In spring 2020, just one day after the Federal Council declared the “extraordinary situation”, Sandra Bigai experienced a dry cough and an unusual type of nausea. The communications specialist in the health sector didn’t think about COVID-19; she just wondered if she had caught a cold somewhere or been overworked in the foundation’s busy crisis management team.
Numb nose while cooking
When, while cooking, she heard a nurse on the radio describe loss of smell as a typical symptom of the then-mysterious new disease, Sandra Bigai suddenly realized she couldn’t smell the tomato sauce in the pan in front of her. So, she did a test, and the result was positive. When the call came from the cantonal hospital, Sandra Bigai became painfully aware that no treatment was available. She only had Dafalgan to fight fever.
“At night, it suddenly felt like my ribcage was being compressed in a kneading machine,” recalls Sandra Bigai. Subsequently, she was bothered more and more by nausea and painful joints. Her quarantine was over after 10 days, but her symptoms continued.
“I feel like I’m constantly having to tap my reserves and my battery is no longer charging.”
When, a few weeks later, she became unable to walk due to osteoarthritis pain in her knee, she went to see a rheumatologist. This rheumatologist found no connection between the COVID-19 disease and the rheumatic pain in her knee and upper body. However, treatment of her joint and muscle pain with high doses of cortisone and a range of painkillers did not produce the desired results.
Even more than a year after infection, her symptoms sometimes push her to the brink of despair. Undergoing more health assessments is exhausting. She also has to contend with the issue of insurance, even though her employer has classified her illness as an occupational accident, and she continues to suffer from wandering pain. She is also struggling with concentration, memory lapses and exhaustion.
“When cooking, I keep forgetting my usual routines and wondering what to do next, even though I know the recipes by heart,” says Sandra Bigai. Her sense of smell returned after three months, but her other symptoms have become more pronounced.
“I tell the doctors the same story over and over again. I still haven’t received any answers to my questions.”
Sandra Bigai often doesn’t recognize herself anymore. “I’m more anxious, often forgetful, and my tank is always empty,” she explains. “I feel like I have to constantly tap my reserves and my battery is no longer able to recharge.” For her, the most difficult thing is accepting her present state. “It’s hard for me to forget what my life was like before and how I effectively became a different person overnight.”
At last, someone who really listens
Sandra Bigai has been hoping to find answers from sources other than conventional medicine, so she turned to a naturopath. Even though she does not fully endorse all alternative approaches, for the first time, Sandra Bigai felt that someone had taken the time to listen, viewed her body as a whole and taken this perspective into account when deciding on her treatment. For Sandra, mutual trust is very important. “Otherwise, it’s better to change doctors.”
