May 27, 2022
“My name is John, I emailed you regarding my vaccine injury. I am so scared. I think I’m dying.”
That was the first message I got in February of 2022 on WhatsApp from John. Since then John and I have become friends and this is our journey together through the unknown.
John is a 36 year old Scottish lad, as they say, very active before his injury and was living his best life. He has gotten the vaccines last year and since the third booster, he has been struggling with many symptoms including chest pain, seizures, extreme fatigue, brain fog, struggle with regulating body temperature, Pots syndrome and many more. Postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS) seems to be common side effect and it is a condition that affects blood flow. POTS causes lightheadedness, fainting and an uncomfortable, rapid increase in heartbeat that comes on when standing up from a reclining position and is relieved by sitting or lying back down.
I am a family physician in Texas, always looking at the world a little different than most and when the pandemic started my response was unusual for most doctors. I decided to dive in and try to solve the problems. My personal journey led me to John and others. Having been born on another continent, I have always felt that the world needs to work together to defeat this unknown enemy.
Now let’s get back to the one that matters, John. John is a wonderful man, a little broken but not beaten down by this powerful monster. He is a courageous voice for many like him and he is getting stronger each and every day. There are many that are cheering him on and love him, myself included.
But, the system has failed John. He has tried finding answers within the traditional system, NHS. His GP has failed him, consultants have failed him, hospital has failed him. That is why he reached out to me and others like me. John is not crazy or depressed or whatever other label they have tried to give him. He is strong as mentioned before, but by not seeing him as a real human being with concerns, the system has tried to break him.
The reality is, he will never break. There are many that see him and hear him, and we will make sure that John continues healing and becoming stronger each and every day. He is going through his health recovery journey, as I call it and sure there are and will be ups and downs, but I have no doubt he will get better. The reason I know is because he has a heart of a lion, and love for this thing we call life.
John is my hero. He and others are the reason, that no matter how bad my day is or how tired I get, I will always keep on going. And there are many more physicians like myself out there. Many, many more. The ones who are still a little scared to step into this, my advice is remember who you are, remember the Oath you took and for whom. Then come and join John and myself. The next words you may say, might just surprised you too.
“I hear you. I see you.
And I always will.”
Dr. Kat