for debilitating fatigue, brain fog, and bodily aches. After 4 weeks, it was pretty clear, I had long covid. My body and brain was just absolutely shot and I could not do anything without it eating up all my energy. I’m talking taking a shower tok 3 days to come back from. It was like every little thing I did, normal daily things, was like running a half-marathon. It felt like my body needed all the energy it had to just exist.

I’m not gonna lie, it’s been a horrible year. I’ve had to put everything on hold. It’s like my life has been standing still for a year, or like I’ve lost a year of my life.

My amazing wife, despite having her own chronic illlness, has been amazing. Finding the energy to take care of me and everything while I’ve been sick. It’s had a terrible cost for her too, and I hope I can get back to taking care of her soon.

I also turned 40 this year, which felt anticlimatic when being too ill to have any sort of celebration. Luckily, my amazing wife amassed videos and presents from friends and family, not only in Norway, but all around the globe. It turned what I dreaded would be somewhat of a sad birthday, into something I truly cherish <3 Highlights were a video of my colleagues singing happy birthday in Greek (none of them know Greek :) ), and a video from R-Ladies I’ve worked with <3 I cannot express how much that warmed my heart, feeling still connected despite being absent.

I was lucky enough to get a 3 week stay at a rehabilitation center to help me cope and get better in October. This turned into an 8 week stay, and my progress while there was amazing. None of us could have imagined how much it would help. But being surrounded by professionals that helped me figure out my limits and how to safely expand them without getting worse, having nothing else but my own health and well-being to think of was truly so amazing. The main thing to learn was that I should never exceed my capacity. Whenever I push a little too far, this sets me back weeks of progress. So when I have a good day, it’s not about making the most of it and doing lots. This will exceed my capacity and I will get worse again. It’s about sticking to the schedule, and rather do less than more. Listen to the body’s signals when a limit is approached, and end an activity before reaching the limit. One thing that really helped me, was the “good job”’s my physio there gave me when I skipped a planned activity because I felt too tired. Like, being applauded because I listened to my body, rather than forcing it to do what was planned.

Today I had another walk in the forest here where i am at long covid rehabilitation. It really is so amazing to have such wonderful scenery to walk in so close to the facility.

Might have overdone it today though, my pulse has been somewhat elevated since the walk 5 hours ago. I hope not 🤞

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— ᴅʀ. ᴍᴏᴡɪɴᴄᴋᴇʟ'ꜱ (@drmowinckels.io) October 26, 2024 at 6:25 PM

I started my stay with less than 1k steps a day, needing to sit in the elevator and the only activity I could do was getting my meals three times a day (even that was more activity than I had at home). That activity alone made me absolutely knackered at the end of the day. But slowly (or rather rapidly really), 1k steps a day become the norm, I didn’t have to sit in the elevator anymore, and I could even slowly start going up and down stairs. By the end of my stay, I was averaging 2k steps a day, walking up and down 4 flights of stairs regularly, and attending meditation and slow movement classes in groups. On the forest paths at the factility, I went from walking 400m in 45 minutes, to walking 700m in 15minutes. It felt so amazing.

I had my last walk on the grounds here at #godthaabrehab. Not the best weather, but still enjoyable. I'm leaving on Wednesday, and am saving up energy for the trip home. I will have been away for 2 months, and I am so grateful for being allowed to be here this long.

#longcovid #postcovid #rehab

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— ᴅʀ. ᴍᴏᴡɪɴᴄᴋᴇʟ'ꜱ (@drmowinckels.io) December 7, 2024 at 2:17 PM

And imagine, this is very little activity for a normal person, but it was an increase of over 100% activity in just 8 weeks! My task now is to continue rehab at home, and I made a schedule with my physio before I left to start with. Activity at home is different than at rehab. At home, there are things that need doing. Laundry, making meals, cleaning etc. It looks different than what you’d do at rehab, but my main task is to remember that every activity I do is a form of excercice right now. I have scheduled breaks during the day that I must stick to, and days where I rest and only do absolutely necessary activity. Progress will be slower, but hopefully it will still be visible.

Coming back home has been amazing after being away for 8 weeks. Wife and cat and the comfort of my own home. Unluckily, our cat got seriously ill after me being home just 3 days, and I had to do something exceeding my limit by alot. I had to take her to the vet, and the entire trip was 5 hours! 5 hours out of the home, in emotional turmoil and excessive stress. It was, crazy.

Finally home, and it's so nice to be here again. It's been quiet and relaxing, untill Sølvi got sick. She threw up her food undigested 8 hours after eating it, and has barely eaten or had any water for 48 hours. Going to vet tomorrow. Please, cross your fingers for her. 💔❤️ #cat

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— ᴅʀ. ᴍᴏᴡɪɴᴄᴋᴇʟ'ꜱ (@drmowinckels.io) December 19, 2024 at 6:41 PM

But she got some meds, and while it was touch a go for some days, and a lot of stress and sleeplessness, she got better. And I had to go back to the vet the week after too! My brother was gonna help, but he got fever, so I had to go. Not yet recouperated from the last trip, I went again. But it was less emotional and I managed to keep my cool, so it was not too bad. Another week with meds for the cat, but she is so much better and we are so relieved.

It’s been a different Christmas for sure. We didn’t really get the headspace to get into christmas spirit with our cat being so sick. But we had a quiet Christmas just us three, and that is what we needed.

#Christmas still made it to our home, despite the madness of this year.

It's just us three; wife, cat and me. Sølvi is acting almost entirely her self again, and wife and I are enjoying being together and having this quiet Christmas.

Hope you and your loved ones enjoy each others company.

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— ᴅʀ. ᴍᴏᴡɪɴᴄᴋᴇʟ'ꜱ (@drmowinckels.io) December 24, 2024 at 5:53 PM

To end this year, I will say I am very proud of managing to write a blogpost every month. With some very good help from Maëlle on topics, it’s been nice to keep some semblence of my skills going. I even managed to set up a Newsletter! Given how this year has been, I’m really happy with what I have managed to do, despite it all. Several of my posts have even been featured in regular R newsletter highlights!

Focus for the year to come is first and foremost to get back to life again. Part of rehab was also coming to grips with this taking a while, and not to force myself back to work too early. So I will continue focusing on getting my body working with me again, and hope that 2025 brings with it the energy and health to come back.