A Friend for the Long Haul: A Long Covid Podcast

It Comes in Waves: Weaving Art and Long Covid Stories with Heather Schulte of Stitching the Situation

Welcome to Season 3, Episode 13 of A Friend for the Long Haul - A Long Covid Podcast! In this episode, I got to connect with Heather Schulte. Heather is the powerhouse behind Stitching the Situation [https://www.stitchingthesituation.org/]. From her website: "Stitching the Situation is a continuation of artist Heather Schulte [https://www.stitchingthesituation.org/en/heather]’s textile work, Situation Report [https://www.heatherdschulte.com/situation-report-1], a daily cross-stitch documentation of the coronavirus case and death counts in the U.S. from Jan 20-June 25. The Situation Report panels began as the artist’s way to record cases in the US, and translate them visually with stitch. " We discuss a unique art exhibition called "It Comes in Waves [https://www.stitchingthesituation.org/en/it-comes-in-waves]," centered around the impacts of COVID-19. Set in The People's Building [https://www.thepeoplesbuilding.com/], an art gallery located on the east side of Aurora, Colorado, Heather took me on a tour of the displayed art pieces, which include drawings, dye sublimation prints, and masks. The exhibition, organized by Heather, features a mix of personal stories and collective experiences related to living with Long Covid. Special attention is given to the ‘Stitching the Situation’ project, which involves community participation in cross-stitching data and personal stories onto cloth. The discussion also highlights the incorporation of art from incarcerated individuals, collaborations with other artists, and the logistical challenges of managing such a significant project. I'm absolutely thrilled that this podcast is included in the exhibit. I called my portion "A Life Redacted," and it is made up of excerpts of episodes with words redacted from the transcripts. It Comes in Waves illustrates the power of art in documenting and processing collective trauma. Heather, you are amazing, thank you for all the work you do! You can find Heather on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/stitchingthesituation/ and https://www.instagram.com/heatherdschulte/ Press for It Comes in Waves includes This feature from Visit Denver [https://visitdenver.com/event/it-comes-in-waves%3A-living-with-long-covid-in-colorado/133065/] A review from DARIA Art Magazine [https://www.dariamag.com/home/it-comes-in-waves] One woman’s method for coping with COVID turned into a 5-year art project, now on display in Aurora [https://coloradosun.com/2025/11/13/stitchiing-the-situation-art-exhibition-aurora-peoples-building/] Art Show It Comes in Waves Brings Long COVID Stories to Light [https://www.westword.com/arts-culture/denver-art-show-it-comes-in-waves-brings-long-covid-stories-to-light-40800730/] From Denver Westword: Running through December 30, It Comes in Waves invites viewers to consider what happens when a crisis slips from public view but its consequences remain. Supported by an INSITE Fund grant from RedLine Contemporary Art Center, the project builds on artist Schulte’s ongoing initiative Stitching the Situation, a national effort to document the human toll of COVID-19 through collective textile work.

