A Friend for the Long Haul: A Long Covid Podcast

A Friend for the Long Haul
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Are you struggling with Long COVID-19, ME/CFS, chronic illness, or disability? "A Friend for the Long Haul" is a Long COVID podcast that aims to be a supportive companion. This podcast offers insights, humor, and shared stories within a community that understands. Each episode features a Long COVID patient or ally to help you feel less isolated, because you are not alone.

  1. 1D AGO

    The Friends Who Show Up: Love Letters to the Long Covid Community

    What does it really mean to be supported when you're living with Long Covid? In this special community episode, I share stories submitted by long haulers, caregivers, and allies...real voices answering questions about isolation, chosen family, and the kind of help that actually helps. Contributors include Dr. Julia Moore Vogel, pacing buddy extraordinaire Katrina Dreamer, Nina Storey, Katherine Fox, and members of the Covid Long Haulers podcast Discord, (Thank you to Emerson, Jessie, Mika, Vic, Kai, Robyn, Joyce, Jojo, and more) along with a handful of anonymous long haulers who remind us that sometimes the people who understand us most are the ones whose legs we've never seen. This episode explores what it looks like when community shows up: friends attending doctor's appointments to combat medical gaslighting, online friends building their own Covid-conscious community across Switzerland, a rental cat named Katja who has thoughts about pacing, and two little boys - Ellis and Holden - who became besties on PlayStation because their moms both have Long Covid and, as Ellis put it, "we understand each other." Contributors also talk about what people get wrong when they try to help, and what "let me know if you need anything" actually sounds like to someone who's already been fighting for their life for years. This is an episode about what we've built together. Not in spite of this illness, but because of it. Topics covered include: Long COVID community and chosen familyIsolation and online support for long haulersWhat caregivers and loved ones get wrong about supportCovid-conscious community buildingPeer support, pacing buddies, and mutual aidChildren of long haulers finding connectionLong Covid Awareness Month 2026Mentioned or featured in this episode: The Covid Long Haulers Podcast (Emerson & Jessie)Dr. Julia Moore VogelNina Storey (singer-songwriter & long hauler)Katrina Dreamer (my pacing buddy, ep. 1, season 2 & season 3)Lissy Donovan (long hauler and business owner, ep. 9, season 3)@alecbradburyfnp, @_jemma_bella, @dougieslifewithmecfs📞 The Long Haul Line: 720-432-9368! Call or text to share a story, suggest a guest, or just say hi!📧 Email: afriendforthelonghaul@gmail.com📬 Substack: f4lh.substack.com I'm also on Instagram. A Friend for the Long Haul is a low budget/high love production made by a disabled one-woman operation. If it means something to you, share it with someone whose earballs need it. Thank you!

