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![Last February I burst into tears at the office. Wasn't totally out of nowhere. I'd just "recovered" from covid weeks before.](https://ca-times.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/513191b/2147483647/strip/true/crop/1368x1867+0+0/resize/2000x2730!/quality/75/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcalifornia-times-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fff%2Fc7%2F729817ea405f840bbb4d7d267f87%2Fla-oe-gilsanz-covid-01.jpg)
![My life went from [panels: woman biking; woman dancing] to [panels: woman lying on couch].](https://ca-times.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/8f8ec8b/2147483647/strip/true/crop/1368x1759+0+0/resize/2000x2572!/quality/75/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcalifornia-times-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fe0%2Ff2%2Ffb2ff43942a4b74d25c147488515%2Fla-oe-gilsanz-covid-02.jpg)
![And things I'd never realized I'd taken for granted became impossible. Like showering. [Panel: woman ordering a shower stool]](https://ca-times.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/7e4c7a8/2147483647/strip/true/crop/1368x1555+0+0/resize/2000x2273!/quality/75/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcalifornia-times-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2F44%2Fb1%2F1a22ef0745a1b1e097b9fd3d9b46%2Fla-oe-gilsanz-covid-03.jpg)
![And walking around the block. I had a virtual visit with my doctor, who directed me to a long covid clinic.](https://ca-times.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/2f6a258/2147483647/strip/true/crop/1368x1748+0+0/resize/2000x2556!/quality/75/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcalifornia-times-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2F5d%2Ff2%2Fc6768f024fcabf16d2704015753a%2Fla-oe-gilsanz-covid-04.jpg)
![They said super helpful stuff like "I recommend rest." Which started my months-long tour of countless doctors and specialists](https://ca-times.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/8ad3998/2147483647/strip/true/crop/1368x1751+0+0/resize/2000x2560!/quality/75/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcalifornia-times-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2F0b%2F07%2F76ceefb94c42a73972b22c268bb6%2Fla-oe-gilsanz-covid-05.jpg)
![Now more than a year later, my recovery is not linear. [Panels: woman at lunch with friends; "rest of day" woman in bed]](https://ca-times.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/29f695a/2147483647/strip/true/crop/1368x1761+0+0/resize/2000x2575!/quality/75/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcalifornia-times-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fdb%2F14%2Ff9ed7f9a4255ac52c7bc1a8164da%2Fla-oe-gilsanz-covid-07.jpg)
![Going back to the office would be a dream. I'm pretty sure I'd cry, but I wouldn't be embarrassed this time.](https://ca-times.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/256289b/2147483647/strip/true/crop/1368x2135+0+0/resize/2000x3121!/quality/75/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcalifornia-times-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2F2e%2F2e%2F79d2a4ce41909fe4a76cf5f5825b%2Fla-oe-gilsanz-covid-06.jpg)
Daniela Gilsanz is a designer and an art director in New York.
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