I FEEL VALIDATED. The Minnesota Department of Health now recognizes long haul COVID as an official, diagnosable illness (even with its own insurance code), according to media reports citing the MDH. I am thankful. This has been a long time coming for someone like me who lives with this illness.
I have often felt that people don’t necessarily understand the severity of long COVID, how it impacts the lives of those of us affected. It’s real. Not in our heads. Debilitating. Long-lasting. Results of a survey by MDH confirm that.
Thankfully, my primary care doctor listened to me, showing great care and compassion when we were trying to figure out what was going on with my body in early 2023. My many symptoms followed an illness that was assuredly COVID, even though I never tested positive for the illness. COVID tests, if not done at the right time or done incorrectly, can give inaccurate results.
When I look at the MDH’s long COVID check list, I see many of the long-lasting symptoms I experienced: fatigue, brain fog, trouble sleeping, headaches, heart palpitations, tightness in chest, dizziness (balance issues) upon standing, skin issues, hair loss, mood changes, and changes in taste and smell (for me intensified). And in the “other” category, I experienced sensory overload, which continues to plague me.
After many tests to rule out a tumor or other health issues, my doctor settled on long haul COVID as my diagnosis, although that’s not in my official health records. I need to get that changed with this new MDH determination.
I will feel forever grateful to Dr. Todd Sykora of Allina Health for listening to me, for his persistence, for prescribing a medication that eased some symptoms and for his suggestion that I try physical therapy.
I’ve written numerous times about my long COVID experience and treatment in an effort to raise awareness, educate and offer hope to those dealing with the illness. For me, the “help” was six months of vestibular rehab therapy to retrain my brain. My therapist treated me like I’d experienced a traumatic brain injury. He was spot on with that approach. I will feel forever grateful to Ryan Iverson at Courage Kenny Rehabilitation Institute in Faribault for getting me through some really challenging months and helping me reach my goal of “getting my life back.” That also came with lots of hard work on my part and the incredible support of my loving husband.
Today I am using my experience to spread the message about long haul COVID and to also personally support a young man in my community dealing with its devastating affects. J, as I will call him, has been struggling for much longer than me and with much more severe symptoms. I’ve encouraged J (and his mom), offered hope and referred J to my physical therapist. He is making progress.
As for me, I’ve learned to mostly manage the few long haul COVID symptoms that persist, albeit less severe than in 2023. When I got sick with COVID again in December 2024 and then rebound COVID, some symptoms flared. But, for the most part, I’m OK. Like any health issue, you learn to live with it and manage. And when a state agency recognizes your illness as real, it feels validating and empowering.
© Copyright 2025 Audrey Kletscher Helbling
Minnesota Prairie Roots 
I thought about you when I saw that headline in the news. Glad you are better!
Thank you, Valerie. You’ve always been supportive and encouraging and I appreciate that.
I’m so glad you’ve made good progress on your long Covid. I hope others will read your post and take this virus and its effects more seriously. And hopefully J will be able to recover. ❤️
Given you lost your mom to COVID, I know you “get it,” Rose. I am sorry for all your family has been through with this awful virus. And, yes, it needs to be taken seriously, even today still.
That is real progress, Audrey and I’m glad to hear about this. It’s very real and needs to be accepted and dealt with, many people suffer in many ways and we are only beginning to understand the long term impact it has on people. My altered sense of smell has returned after having Covid again last summer, but I’ve just learned to live with it, at lease knowing what it is, and know that it will go away again eventually. So many people have much more severe issues in the long term, such as yourself, and very kind of you to recommend your PT to this other gentleman who is suffering
That is so true, Beth, that we are only beginning to understand the effects COVID has on the body long-term. I hope your sense of smell returns to “normal” soon. But you’re right that knowing what you have helps.
I am thankful I can provide some support to J, the college-age man in my community who is working incredibly hard to recover from and manage his severe long haul COVID symptoms.
the university hospital and my doc has told me that long covid treatment is now becoming a specialty in the medical profession, but there are still so many manifestations of how it presents and we have a lot to learn, this is all relatively new
It’s interesting to hear that long covid is becoming a specialty in the healthcare profession. I agree that there’s much to learn.
You sure have been through it all with COVID. I’m happy to hear that your health has improved and that you have found ways to manage the symptoms.
Thank you. I appreciate your encouraging words.
It is definitely a real thing and anyone who has experienced any of the symptoms can attest to that fact. Glad that it is officially recognized so that the medical professions and insurance can treat it accordingly. It takes awhile for these things to happen but at least this is one area that got approved and recognized.
You’re right. Things take time. But we’re making progress.