“My future looks completely different”
February 27, 2025 marks the fifth anniversary of the first corona infection reported in the Netherlands. With that outbreak, post-COVID also made its entrance. It is now assumed that more than 450.000 Dutch people have contracted post-COVID, of whom around 90.000 have serious long-term complaints.
From very active to exhausted
Someone who has been living with the consequences of post-COVID for years is Lize Gerrits. In January 2021, she was still working in childcare, in the evenings she was training to become a teacher. The Netherlands was 'in lockdown'; people were dying from corona every day. But Lize had a crucial profession and continued to work. "A self-test showed that I was infected. The symptoms were not too bad at first, so I thought I had gotten through it well. But when I wanted to go back to work after my quarantine, I couldn't even empty the dishwasher. Completely exhausted. I didn't know what was happening to me."
Hoop
PEM (extreme fatigue after exertion, ed.) is still her main complaint. “But in the beginning I also had concentration problems, had difficulty getting my words out and was quickly overstimulated. At one point my muscles were so weak that I could barely move or walk. Fortunately, the cognitive complaints have now diminished considerably. The fact that my body is taking those steps does give me hope.”
Quite lonely
Especially in the beginning, Lize found a listening ear at C-support. “That was nice, especially because hardly anyone had heard of Long COVID. I received recognition for my illness and they thought along with me very well. And to be honest, the contact with my aftercare advisor was sometimes just a social moment. I felt quite lonely for a while.” Instagram also helped her a lot during that phase. “I read a lot of children's books, that was what I could handle at the time, and I posted about them. Because I was also open about my post-COVID there, I got to know so many fellow sufferers. That creates a special bond, I am still friends with some of them.”
Living Mourning
Shortly after the first infection, she started physical therapy. “Nobody knew what PEM was, so there was a lot of training. As a result, I felt sicker and sicker. At the time, I lived a two-minute walk from the physio, but when I got there I was already exhausted. I stopped after a few months. What did help me a lot, were the conversations with my psychologist. I suddenly lost so much: my job, my future, my relationship and perhaps the most important thing: my independence. I quickly realized that I had to deal with that. It really is living grief; you have to go through all those phases: from anger and sadness to the acceptance that your future picture has changed.”
Conscious choices
“Being angry about what happened to you ultimately doesn’t achieve anything. Things are the way they are, you can’t do anything about it. What you can do is make different choices. Set priorities. These days I consciously decide what and who I want to spend my limited energy on.
I have learned to listen more to my feelings and my body and to put myself first. I have always found the latter very difficult, but now I can do it. What I have also had to learn is to ask for help and accept it when it is needed.”
Understanding and help
What she realizes more than ever is that it is not all that obvious. “You learn to appreciate the little things. When I am cooking now, I can really enjoy it. I even enjoy vacuuming now. Simply because I can finally do it again. It may sound strange,” Lize knows, “but post-COVID has also brought me a lot. I am now much more aware of life and enjoy the little things, with the people around me. Of course I have also lost friends, but with those who stayed, the bond is actually closer. That also applies to my family. I have always received a lot of understanding and help. And for a year now I have a boyfriend again. A sweet man, who can handle it well. We have a great time together. To be honest, I could not have hoped for that anymore.”
I'd rather just go back to work
Since her first infection, Lize has not been able to work. She tried to continue her studies for a while, but that also turned out to be unfeasible. Of course, there were attempts at reintegration, often against her better judgment. “You want to meet expectations and of course you want nothing more than to just go back to work. But my whole body told me that that was not possible. And then those conversations at work and at the UWV, that was a very stressful period. People often do not understand it, but when I was declared unfit for work a year and a half ago, that was an enormous relief. Finally, I no longer had to do anything and I could really listen to my body.”
Post-COVID expertise center
Since January, she has been receiving treatment for her symptoms at the post-COVID expertise center in Maastricht. “I am currently trying out medication to reduce my PEM symptoms. It would be great if that would help me, but I am mainly doing it to contribute to the research. I am glad that I have reached the point where I can do this again, because I know that there are so many patients who do not have the energy for it. After such a visit to Maastricht, I often end up lying on the couch for a few days. Dosing remains important, but because I know that the relapse in my case will now remain limited, I can accept that.”
Carefully working on your condition
In consultation with her therapist, she will soon start physiotherapy again. “I can slowly start working on my condition and building muscles. My body can now do more than I think. That takes some getting used to, I am doing some things again for the first time in four years.” She can now walk for about fifteen to twenty minutes, which means she can leave her wheelchair behind more often. Lize likes that, because people look at you differently. “On the other hand, I realize very well that the wheelchair also gives me freedom. It takes me to places I otherwise wouldn’t be able to go.”
Good life
She doesn't look far ahead yet; she has started living much more day by day. "But when I see what has changed positively in the past year, I am very curious about what the future will bring. As far as I am concerned, all doors are open. And although I still have many limitations, I can already say that I have a good life."
