I can finally read after two years of long Covid!

I contracted my second Covid infection almost two years ago and became disabled by it. My disability included brain fog and an inability to read books or listen to audio books. I'd try but the narrative always read or sounded like gobbledygook and the sound of the audio books (as well as any other sound) gave me immense pain, and my fatigue would always worsen after attempting to read and I'd get a migraine. My brain fog was so severe that I struggled to hold a basic conversation and I couldn't watch TV until a few months ago.

Before long Covid, I'd read everyday, fell asleep to audio books and read approximately a book a week. Reading has been a big part of my identity since I was a child and losing that felt like losing a part of myself.

Ironically, the last book I read before long Covid was Anna Karenina. I loved it and so bought War and Peace. I couldn't understand it but assumed it was because it was War And Peace lol. I tried dozens of other books but I couldn't understand any of them, even Colleen Hoover. I couldn't even understand articles I read in the D**** M***.

Anyway, a few weeks ago I picked up Middlemarch of all books, and was gobsmacked when I actually understood it! I loved it and was so excited to read again. In the last three weeks I've read THREE books! Last night I started Breasts And Eggs and I'm shocked to see I'm already on page 92. I'm even falling asleep to audio books again.

I'm so excited and feel so reconnected with myself. Unfortunately this illness is non-linear and cruel, and I'm still disabled in many other areas, so it's possible that my ability to read will be taken away sometime soon, but I'm so excited to have it back for now. I missed reading so much!