Daria Oller: Physical Therapist with Long Covid - what she was taught was wrong

When Daria Oller got sick with mild Covid symptoms in mid March, she assumed she’d be back to full health in a week or two.

Now over 7 months later, Daria -- a physical therapist, athletic trainer, runner and dancer -- is still beset with physical symptoms, especially a delayed and dysfunctional response to exercise, known as post exertional malaise - the hallmark symptom of another post viral disease called myalgic encephalomyelitis, or MEcfs. 

Daria is also dealing with cognitive symptoms that makes reading and retaining material a challenge -- this is known as brain fog and also common in MEcfs patients, 

As you’ll hear Daria explain, the physical therapist professionals are mostly uninformed about post exertional malaise -- in reality, exercise is contraindicated for post exertional malaise and people living with MEcfs -- and now this seems to extend to at least some of the Long Covid patients emerging from this pandemic. 

This was not surprising - in fact it was predictable - as it is well known in the viral research community that a significant proportion of people just never recover from viral infections and they develop MEcfs. But the medical community, including other health providers like physical therapists, has been mostly ignorant about MEcfs and this has caused a lot of harm to patients on a global scale.

If there is a silver lining in this pandemic, it is that people like Daria in the health professions who - unfortunately - develop Long Covid cum MEcfs will now have the lived experience of MEcfs symptoms and will be able to provide empathic and appropriate care. Not the gaslighting and harm MEcfs patients have endured for decades -- and many Long Covid patients are also experiencing.

Connect with Daria Oller:

Twitter  @OnTapPhysio

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Scott Simpson: 

Counsellor + Patient Advocate + (former) Triathlete

I am a counsellor, patient advocate, and - before I became sick and disabled - a passionate triathlete. Work hard. Train hard. Rest hard.

I have been living with HIV since 1998. I was the first person living with HIV to compete at the triathlon world championships.

Thanks to research and access to medications, HIV is not a problem in my life.

I have been living with ME (myalgic encephalomyelitis) since 2012, and thanks in part to medical error, it is a big problem in my life.

Counseling / Research

I first became aware of the ubiquitousness of medical error during a decade of community based research working with the HIV Prevention Lab at Ryerson University, where I co-authored two research papers on a counseling intervention for people living with HIV, here and here. 

Patient participants would often report varying degrees of medical neglect, error and harms as part of their counseling sessions.

Patient Advocacy

I am co-founder of the ME patient advocacy non-profit Millions Missing Canada, and on the Executive Committee of the Interdisciplinary Canadian Collaborative Myalgic Encephalomyelitis Research Network.

I am also a patient advisor for Health Quality Ontario’s Patient and Family Advisory Council, and member of Patients for Patient Safety Canada.

Medical Error Interviews podcast and vidcast emerged to give voice to victims, witnesses and participants in this hidden epidemic so we can create change toward a safer health care system.

My golden retriever Gladys is a constant source of love and joy. I hope to be well enough again one day to race triathlons again. Or even shovel the snow off the sidewalk.