R.F. – Pennsylvania

"9/16/21

I’m basically going to cut and paste my course of events, for anyone who’s interested in reading it. I know that there are so many different symptoms and degrees of illness when it comes to Long Haul, but I think my case is pretty unique, and may interest some people. I had Covid 19 in March of 2020, and recovered at home after two and a half to three weeks. Symptoms were severe chills so bad that they made the bed shake, sweats that drenched me, fever, shortness of breath for a few days, and partial loss of smell and taste for two days. I did have some Long Hauler symptoms after that (brain fog, muscle weakness, very small amount of shortness of breath), that seemed to have mostly or completely resolved after a few months. I was already back to working from home a few days after I recovered from Covid 19, and working outdoors within a month.

On May 21st of 2021, I received the Pfizer vaccine, and three weeks later, on June 14th, I went to the hospital for the first time because I had a hard time breathing, was passing out, and had a BPM of 30. I was diagnosed with a Second Degree Heart Block and sent home. Six days later, on June 20th, I went to another hospital, and was diagnosed with a Third Degree Complete Heart Block, and had emergency pacemaker surgery on June 21st. I developed stabbing chest pain a week later, which sent me to hospital visit number three. It turned out to be Pericarditis with effusion. My left arm and hand started turning bluish-purple, so I had an ultrasound a week after that which showed a Deep Vein Thrombosis and some superficial clots in the left arm. I developed severe myopathy and tremors within a week of the clots, and could barely stand or walk, this sent me to hospital visit number four, where I was diagnosed with Epstein Barr, and Autoimmune Hepatitis. Re-hospitalized for visit number five several days later still unable to stand or walk, with vomiting, shooting pain from heart up to carotid artery and left side of head. Brain fog so bad I couldn’t remember what year it was and could barely put together a sentence. Passed out on ER bed from pain. CT Scans normal, and Neurologist ruled out Guillan Barre, so no diagnosis given.

So far I have tested positive for the Epstein Barr Virus and Autoimmune Hepatitis, I also developed intermittent Tinnitus, Raynaud’s Syndrome in my hands and face (which has mostly resolved since I started a Low Mast Cell diet), Sleep Apnea (seems to be resolving), and burning pins and needles in my feet and face. Face has been puffy and blotchy since July. I have also developed POTS syndrome, along with regular dyspnea. I still have consistent myopathy, insomnia, brain fog, poor vascular circulation in the face and head, and some minor neurological issues like occasional tremors or spasms in shoulders, hips and hands, left foot drop and weakness (also seems to be resolving). I was able to get up to a half hour walk every day for the past few weeks. Hard to do with shortness of breath and POTS, but I feel worse if I don’t go. I was actually just in the hospital again this past Friday, with the worst chest pain of my entire life. Screaming for hours until I passed out from Dilaudid. Morphine, Muscle Relaxers, Gabapentin, Toradol, and Valium didn’t help. They think it’s either a recurrence of Pericarditis, or some kind of Arterial Inflammation, but this was a million times worse than the first round of Pericarditis. The intense radiating stabbing pain has since isolated to my left clavicle, shoulder blade, and right at the top of the pacemaker, where the leads leave the device. My 02 in the past few days has been staying in the 90-93 range.

I’ve never been hospitalized or had any of these new issues before the vaccine, besides the ones I listed previously from the original Covid infection in 2020. I have now been hospitalized six times in less than three months. The only pre-existing condition I had before the Covid infection was mild Hypertension, but my Primary Care doctor was taking me off the low dose Lisinopril because my Hypertension seemed to be resolving after consistent exercise and healthy diet. I don’t smoke, I don’t drink, I eat mostly organic and minimally processed foods. I have a BMI within a healthy range, and am not obese. I have never had any adverse reactions to any other vaccines.

Since the initial severe adverse reaction to the Covid 19 Pfizer vaccine (which is now listed on all my hospital and doctors documentation as an allergy), I have seen several Rheumatologists, a Cardiologist, a Neurologist, two Electrophysiologists, and have had numerous echocardiograms, ultrasounds, CT scans, X Rays, a pulmonary test, and a sleep study. I am scheduled for an MRI of the heart and an MRA of the brain in the next week. I have tested negative for Lupus, Scleroderma, and Psoriasis, and my current D-Dimer is now in the normal range. My inflammatory markers continue to drop and then rise again every few weeks. I have been on Colchicine and Blood Thinners since the first week of July, for the Pericarditis and Blood Clots, and am supposed to come off of them in October. I’ve had a Primary Care and a Rheumatologist both recommend that I not come off the Blood Thinners for at least six months, or possibly up to two years. Both have expressed concern that the vaccine may have altered the red blood cells and platelets, and that I will continue to clot if I come off of the thinners. There is no family history of heart issues, blood diseases, etc. My Metabolic Panels and Complete Blood Panels, Echos, CT Scans, X-rays, Pulmonary Function Test, always come back normal, except for SO2, MCV, and MCH, which are always below normal ranges, the Pericarditis, Epstein Barr, and Autoimmune Hepatitis.

Most significant is that from the pacemaker interrogations that I’ve had, I reversed from a Third Degree Heart Block to a Second Degree Heart Block some time between the Pacemaker surgery on June 21st to July 8th. I haven’t had any heart block at all since then, and the pacemaker has not needed to pace at all. The Cardiologist and the Electrophysiologist all spoke, and agreed that my Sinus Node has returned to normal rhythm, and none of the Echocardiograms show any damage or physical issues with my heart, so I don’t need the Pacemaker, and should have it removed as soon as possible. Actually scheduled to be removed in October now. They believe that the Heart Block was caused some kind of deep Myocarditis that has since resolved.

I have received blood work results which show high levels of IL-8 (43.1), sCD40L (32225), and CCL4 (95.0). My Long Hauler Index is low at .08. That CCL4 seems incredibly high, so I’m guessing it’s showing that my monocytes are full of Spike from the vaccine?

-R.F. - Pennsylvania"