    39 min

  2. 5D AGO

    How Covid Long Haulers Build Community - A Conversation with Kathleen Banks

    Season 4 of A Friend for the Long Haul - A Long Covid Podcast is here! We're starting where it all begins: with each other. CW: in this episode, we do discuss depression, medical trauma, suicidal ideation, and suicide. In this first episode of the new season, I sit down with Kathleen Banks, a health systems researcher and Long Covid patient, for a conversation about something none of us planned for: finding our biggest cheerleaders and chosen family in our pockets. We talk about "pocket friends," - what Kathleen calls the people living in your phone who already know how you feel, who you can reach out to when a symptom scares you at 2am and, who don't need an explanation if you have to cancel a FaceTime. We explore how so many of us arrived on social media not necessarily looking for friends, but for validation, and found so much in each other. We also get into the real cost of being sick in America. It's not just co-pays and premiums, but the fancy expensive bandages you need because of MCAS, and the $77 supplements that you go without because you have to pay your phone bill so you don't lose access to your lifelines. We also discuss community care: what it looks like when you can just send someone money, no questions asked, because you know what it is to need it, or when strangers send your kids more birthday gifts than their grandparents do. Kathleen also shares her work training public health researchers in trauma-informed methods for interviewing Long Covid patients and why she used episodes of this very podcast to supplement her work. We talk about disability justice, the particular grief of Long Covid Awareness Month, and what it means to still be here, building something remarkable out of what's left. Oh, and somewhere in the middle of that, we talk about moss. I'm girl moss, not a girl boss. This is the first episode of my Long Covid Awareness Week series. Season 4 is about community - the ways we've been discarded, and about what we've built for each other anyway. We're still here because of us. My call for listener feedback on community was so well-heeded that this "episode" is being split into several parts that will all be released this week. More information about Kathleen, my beloved wife: Kathleen Banks is a health systems researcher with expertise on patient-physician relationships; systems thinking; patient advocacy; and dignity in healthcare. She specializes in the translation of evidence, high-level policies, and systems decisions at the point of care. Ms. Banks has worked with policymakers and officials from the grassroots to the global level, and uses that experience to bridge understanding on how to design and implement effective programs and policies .Ms. Banks is currently finishing her Doctor of Public Health degree at Boston University School of Public Health. Her research focuses on access to patient-centered healthcare for people living with Long COVID. Ms. Banks has been a member of the Patient-Led Research Collaborative since 2024. You can listen to the Long Covid Theme Songs Playlist on Spotify. It's full of songs from people who have joined me on the podcast. Each song represents some aspects of that guest's long covid experience. You can find me on Instagram, TikTok, and on my Substack, called Haulin' Ass. A Friend for the Long Haul is produced by a disabled Long Covid patient. Support community care through my Bonfire shop or my Amazon wishlist, or make purchases for your everyday items through my Amazon Storefront.

    1h 4m
  3. It Comes in Waves: Weaving Art and Long Covid Stories with Heather Schulte of Stitching the Situation

    12/10/2025

    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. From her website: "Stitching the Situation is a continuation of artist Heather Schulte’s textile work, Situation Report, 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," centered around the impacts of COVID-19. Set in The People's Building, 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 A review from DARIA Art Magazine One woman’s method for coping with COVID turned into a 5-year art project, now on display in Aurora Art Show It Comes in Waves Brings Long COVID Stories to Light 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.

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

    11/27/2025

    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 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 VogelDiscussing the TIRZEPATIDE TrialRemote Trials and Scripps ResearchChallenges and Support in Clinical TrialsPlacebo Concerns and Trial IntegrityGastrointestinal Concerns and Safety MonitoringBeth's quest to be sponsored by the Squatty Potty (Call me!)Support and the recommendations for therapy around Body Dysmorphia, Eating Disorders, Nutritional Guidance, and trauma from things like MCASMetrics and Questionnaires for Measuring ImprovementsMCAS, EDS, and the TrifectaDrug formulations and brand confusionHopes for the TrialFinal 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/ or email the team at 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, TikTok, or Substack. I have several posts there that you won't find anywhere else, and none are behind a paywall. A GLP-Fun AdventureOne Month into GLP-FunTalking to your Doctor about GLP-1 MedicationsMy First GLP-1 Check UpMy Mounjaro Shopping List If you'd like to support me in my one disabled woman podcasting endeavors, I sell long covid tshirts and other products 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 Please like, subscribe, and share A Friend for the Long Haul! Reviews go a long way to help, too. Thank you!

    57 min
  5. COVID-Conscious Creativity: Reflections on Art and Mind 2025 with Sista Creatives Rising

    11/25/2025

    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. 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 BrownChi WhiteBrenda Macintyre - Medicine Song WomanFrankie FingerlingBrittany ShorpshireNabila NugrohoVeronica LeeMondo MillionsHan Hamel You can find out so much more about them and find a TON of resources in this document! This year's themes included COVID, climate change, and isolation. You can watch the entire event via Claire and Amaranthia's YouTube channel and check out the interactive art gallery they created here. There's actually a full playlist of videos for the event here. 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/ and subscribe to their Substack. Please like, subscribe, and share A Friend for the Long Haul! Reviews go a long way to help, too. Thank you!

