A life with Long COVID

“I was always active and busy with fun activities, fully enjoying life.” Yvon, 41 years old, is now experiencing the consequences of Long COVID and has had to adjust her entire lifestyle. Previously, she found satisfaction in her busy job at a plant nursery and as an assistant coach for a girls’ soccer team. Additionally, she was actively involved in assisting with events and the coffee table at the community center. Her days were filled with various activities and precious family time, giving attention to her two children, one of whom requires extra care. Overnight, this familiar life suddenly changed, and since then, it has never been the same.

Een onverwachtse wending
On February 1st 2022, Yvon tested positive for the coronavirus, leading to an intense period of illness. “I was really very sick. I didn’t know how to lie down and had difficulty breathing.” Initially, she thought she had a severe case of pneumonia, but the doctor stated that her symptoms were within normal limits. After a few days, her partner decided to seek emergency help because it was really not improving. The journey to the hospital was torture for her, but it became even worse when she was sent back home almost immediately upon arrival. Since the tests showed no abnormalities, she was told to ‘recover at home.’

The Impact of Long COVID
“After about two months, I tried to return to work, but it just didn’t work anymore. I was completely exhausted. It came down to just a few hours of work and then back to bed. Occupational doctors don’t allow sick leave; you have to gradually return to work. This really took a toll on me. Fortunately, I had an understanding employer and colleagues.” The children clearly noticed that their mother needed rest. They were placed in front of the screen more often, and also her partner received less attention. Social contacts decreased because Yvon was mostly housebound and easily overstimulated. The fact that she could no longer skate, play outside, or bike with the children had a significant impact on herself and her family.

Even simple household tasks became a challenge. Everything had to be planned, and ‘just grocery shopping’ was no longer straightforward.“I tried to survive efficiently. That also meant less varied eating, cooking for multiple days, and planning when I could go to the supermarket. Normal things you never think about suddenly became very difficult. You want to do everything, but it just doesn’t work.”

Her memory is significantly impaired, and she has to write everything down. With a house full of lists, brainfog also makes it difficult to, for example, have a phone conversation. Additionally, Yvon experiences rapid overstimulation, leg acidification, frequent and sudden headaches, and a constant pressure on her chest. She couldn’t wear a bra for about a year due to the pain, but especially overstimulation poses a challenge with a young family. “I have to quickly lie down in a dark, quiet room to destimulate. This doesn’t always work with a family, especially since my son needs extra care. Fortunately, my partner endures all of this and helps where possible.”

Research and Treatments
Because doctors don’t really know how to treat Long COVID, Yvon encounters many obstacles in her quest for a solution. She immediately started acupuncture, reflexology, and consulted a homeopath. This provided some relief but no solution. The advice was to stop and try other approaches. In April 2022, more investigations were carried out. She underwent lung and heart examinations, and blood was drawn again. However, nothing abnormal was found. Meanwhile, she started the Long COVID program, receiving paramedical care for a year. Despite physiotherapy, occupational therapy, and dietary advice, the desired result was not achieved. She mainly learned how to cope with Long COVID, but it still didn’t offer a solution.

In June 2022, it was announced in the media that Long COVID patients might have a significant deficiency in vitamin B12. Yvon wanted to investigate this further, but her GP did not cooperate due to the perceived hype around Long COVID. Yvon then got in touch with Dr. Rob Elens, who further examined her. She did indeed have a severe deficiency in vitamin B12, as well as deficiencies in iron, magnesium, vitamin D, zinc, and Q10. She started a ‘supplement regimen’ of about seven bottles. Her energy improved somewhat, but she still had a long way to go. Eventually, she began hyperbaric oxygen therapy. For six weeks, she drove to Weert five times a week to sit for about 1.5 hours in an oxygen tank. In the first few weeks, one of her parents accompanied her because she couldn’t drive this distance herself. It was a significant challenge for Yvon’s parents, but they hoped it would help. Although it seemed to bring some improvement, the blow came when Yvon tested positive for corona again. The small gains she had made were lost. The costs of oxygen therapy became too high, making it an unfeasible option. Her search continued, and a visit to an osteopath finally relieved the pressure on her chest, but again, no overall progress.