LoCITT-T: A Long Covid Tirzepatide Treatment Trial with Dr. Julia Moore Vogel

In this bonus episode of A Friend for the Long Haul, I get to talk with Dr. Julia Moore Vogel from Scripps Research. I slid into her DMs to see if she'd like to join me to discuss the recruitment and structure of a new clinical trial examining the effects of tirzepatide, a dual GLP-1 and GIP agonist, on long COVID symptoms. Dr. Vogel is the Senior Program Director, The Participant Center, All of Us Research Program. She's a fellow long hauler and "manages The Participant Center (TPC) for the All of Us Research Program [https://www.joinallofus.org/go] which is charged with recruiting and retaining 350,000 individuals that represent the diversity of the United States. TPC aims to make it possible for interested individuals anywhere in the US to become active participants, for example by collaborating with numerous outreach partners to raise awareness, collecting biosamples nationwide, returning participants’ results and developing self-guided workflows that enable participants to join whenever is convenient for them." (Thanks for letting me borrow the blurb, Scripps. <3) Our conversation covers the trial's remote format, patient support systems, potential impacts on symptoms like fatigue, GI issues, and mental health, as well as Dr. Vogel's personal experiences. This episode provides an overview for those interested in participating or learning more about cutting-edge long COVID research. Dr. Vogel also drops a few new nuggets of trial information that she hasn't shared elsewhere! Here's the structure of the episode: * Meet Dr. Julia Moore Vogel * Discussing the TIRZEPATIDE Trial * Remote Trials and Scripps Research * Challenges and Support in Clinical Trials * Placebo Concerns and Trial Integrity * Gastrointestinal Concerns and Safety Monitoring * Beth's quest to be sponsored by the Squatty Potty [https://www.squattypotty.com/?srsltid=AfmBOoox9eJfzP8UVIQN_Q9LJtfcB4lUbSDpkxh0yaH7HcWRM36utBB9] (Call me!) * Support and the recommendations for therapy around Body Dysmorphia, Eating Disorders, Nutritional Guidance, and trauma from things like MCAS * Metrics and Questionnaires for Measuring Improvements * MCAS, EDS, and the Trifecta * Drug formulations and brand confusion * Hopes for the Trial * Final thoughts and the big 3 questions If you're interested in the the Long COVID Treatment Trial-Tirzepatide (LoCITT-T): Check out their website: https://longcovid.scripps.edu/locitt-t/ [https://longcovid.scripps.edu/locitt-t/] or email the team at longcovid-t@scripps.edu [longcovid-t@scripps.edu]. If you're interested in my anecdotal experience using tirzepatide as a first wave long hauler since January, you can follow me on Instagram, [https://www.instagram.com/afriendforthelonghaul/] TikTok, [https://www.tiktok.com/@afriendforthelonghaul]or Substack [https://f4lh.substack.com/]. I have several posts there that you won't find anywhere else, and none are behind a paywall. 1. A GLP-Fun Adventure [https://open.substack.com/pub/f4lh/p/a-glp-fun-adventure?r=1pih9j&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web&showWelcomeOnShare=false] 2. One Month into GLP-Fun [https://open.substack.com/pub/f4lh/p/one-month-into-glp-fun?r=1pih9j&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web&showWelcomeOnShare=false] 3. Talking to your Doctor about GLP-1 Medications [https://open.substack.com/pub/f4lh/p/talking-to-your-doctor-about-glp?r=1pih9j&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web&showWelcomeOnShare=false] 4. My First GLP-1 Check Up [https://open.substack.com/pub/f4lh/p/my-first-glp-1-check-up?r=1pih9j&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web&showWelcomeOnShare=false] 5. My Mounjaro Shopping List [https://open.substack.com/pub/f4lh/p/my-mounjaro-shopping-list?r=1pih9j&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web&showWelcomeOnShare=false] If you'd like to support me in my one disabled woman podcasting endeavors, I sell long covid tshirts and other products [https://www.bonfire.com/store/a-friend-for-the-long-haul/] and proceeds from that get funneled back into the podcast or used for community care. You can also just Venmo me at @afriend4thelonghaul. That also gets funneled back into the pod. I'm actually trying to raise about $170 by Christmas eve to cover platform and recording costs. Over the last 1.5 years, I've built a playlist of long covid theme songs from my guests, available on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/3n0GXLFRWqDJyifglNNM4K?si=dIlKoxWMRgO53CriOVAjPw [https://open.spotify.com/playlist/3n0GXLFRWqDJyifglNNM4K?si=dIlKoxWMRgO53CriOVAjPw] Please like, subscribe, and share A Friend for the Long Haul! Reviews go a long way to help, too. Thank you!