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

    11/17/2025

    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. 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 - 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 COVIDPersonal growth and empathyThe vital role of art and tarot in healing, but how it, and artists and healers, get commodified and dehumanizedHow chronic illness, disability, and cognitive dissonance impact an independent, small business ownerWellness culture and the "manifestation" of healthSurviving as two disabled Generation X Capricorns with C-PTSD and neurodivergenceTrusting your intuition when your nervous system is fraggedWhat does community even look like anymoreHow tarot can support Internal Family Systems therapyDiagnoses of exclusionThere's at least one Bjork worked in there You can find Angeliska on Instagram and Facebook as Sister Temperance Tarot. If you're interested in booking a reading, you can do that via their booking schedule. If you're in Austin and would like to invite Angeliska to a safe event, you can find out more about events bookings here. 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 that is completely unhinged, where I just throw anything that I see and like. I also have an Amazon Storefront you can use to purchase goods. I also sell long covid tshirts and other products on a Bonfire storefront, and proceeds from that get funneled back into the podcast or used for community care. I also have an Etsy wishlist 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. Please like, subscribe, and share A Friend for the Long Haul! Reviews go a long way to help, too. Thank you!

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

    10/10/2025

    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 changesAnger expression and conflict's role in making relationships strongerMusic, dance, and well-beingBody image, societal pressures, white supremacy, and the broader systems of oppressionEngaging in activism while managing chronic illness, disability, and traumaReflections on personal growthSocial media habitsLissy'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/ as well as Instagram and TikTok. Her YouTube 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 that is completely unhinged. I also have an Amazon storefront you can use to purchase goods. I also sell long covid tshirts and other products on my Bonfire shop. Over the last 1.5 years, I've built a playlist of my guests long covid theme songs. You can find it here. Please like, subscribe, and share A Friend for the Long Haul! Reviews go a long way to help, too. Thank you!

    1h 12m
  8. The Importance of Long Covid Allies with Paul Hennessy

    09/22/2025

    The Importance of Long Covid Allies with Paul Hennessy

    I’m having surgery TOMORROW, September 22nd, and could use some support. I have a gift registry set up if you’d like to help me out. It’s truly deeply appreciated.  Welcome to season 3, episode 8 of A Friend for the Long Haul - A Long Covid Podcast. This time, I got to gab with Paul Hennessy, who you know as @mixpaulogy on Instagram and @paulypandemic on TikTok. We talked about Paul’s Long Covid advocacy work, including what led him to get involved in 2021, and his work with organizations like Clean Air LA and Mask Together America. We get in to what it’s like to continue to take precautions in a time when very few are, including comments from strangers and how relationships are impacted when “everything is Covid” with you. Paul offers actionable advice for folks interested in being long Covid allies or getting involved in disability justice, and and we discuss the need for local and federal action to address the persistent challenges of ignoring a virus that’s disabled millions of humans worldwide.  But it’s not all serious, because I don’t think it could be with us at the mic. Oh! We are joined by two very special guests at the end of the episode, so don’t miss that! Places to find Paul! Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mixpaulogy/   TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@paulypandemic  Also, check out Mask Together America, public health advocates who vowed to expose the life-threatening, yet preventable, risks of contracting COVID-19. If you'd like to support this one-disabled-woman-produced podcast, check out my Amazon Storefront. I'll get a few pennies if you purchase your everyday items through the links in my storefront. You can also listen to the ever-growing Long Covid Theme Songs playlist here. Don't forget to like, subscribe, follow, and share A Friend for the Long Haul! And if you're feeling extra generous, leave a review. Your support helps get this in front of more earballs and helps me bring more episodes. Thank you!

    44 min
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About

Are you struggling with Long COVID-19, ME/CFS, chronic illness, or disability? "A Friend for the Long Haul" is a Long COVID podcast that aims to be a supportive companion. This podcast offers insights, humor, and shared stories within a community that understands. Each episode features a Long COVID patient or ally to help you feel less isolated, because you are not alone.

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