In early 2023, she was referred for an MRI scan to rule out any underlying issues. Even the MRI scan showed nothing abnormal, so she hit another roadblock. Through Pentacoaching, she discovered that her Vagus Nerve was dysregulated/blocked. After some research, she decided to get a daith piercing. This immediately brought relief to her head, helped her cope better with stimuli, and gave her more energy. Another setback occurred when the relief diminished after 4-6 weeks. When it started to get infected and the infection wouldn’t go away, she had to remove the piercing after six months. Finally, she started with breathing therapy, psychosomatic therapy, and hypnosis, but nothing seemed to offer a solution. “Almost nothing is covered, and some tests or treatments I couldn’t continue simply because I couldn’t afford it. Besides, you never know for sure if it will really help. But you grab onto everything to get better. Some solutions have brought some relief, but nothing has really helped. Doctors often don’t know either, so it feels like I’m going in circles in my search. I’ve hit many walls,” she says.

Living with Long COVID
The past summer vacation was a challenge for Yvon and her family. “For the umpteenth time, I tried to go back to work, but even the simplest tasks just couldn’t be accomplished anymore. This was confronting and caused frustration. I wanted so much, but it just didn’t work.” She was so worn out that she couldn’t even sit at the table to eat with her family. “It was really hell. I couldn’t handle anything, couldn’t spend a half-day with the children, my fuse was short, and my partner also had to work. I wanted to do everything, but it simply didn’t work. Spontaneity has completely disappeared from my life; everything has to be planned, and you have to think about everything. Before and after, I have to go back to bed to rest.” Long COVID has brought a lot of uncertainty into her life, especially because she is in complete ignorance of what the future holds. “I need a lot of sleep. Even at night, when the children wake up, I don’t hear it because I sleep so deeply. That makes me feel very guilty, also towards my partner who does so much besides his work. But Long COVID also means acceptance. I accept that I have it, but not that this is the end of my quest for recovery. Moreover, I have always remained positive. Someone with, for example, MS can’t do anything at all, and I can still do something. I enjoy the little things and mainly focus on what I can do.” Yvon is now 80-100% disabled, making working temporarily impossible due to all the symptoms she experiences.

Product Research Apexx01
In September 2023, the final formula of Apexx01 was approved, and we wanted to conduct one last product test before making it available to everyone. Since Apexx01 is focused on the activation and support of mitochondria, we decided to add a test group of ‘unhealthy’ or ‘fatigued’ participants. Yvon was one of them. “Dr. Rob Elens had asked me to participate in this test. After trying so many things without real results, I didn’t necessarily want to hope for anything more, but I still had good hope that this might work. So, I was very happy to get the chance to test this.”

Long COVID and Mitochondria
The baseline urine test showed that Yvon’s mitochondrial function was low. After a few weeks of using Apexx01, Yvon already began to notice a difference. The most significant effect for her was the increased energy, but other symptoms also significantly improved. “I can finally go to the playground or to a birthday party with the children. I couldn’t imagine this after the past few years. Additionally, I can better handle stimuli, have less acidified legs, and everything becomes more bearable. My bowel movements are better, and I have less hair loss. I can enjoy more again! I’m not cured, but Apexx01 gives me a better quality of life, and I’m so grateful for these improvements.” Previously, she had to get a vitamin B12 shot two to three times a week. Now that she uses Apexx01, this is no longer necessary.

How is it that Yvon experiences so many benefits? That’s the science behind Apexx01. Apexx01 focuses on activating and supporting mitochondria, which is related to Long COVID. Recent research from Amsterdam UMC and the Vrije Universiteit has provided more insight into the causes of Long COVID. The research showed that Long COVID has a physical cause and is not ‘in the head.’ Furthermore, the results showed that the mitochondria of Long COVID patients functioned much less well than those of non-Long COVID patients. Scientists suspect that this explains why people are so fatigued. At the same time, harmful proteins accumulate in those cells due to poor mitochondrial function. This could possibly explain why the health of a significant group of people continues to deteriorate. Although there are still many uncertainties about the causes and consequences of Long COVID, it is fortunately recognized as a serious problem.

Yvon is very happy with the results she has achieved so far but does not give up for a better recovery. “After trying so many things, this is the product with the best result. My goal is to recover by 70%, and Apexx01 has already given me the first 40% back. This progress gives me hope to get my life back and motivates me to remain determined to fight for an even better recovery.”

Apexx01’s mission
Our mission is to make the world happier and healthier. Everyone deserves to feel their best! That’s why we have focused on a simple but effective way to support health and well-being. The key element of Apexx01 is activating mitochondria: the small ‘energy factories’ in our cells responsible for producing energy. By optimizing mitochondrial function, we can increase our energy levels, improve mental clarity, and support overall health.

Keywords: Long-COVID, COVID-19, mitochondria, Apexx01