Monika’s story begins in February 2022. The acute infection was mild, but “tiredness was already then very noticeable”, she says. “I didn’t think about Long COVID at the time, though, and I soon went back to work.” However, the fatigue was so severe that Monika, a social worker, couldn’t concentrate and struggled with brain fog.
Monika’s family doctor then recommended that she continue working at a maximum of 30%, and to be patient. However, returning to work didn’t go so well, even with the reduced workload. “I just didn’t have any strength,” Monika recalls. She was finally referred to the Long COVID clinic at the Inselspital Bern, where she is still receiving treatment. She was diagnosed with pronounced physical and cognitive fatigue.
Getting the best from each therapy
Since then, Monika Grossen has tried a variety of treatments: ergotherapy, physiotherapy, acupuncture, medical massage, and psychotherapy. “I was able to benefit from certain aspects of all the therapies. For example, the ergotherapy was extremely helpful in teaching me about pacing and energy management. Today, I’m able to manage my energy better.” The acupuncture and medical massage also helped with her well-being. It’s important to find out for yourself what’s good for you.
Besides the “classic” therapy methods there was also another thing that helped Monika Grossen: a photo diary. She’d been writing in a diary for quite some time, to keep an overview of her symptoms and to recognize a progression. “I had the idea for the photos out of the blue, on my way to physiotherapy,” she reports. “I took out my cell phone and suddenly figured I could make my diary a bit more creative.”
Pictures speak a different language
With the photos, Monika rediscovered an important resource in herself: creativity. “Being creative makes me happy.” Finally, she decided to publish the pictures that marked the stages of her illness and that were most formative for her in the "LoCo-Diary" (LoCo is short for Long COVID). “The feedback I get is entirely positive,” she says. “That makes me really happy and encourages me in what I’m doing!” Pictures, after all, speak a different language than text or words, and you can express yourself differently.
“I don’t know yet what will come out of it”
Monika has now been documenting the progression of her disease in pictures since May 2022. “The photos help me process the whole situation,” she states. You can look back and see where you were. You can also see progress. It’s also simply nice to use your own creative abilities and identify strength in that – especially in this generally very difficult situation. Taking photos can also be combined with being outdoors and going for walks, two things that also help Monika Grossen on her road to recovery and give her new-found strength.
She doesn’t yet know where the diary will lead. One thing is clear, however: “I definitely want to continue it until I’m back to health again. And who knows, maybe something else will come out of it.”
