Hi there,

Been a while :-)

I’ve been living with Long Covid since March 2021. I have to say it’s been a bit of a rough ol’ ride. I’ve decided to speak a bit about what it has meant for me. You are very welcome to listen x

⚠️ Contains strong language
⛔ Probably not suitable for little ears
(NB I accidentally cut off the first half of the first word, which, for those of you who were wondering, was “hello”)


RECOMMENDED READING & LISTENING

Long Covid Resources

👀 What is Long Covid? (by Long Covid Physio Video Series):
https://longcovid.physio/long-covid-video-series/what-is-long-covid 
🎧 The Long Covid Sessions Podcast, with Noreen Jameel & Emily Kate Stephens:
https://www.tlcsessions.net 
📚 The Long Covid Handbook, by Gez Medinger & Prof. Danny Altmann:
https://www.penguin.co.uk/books/453380/the-long-covid-handbook-by-altmann-gez-medinger-and-professor-danny/9781529900125
🎧 The Long Covid Podcast, with Jackie Baxter
https://www.longcovidpodcast.com
🎧 Living with Long Covid Podcast, with Julie Taylor
https://podcasts.apple.com/ie/podcast/living-with-long-covid/id1609854872

ME/CFS

🔗 What is ME/CFS?
- https://www.actionforme.org.uk/get-information/what-is-me/what-does-me-feel-like/
- https://meassociation.org.uk/what-is-me-cfs/
✍️ History of ME?CFS: "It’s the greatest medical scandal of the 21st century" by George Monbiot:
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2024/mar/12/chronic-fatigue-syndrome-me-treatments-social-services 
👀 Brief history of ME/CFS in video, by Broken Battery:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=shared&v=AbIRPD_3JtY
👀 “UNREST”, a beautiful documentary about ME/CFS by Jennifer Brea:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=shared&v=XOpyLTyVxco

DYSAUTONOMIA & POTS

👀 What is POTS?
http://www.dysautonomiainternational.org/page.php?ID=30
How POTS discolouration can present on different skin colours:
https://twitter.com/PutrinoLab/status/1691027746829324293

✍️ Ed Yong (2023). Fatigue Can Shatter a Person, The Atlantic. (Free version here!):
https://archive.li/2023.07.27-111449/https://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2023/07/chronic-fatigue-long-covid-symptoms/674834/#selection-1225.1-1225.261
✍️ Davis, H.E., McCorkell, L., Vogel, J.M. et al. Long Covid: major findings, mechanisms and recommendations. Nat Rev Microbiol 21, 133–146 (2023):
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41579-022-00846-2
✍️  Al-Aly, Z. & Topol, E., Solving the Puzzle of Long Covid. Science 383, 830–832 (2024):
https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.adl0867

On Living with Long Covid

1. Beat Of Your Heart

There was a silence on the stillness of the sea beneath a sad lament..
There was a girl, she wore a yellow sunhat,
And she swore to God,

It was solitary starlight right at the beat of your heart..
It was the loneliest starlight right at the beat of your heart.

There was a silence on the stillness of the sea beneath a sad lament..

It was solitary starlight right at the beat of your heart..
It was the loneliest starlight right at the beat of your heart.

We walked out along the harbour at Howth, 
There was a sea mist that day, it was grey,
Then I took your hand and we rode our winged horse,
From the eastern to the western seaboard, 
And there I dropped you cold,

In the waters of the Yeatsian sea..

There was a silence on the stillness of the sea beneath a sad lament..
It was solitary starlight right at the beat of your heart..
It was the loneliest starlight
_________________________________
Ailie Blunnie: Vocals, Piano, Electric Guitar, Body Percussion: 
Aideen Rickard: Backing vocals, Trombone
Daragh Dukes: Electronics
Eoin Coughlan: Electric Guitar, Body Percussion
Vyvienne Long: Cello
Neville Lloyd: Double Bass

Music & Lyrics by Ailie Blunnie
Produced by Daragh Dukes, Limerick
Mastered by Richard Dowling at Wav Mastering, Limerick

Beat Of Your Heart

Ailie Blunnie

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