COVID-Conscious Creativity: Reflections on Art and Mind 2025 with Sista Creatives Rising

Welcome back to another episode of A Friend for the Long Haul - A Long COVID Podcast! In episode 11 of Season 3, I sit down with Claire and Amaranthia from Sista Creatives Rising [https://www.sistacreativesrising.com/]. We met shortly after Art and Mind 2025 so that we could recap the experience and tap in to how they were feeling after hosting the event. Held on Thursday, September 25th, Art and Mind 2025 gathered an impressive turnout and showcased a blend of artists, community care, and education. The team who helped support Claire and Amaranthia and who were featured artists includes: * Sarena Brown * Chi White * Brenda Macintyre - Medicine Song Woman * Frankie Fingerling * Brittany Shorpshire * Nabila Nugroho * Veronica Lee * Mondo Millions * Han Hamel You can find out so much more about them and find a TON of resources in this document! [https://www.canva.com/design/DAGyyqrWiGo/C7QQMmT0gpcErFZTVpswZQ/view?utm_content=DAGyyqrWiGo&utm_campaign=designshare&utm_medium=link2&utm_source=uniquelinks&utlId=he9cc8af743#1] This year's themes included COVID, climate change, and isolation. You can watch the entire event [https://youtu.be/yXkCWntAygk?si=WtxPr8fR13JMgj10] via Claire and Amaranthia's YouTube channel and check out the interactive art gallery they created here [https://artspaces.kunstmatrix.com/en/exhibition/14672772/art-mind-2025-covid-climate-our-future-virtual-gallery?check_logged_in=1]. There's actually a full playlist of videos for the event here [https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLQibRzFpuVASrQOy3Y8pZx4P13o927O2e]. This episode offers a deep dive into the meticulous planning, intentionality, and community collaboration that made Art and Mind 2025 a great success! These two humans truly make the world a better place! Find Claire and Amaranthia on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/sistacreativesrising/ [https://www.instagram.com/sistacreativesrising/] and subscribe to their Substack [https://substack.com/@sistacreativesrising]. Please like, subscribe, and share A Friend for the Long Haul! Reviews go a long way to help, too. Thank you!

The Tower of Change: Giving Long COVID Grief a Sound with Angeliska Polacheck of Sister Temperance Tarot

Welcome to season 3, episode 10 of A Friend for the Long Haul - A Long COVID Podcast! I got the chance to chat with Angeliska Polacheck for this episode. Angeliska is the beautiful soul behind Sister Temperance Tarot [https://sistertemperancetarot.com/]. They have been voted best tarot/psychic in Austin, Texas for 11 years in a row! I found Angeliska on social media about 13 years ago, (via the great Austin connector, Spike Gillespie [https://spikegillespie.substack.com/] - whose work you should absolutely read) and as time passed we discovered that we have so much in common, including eerily similar astrological charts and health diagnoses. Angel and I discuss: * The profound shifts brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic and the challenges of living with long COVID * Personal growth and empathy * The vital role of art and tarot in healing, but how it, and artists and healers, get commodified and dehumanized * How chronic illness, disability, and cognitive dissonance impact an independent, small business owner * Wellness culture and the "manifestation" of health * Surviving as two disabled Generation X Capricorns with C-PTSD and neurodivergence * Trusting your intuition when your nervous system is fragged * What does community even look like anymore * How tarot can support Internal Family Systems therapy * Diagnoses of exclusion * There's at least one Bjork worked in there You can find Angeliska on Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/sistertemperancetarot/]and Facebook [https://facebook.com/sistertemperancetarot]as Sister Temperance Tarot. If you're interested in booking a reading, you can do that via their booking schedule [https://sistertemperancetarot.as.me/schedule/0c9a1394]. If you're in Austin and would like to invite Angeliska to a safe event, you can find out more about events bookings here [https://sistertemperancetarot.com/event-booking]. They also offer sliding scale rates for 1-hour phone sessions for people who hold marginalized identities that are experiencing significant money struggles. Sliding scale sessions are limited and priority goes to Black, Indigenous, queer/trans and disabled folks, so please only inquire about sliding scale if you are facing genuine financial hardship. If you'd like to support me in my one disabled woman podcasting endeavors, I have an Amazon gift registry [https://www.amazon.com/registries/gl/guest-view/TCFYTLUW8XMZ?ref_=cm_sw_r_cp_ud_ggr-subnav-share_ACHT4QY5AYSB9CRA8KDA] that is completely unhinged, where I just throw anything that I see and like. I also have an Amazon Storefront [https://amzn.to/4i1qGwU] you can use to purchase goods. I also sell long covid tshirts and other products on a Bonfire storefront [https://www.bonfire.com/store/a-friend-for-the-long-haul/?utm_source=copy_link&utm_medium=store_page_share&utm_campaign=a-friend-for-the-long-haul&utm_content=default], and proceeds from that get funneled back into the podcast or used for community care. I also have an Etsy wishlist [https://www.etsy.com/registry/MTY2MjU2MjY3fDExNjI4MDY1MDU] or you can just Venmo me at @afriend4thelonghaul. That also gets funneled back into the pod. Over the last 1.5 years, I've built a playlist of my guests long covid theme songs on Spotify [https://open.spotify.com/playlist/3n0GXLFRWqDJyifglNNM4K?si=-DilB-4KSe2F0ycfS3FVDQ]. Please like, subscribe, and share A Friend for the Long Haul! Reviews go a long way to help, too. Thank you!

