Nonfiction
Published in Calliope Art & Literary Magazine and Sapere Aude
After contracting Covid-19 in 2020, Kelly began suffering from post-Covid complications that forced her to be bedridden with severe light sensitivity for eight months. While her symptoms still evade a clear diagnosis, subsequent treatment has allowed her to function with more regularity. She has written several short stories about her illness to spread awareness and reach out to fellow members of the community who are struggling with similar burdens.
‘Deathly afraid.’ That’s the phrase I used. ‘Deathly.’ Did I even consider what death was when I so carelessly tacked on that adjective?“
Post-COVD Syndrome
As someone whose known they wanted to write since they came to the fifth-grade career day dressed as a novelist, I’m no stranger to writer’s block and inspirational slumps, but being sick has certainly been a new kind of torture. I’ve been grappling with a Post-COVID induced health condition these last five months that leaves me physically unable to write due to visual impairment and crippling headaches. In an effort to carry on with my creative endeavors amidst this difficult situation, I’ve discovered a few tips for making the most out of living from a sick bed whether it be for half a year or half a week…
Don’t: Let those pathogens hit pause on who you are.
Do: Find a way to do what you love. I’ve converted my journals into daily voice memos. Although dictation can’t compare to the music of those computer keys dancing under my fingers, it keeps the stories alive and breathing.
Don’t: Waste your many musings about the meaning of the world that hours of sitting in darkness force you to dredge up.
Do: Record every random thing. You never know when your 4 A.M. ramblings or your Benadryl-induced dream state will form the basis of your next haunting short story or riveting fantasy novel.
Don’t: Wear the same shirt to visit your doctor five times in a row. As busy as those doctors are, they’re bound to notice eventually.