Katelyn

Life Interrupted

Katelyn, Life Interrupted

Katelyn had big plans for her life.  She was a successful entrepreneur, had started a lucrative dog walking business, and dreamt of opening her own dog day care.  She was excited about her career path.  Katelyn was also volunteering at a service dog care facility; helping to teach young dogs how to take care of people with medical injuries.  It was very fulfilling knowing that her volunteer efforts were helping her fellow neighbors navigate day to day activities with life altering injuries. 

Katelyn had no idea that on May 17th of 2021 all of her dreams and aspirations would come to a complete halt; and that she would need her neighbors and friends to step into her life and take care of her.

Katelyn was nervous about getting vaccinated, but was also scared of catching Covid.  She had been diagnosed with supraventricular tachycardia (SVT) by a cardiologist.  Her heart would race like she was physically running a race when she was just sitting still at home with her dog Ciri.  Her cardiologist had surgically implanted a loop recorder under Katelyn’s chest near her heart.  This loop continuously recorded her heart each and every day, 24 hours a day.  The cardiologist was using this information to determine the next best steps for Katelyn’s condition.  Katelyn was concerned, but could still complete her activities of daily living with this irregular heart beat.

Katelyn was worried about how Covid and the vaccine would affect her heart and its irregular rhythm.  In April of 2021 Katelyn visited the CDC website to look for more information regarding adverse events to the vaccine and a correlation to SVT.  She did not find any specific warning and furthermore read that it was a “safe and effective” vaccine.

Unfortunately, this was not the case for Katelyn.  Immediately after her vaccine she felt tingling in her neck and head.  The next day she suffered from pain in her right shoulder that migrated into her chest.  The pain was intense.  Katelyn was exhausted, had flu-like symptoms and struggled to get out of her bed.  By day 4 Katelyn couldn’t walk down her driveway to the mailbox without being completely winded.

Before her vaccine her implanted cardiac loop would signal her cardiologist if her heart rate exceeded 170.  Now her heart was racing past 190 beats per minute when she was trying to wash her dishes.  The cardiologist had to change her loop signal to 190 because her heart rate was in the 170’s several times each week, and was alerting her cardiologist too often. 

Athletes who are participating in high intensity training typically try to get their heart rate into the “orange zone” for 12 minutes during a workout.  This “orange zone” is when your heart is at 84-91% of its maximum heart rate and this is when you are in an extreme exercise oxygen consumption zone.  Typically, athletes who measure their heart rate during the “orange zone” have a heart rate in the 170’s.

Katelyn’s heart was racing well past the 170’s into the 190’s just walking around her house.  She was struggling to breathe; to get oxygen to her limbs, brain and organs.  

It wasn’t just Katelyn’s heart that was affected by her first and only vaccine.  She also suffered from abdominal pain, numbness in the right side of her face, cognition issues and muscle weakness.

Katelyn was a shell of her former self.  Her dreams of a future were crushed.  At best Katelyn could sit up for a few hours each day.  She couldn’t take care of herself let alone take her own dog for a walk.  

How had this happened?  Katelyn was used to walking 6 miles a day and now struggled to take a shower.

In December of 2021 Katelyn was diagnosed with post vaccine long haul syndrome and chronic fatigue syndrome.  

If Katelyn tries to exert herself in anyway she suffers from an autoimmune like reaction where her heart races, her joints ache, she develops a low grade fever and a rash and hives across her body.

She was and is not able to work.  She relies on a personal care assistant (PCA) to help her get through each day.  Her PCA helps her with everyday activities like washing her dishes, vacuuming her room, taking her dog outside to go to the bathroom, and preparing meals.  On really bad days Katelyn needs assistance from the PCA to transition from sitting to laying down and from laying down to sitting.  Some days her muscles are so weak and her joints ache too much for her to do this on her own.

Katelyn’s mom passed away in 2016 and her brother lives in Michigan.  Luckily, Katelyn has wonderful caring friends who have invited her to live with them and are comfortable with PCA help. 

Katelyn is not giving up.  Her goal is to find a small piece of land with a few good friends.  Katelyn would open up her dog day care; one of her friends would open an art studio; and another friend would start a micro farm that could be developed into a CSA. 

Katelyn also dreams of connecting with local legislatures.  She wants them to be more curious; to listen to their constituents who are injured; and implement new health care policy that assists those who have been vaccine injured.

Team Humanity is so happy that Katelyn has found us.  

Team Humanity is a place for the injured and non-injured to gather, connect, and support each other.  We believe in the power of telling stories; sharing first hand accounts of injuries.  Our goals are to bring a voice to the voiceless; to show light when there is darkness; and to provide hope for those who are suffering.

Team Humanity is thrilled that Katelyn has Ciri, her goldendoodle.  Ciri brings Katelyn love and hope; and takes care of her.  

We believe that Katelyn will heal; that her dreams will come true; and someday she will be back volunteering at the service dog facility teaching dogs like Ciri to care for their human companions with compassion.

“Compassion asks us to go where it hurts, to enter into the places of pain, to share in brokenness, fear, confusion, and anguish.  Compassion challenges us to cry out with those in misery, to mourn with those who are lonely, to weep with those in tears.  Compassion requires us to be weak with the weak, vulnerable with the vulnerable, and powerless with the powerless.  Compassion means full immersion in the condition of being human.”

-Henri Nouwen

All stories are edited and approved by the participant before the story is published.