Christmas can be magical… but navigating chronic illness makes that harder. This episode explores the hidden labour, the energy budgeting, and the emotional weight of big occasions when your body doesn’t cooperate.

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I recorded something a bit personal this week. Some friends visited recently and reminded me that I’ve made progress this year. I have a little bit more energy, capacity, and can do things I genuinely couldn’t have done twelve months ago.

But there’s a tension there, isn’t there? As soon as we say “I’ve improved,” people hear “I’m getting better and it’s never that simple.

If you’re living with Long Covid or any chronic condition, you’ll get this one. ”

Hope it helps someone feel a little less alone today.

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It’s the 50th episode of Life with Long Covid — and what better way to celebrate than by talking about the most baffling, bizarre, and frankly ridiculous symptoms long Covid throws at us?

In this episode, I explore the strange side of chronic illness: the jelly legs, the electric zaps, the temperature chaos, the sensory weirdness, and that moment when you forget why you opened the fridge in the first place. If it’s odd, unpredictable, or impossible to describe… I will probably cover it.

Episode 50 is all about validation —Life can be exhausting and sometimes the only way to cope with these ridiculous symptoms is to talk and laugh about them together.

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Living with long Covid means explaining the same things again and again — what fatigue really is, why brain fog isn’t just forgetfulness, and why rest isn’t laziness. In this episode, Paul shares the things people with long Covid wish others understood, without having to repeat them every week.

I talk about unpredictable symptoms, cancelled plans, the emotional labour of keeping up appearances, and why recovery isn’t a neat, upward line. If you’re living with long Covid or supporting someone who is, this honest conversation is for you.

How do you rebuild a future when so much is uncertain? In this episode, I try and explain how I am coming to terms with chronic illness and what things might look like in the future. It is raw and unfiltered (even my dog Maisie makes a background appearance!).

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In this episode, I discuss how Covid has caused secondary conditions and go on a rant about what it is like to live with them! I also reflect on the difficulty of making and keeping hospital appointments. Subscribe and become part of the community at www.lifewithlongcovid.co.uk.

This week, Rachel joins me as we discuss very honestly how my frustration at not being able to do things makes me question my self-worth. We also discuss whether Florence Nightingale might have had ME/CFS.

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It's impossible to live up to others’ expectations when you have a chronic illness. In this episode, I reflect on the negative influence of social media and the feeling that I should be contributing to the workplace.

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In this update, Paul shares openly and honestly about how long covid affects his mental health, particularly during a crash.

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I have now had the symptoms of Long Covid for more than three years. In this episode, I reflect on the journey so far and how the world seems to have moved on without us.

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