This is Your Brain on Long Covid - ADHD, TBI, Anger, and Self-Compassion with Lissy Donovan

Hey, friends! Welcome to season 3, episode 9 of A Friend for the Long Haul - A Long Covid podcast. This is a conversation I needed to have, and I'm so glad Lissy Donovan (my friend and a coach for people with busy brains) was here for it. I dive into my recent discovery of a TBI (Traumatic Brain Injury) I’d been pretending wasn't a thing for years, as well as our later-in-life ADHD diagnoses. Lissy was diagnosed in her mid-30s, and I got diagnosed post-COVID. If you've been listening for a while, you know I don't know how to be angry. We talk about how I'm learning to process and even healthily express anger which is a truly revolutionary and scary idea for me. We also get into activism, self-care, and self-compassion. Lissy shares how she navigates Long COVID and ADHD. Topics we gab about include: * ADHD diagnoses and hormonal changes * Anger expression and conflict's role in making relationships stronger * Music, dance, and well-being * Body image, societal pressures, white supremacy, and the broader systems of oppression * Engaging in activism while managing chronic illness, disability, and trauma * Reflections on personal growth * Social media habits * Lissy's experience with Long Covid and running her own business Join us as we explore the intersection of ADHD, trauma, and chronic illness.  You can find Lissy at https://lissydonovan.com/ [https://lissydonovan.com/] as well as Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/lissy.donovan/]and TikTok. [https://www.tiktok.com/@lissydonovan] Her YouTube [https://www.youtube.com/@theFocusShiftwithLissy/videos] channel is full of longer-form gems that are soooo helpful. If you'd like to support me in my one disabled woman podcasting endeavors, I have an Amazon gift list [https://www.amazon.com/registries/gl/guest-view/TCFYTLUW8XMZ?ref_=cm_sw_r_cp_ud_ggr-subnav-share_V4DRFYWD14H1R0ZRBPW2] that is completely unhinged. I also have an Amazon storefront [https://www.amazon.com/shop/afriendforthelonghaul?ref_=cm_sw_r_cp_ud_aipsfshop_KQ76949V7JR4GND7C9RB] you can use to purchase goods. I also sell long covid tshirts and other products on my Bonfire shop [https://www.bonfire.com/store/a-friend-for-the-long-haul/?utm_campaign=a-friend-for-the-long-haul&utm_content=default&utm_medium=store_page_share&utm_source=copy_link]. Over the last 1.5 years, I've built a playlist of my guests long covid theme songs. You can find it here. [https://open.spotify.com/playlist/3n0GXLFRWqDJyifglNNM4K?si=1ZxdnKi0Rfqw4QB2axR2aA] Please like, subscribe, and share A Friend for the Long Haul! Reviews go a long way to help, too. Thank you!