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Diagnoses Under Vaccine-Induced Long COVID Umbrella

Day 4 · 1:24:04 · Shannon Holmes · Glen Motz · Dean Allison

  • 🩺 Shannon Holmes was diagnosed with all three types of POTS (mainly hyperadrenergic), ME/CFS, functional neurological disorder, and mast cell activation syndrome.
  • 📄 Family doctor sent referrals everywhere but faced repeated rejections that later labeled her a long-hauler simply because symptoms lasted so long.
  • 💊 Two specialists eventually took over care and secured medications that help some issues inside the vaccine-induced Long COVID umbrella.

Holmes details the cluster of diagnoses and referral barriers after leaving the ER.

← Life Five Years On: Homebound, Referrals Rejected | Q&A: How has the injury affected your family and daughters? →

Transcript

Shannon Holmes · 1:24:04

So when I left the ER, I had— this is actually a Percocet at home. So I just started taking those Saturday going into Sunday. Monday morning, I called my doctor and I got an appointment with her. And she was amazing. She was sending referrals everywhere and I just kept getting rejections. And then it happened for so long that then they— the rejections turned into them calling me a long hauler. And so I was getting rejected because it was a long hauler because it lasted so long. And so I eventually did end up getting referred to two really good specialists. I don't know if I want to say the profession because I don't want to risk him.

Glen Motz · 1:24:58

No, no, you don't. You don't have to put anyone who's actually helping you in jeopardy.

Shannon Holmes · 1:25:02

Yeah.

Shannon Holmes · 1:25:03

Yeah. So, and so once he sort of took over, my family doctor got to breathe a bit. And so he's been instrumental in getting me medications that do help with some of the issues. So inside of the COVID-19 vaccine-induced Long COVID umbrella. I've been diagnosed with all 3 types of POTS, the main one being hyperadrenergic. I've been diagnosed with ME/CFS, so my— I'm going to say it wrong— myelitis encephalitis or something, and then chronic fatigue syndrome, functional neurological disorder, and mast cell activation syndrome.

Dean Allison · 1:25:50

Yeah, I just want to start by thanking you for, uh, taking the time to be here today. And I, I know that, uh, a lot of people don't always understand our witnesses at the table, the type of pain and suffering they actually have to endure to be here. You talked about your daughters and, uh, their support.