As I reflect on the past year, I am particularly grateful for our connection through the Foundation for Total Recovery. Indeed, you are the very reason we exist. Whether you are a current or prior patient, a friend or family member of one, or simply a curious soul who reads our newsletter, our entire reason for doing what we do comes down to one thing: you.
Your health. Your wellness. Your total recovery.
In the United States alone, 20 million people suffer from chronic illness but don’t have the knowledge you have now (or are learning). Unfortunately, the medical community, at large, remains largely unaware of the connection between a dysregulated immune system and neuroinflammation—a brain on fire—so people just like you continue to get misdiagnosed or dismissed every day.
As I write this, we are preparing for something big next year—and I am asking for your help and generous support to make it a success.
On February 9-11, 2022, Georgetown University and the Foundation for Total Recovery are partnering to host a virtual medical conference titled Autoimmune Encephalopathy Secondary to Infectious Disease: A New Perspective on the Pathogenetic Interaction of the Immune System, Infection, Stress and Chronic Disease. A panel of world-class physicians will address how we can completely reimagine the way we view, diagnose, and treat chronic illness.
This is where your generosity can make a big impact. It is imperative we educate both the medical community and the public on this new perspective. It will be a beacon of hope in the shadow of looming sickness, especially during the holiday season when problems intensify for many who are suffering. You can give them something they long for but don’t even know exists for them: hope.
Your generous gift of any amount is fully tax-deductible. Even more important, you can help us reach the millions of people who are plagued by these illnesses but see no way out.
Without you, this foundation would not exist. We are eternally grateful for your support and for trusting us on your path to optimal health. Thank you for helping people like you find the answers they so desperately seek, and for giving us a platform from which to share such life-changing information.
Want to learn more about the conference the Foundation is co-hosting?
The mission of this conference is to help address the experiences all too many of you have had. That of going to doctor after doctor earnestly describing your symptoms and seeking answers, only to be dismissed, given yet another pill, or worse, told “It’s all in your head.”
This conference will bring hope and healing through knowledge to the masses and the medical community alike. Even the media will be present to ensure this message has the most visibility possible.
Some of the best doctors in the world—top specialists in their field hailing from institutions such as Oxford, Duke, and Columbia—will be sharing new research and expertise with doctors, patients, and the general public about new ways of viewing, diagnosing and treating chronic conditions like:
“The way it’s always been done” has failed us. It’s time to radically rethink our entire approach so all who suffer can finally find relief and experience total recovery once and for all.
You can view the conference agenda here and read in-depth about it here.
From all of us at the Foundation for Total Recovery, we wish you the happiest holiday season and a truly wonderful, prosperous, and healthy 2022.
With warmth,
Dr. Gary Kaplan, DO, DABFM, DABPM Program Chair
Clinical Associate Professor
Department of Biochemistry and Molecular & Cellular Biology
Georgetown University School of Medicine
Washington, DC 20057
P.S. The conference is open to the public and we’d love to see you there! If you are interested in joining us you can learn more here and sign-up to join us here.
The Foundation for Total Recovery, Inc. is a not-for-profit organization whose goal is to help find a cure for and to help better understand, diagnose, treat, and ultimately prevent the progression of neuroinflammatory disease. In addition, the foundation offers important resources to help educate and support patients suffering from chronic pain, as well as their caregivers and doctors, and those involved in researching chronic pain. All U.S. donations to the Foundation for Total Recovery are tax-deductible.
Long-COVID Syndrome (also known as post-COVID or long-haul COVID) describes a wide range of new or persisting symptoms that COVID-19 sufferers experience after infection with COVID-19. Commonly reported symptoms of Long-COVID Syndrome include fatigue, difficulty thinking, prolonged cough or shortness of breath.
The fatigue of Long-COVID Syndrome can be particularly difficult to manage. Often described as a lack of energy or motivation, fatigue can have profound impact on one’s life resulting in the following:
Worsening fatigue or other symptoms after physical activity
Causes of Long-COVID fatigue
There are many theories about the causes of Long-COVID Syndrome and the resulting fatigue. Unfortunately, researchers still do not have concrete answers. What we do know is that about 30% of the people infected with the COVID-19 infection worldwide have gone on to develop long COVID symptoms that last weeks or months—long after the virus clears from the body. A study that looked at 143 people who had severe COVID-19 found that 87% of the participants still had ongoing fatigue two months after they were initially admitted to the hospital. However, it’s important to note that developing long-COVID syndrome does not depend on the severity of your original infection. Long-COVID syndrome presents in people who have had asymptomatic to severe cases. In essence, long-COVID fatigue is common and widespread.
Diagnosis of Long-COVID fatigue
Your initial diagnosis of Long-COVID syndrome may have taken weeks or months to be identified Unfortunately, many have struggled to find a practitioner that understands how to evaluate and diagnose a patient with a diagnosis of Long-COVID syndrome or post-COVID fatigue.
At the Kaplan Center, we will take time to explore the onset of your condition. During your visit, our providers will take a thorough history and ask you about the fatigue, its effect on your day-to-day life, your past medical history and other core elements of your overall health.
When diagnosing a patient, we will also evaluate for a dysregulation of the immune system due to the COVID spike protein using a blood test.
