Hattie's Hope Story

Hattie caught Covid-19 when she was in hospital in December 2020. It was a couple of months before she realised that the pain, brain fog and exhaustion that she was experiencing, was Long Covid. Hattie got some useful tips from the hospital Occupational Health team, about breathing techniques, how to manage her energy, and lifestyle management.  They suggested that she try the online Hope Programme for people with Long Covid. Hattie registered for the next course, which started a few weeks later. 

So what did Hattie enjoy about the course? “I liked the goal-setting” she says. “It could be any little thing – cleaning or something! I set myself the goal to plant some tulip bulbs. That was good when I’d done it - I’m looking forward to them coming up”. And Hattie liked that other people on the course encouraged each other - and that she could encourage others when they were struggling to reach their goals. “We’d remind each other to give ourselves a treat when we’d done it. And have a rest!” 

There were some parts of the Hope course for people with Long Covid that Hattie had already covered with Occupational Health. But she found that reminders about the same issues really made her realise how important these things were. “The pacing information, how to avoid boom and bust, was really good. I know it, but doing it is much harder” Hattie admits. “After two years of trying to pace myself every day, I still sometimes ended up in bed for whole days when I’d over-done things” she explains. “Not much fun!” So is Hattie still pacing her activities now? “When I’ve had days when I feel like I want to throw things around the room in frustration – I now realise that’s a complete waste of energy!” she laughs. 

But the most useful part of the course for Hattie, was the Hope Cafe – when everyone on the course has the option to meet other people on the course on Zoom, if they want to. “To see people going through the same thing, people who know and understand your circumstances. That camaraderie is great.” And this didn’t end when the Hope course finished. “We’ve set up a closed Facebook group. We keep each other going when one of us is having a bad day. The best part of the Hope course is that it’s given me people who understand.”