This may involve exploring possible exposure to toxins or heavy metals. Additionally, we may ask questions about how well your gastrointestinal system is functioning. All of this information will give us a better understanding of your overall health before, during and after COVID-19.
Other tests that may be carried out:
Blood tests – this includes looking for certain biomarkers or elements within the blood that may reflect any dysfunction of the immune system.
An evaluation of minerals and vitamins – to look for low levels of these nutrients.
Digestive tests – to help determine if there are pre-existing digestive issues.
This combination of medical history, physical examination and diagnostic tests will guide our diagnosis and help us put together a comprehensive treatment plan.
Managing Long-COVID fatigue
The complexity of fatigue, even without the presence of COVID-19 makes it a difficult condition for traditional medicine to address. Fatigue is a multifactorial condition. It can affect our physical, emotional and psychological wellbeing. Taking an integrative approach to medicine, we consider treatment options that help to address all of these issues.
Depending on the results of that discussion we may suggest treatment options that include:
Managing long-COVID fatigue is something that our team can help with. Using a holistic approach, we listen to and work with our patients to come up with management plans that are tailored to their needs. Post-covid fatigue is a condition that should be addressed on multiple fronts and our goal is to help our patients do just that.
If you are experiencing symptoms beyond six weeks of being diagnosed with COVID-19, our Long-COVID Recovery Services may help you regain your strength and vitality.
When COVID-19 was first discovered, many predictions were made about how the virus would behave. Most of these predictions were based around how other known respiratory viruses have evolved in the past. However, COVID-19 has been anything but predictable. Emerging variants, unexpected effects on pregnancy and the surprising persistence of some symptoms has made COVID-19 uniquely challenging. This is particularly true in the case of post-COVID syndrome, a condition where the symptoms of COVID-19 continue to persist weeks after initial infection.
Long-COVID syndrome may be referred to as post-COVID or long-haul COVID. Long-COVID syndrome is a wide range of new or persisting symptoms that COVID-19 sufferers experience weeks after they were first infected.
By now, an estimated 3.2 million Americans are thought to have Long-COVID Syndrome – a figure that translates to approximately 10% of COVID-19 cases. But this is just an estimate. The true number is likely much higher.
Symptoms and Signs of Long-COVID Syndrome
COVID-19 can affect almost any organ in the body. In Long-COVID Syndrome, the most reported signs and symptoms are
The picture around long-COVID remains unclear. Unfortunately, there is still a lot we don’t know such as who gets it, why they get it, or how long the condition will last. Researchers will continue the search for answers to these questions but for now, much remains unknown.
Furthermore, the severity of the original COVID-19 infection appears not to determine whether you develop post-COVID syndrome or not. Even those with minor cases of COVID-19 that did not require hospitalization or were asymptomatic may still have post-COVID syndrome. Conversely, some with severe cases of COVID-19 have gone on to recover completely.
At the Kaplan Center our doctors continue to manage Long-COVID Syndrome by assessing each patient, considering their own set of circumstances and working with them to come up with a tailored management plan.
Diagnosing Long-COVID Syndrome
The diagnosis of Long-COVID Syndrome may have taken some individuals through a difficult journey. Sufferers of long-COVID may have experienced misdiagnosis, due to the similarity of its symptoms to other illnesses, or indifference, leaving the patient to endure symptoms with the hope they will resolve on their own.
At the Kaplan Center, our physicians will take a thorough medical history and explore the onset of physical symptoms while equally considering an individual’s emotional well-being. We will ask you about previous illnesses and consider how your immune system may have previously been damaged in the past. We may explore possible exposure to toxins or heavy metals. We may also ask questions about how well your gastrointestinal system is functioning. All this information will give us a better understanding of your health to determine whether your symptoms solely due to COVID or if underlying illness may be contributing.
Other tests that may be carried out:
Blood tests – this includes looking for certain biomarkers or elements within the blood that may reflect any damage to the immune system.
An evaluation of minerals and vitamins – to look for low levels of these nutrients.
Digestive tests – to help determine if there are pre-existing digestive issues.
This combination of medical history, physical examination and diagnostic tests will be used to guide our diagnosis and put together a comprehensive treatment plan.
Management of Long-COVID Syndrome
Long-COVID syndrome appears to be a multisystem disease. This means that multiple systems such as the stomach, nerves, heart or lungs may be affected. Our goal is to treat this complex problem by taking a holistic, whole-body approach.
The Kaplan Center has been treating chronic illnesses for decades. This is our specialty, treating those with long-term conditions. Our management is comprehensive and may involve one or more of the following:
Nutrition – Dietary changes to improve your gut function
Managing Long-COVID Syndrome is something that our team at Kaplan can help with. By taking a holistic approach to healthcare our team is equipped to listen and work with our patients to jointly come up with management plans that are tailored to their needs.
A message from Dr. Gary – Provide the gift of hope and healing to others with your tax-deductible donation
/in Long Covid, News/by Gary Kaplan, DODear Kaplan Center Community,
As I reflect on the past year, I am particularly grateful for our connection through the Foundation for Total Recovery. Indeed, you are the very reason we exist. Whether you are a current or prior patient, a friend or family member of one, or simply a curious soul who reads our newsletter, our entire reason for doing what we do comes down to one thing: you.
Your health. Your wellness. Your total recovery.
In the United States alone, 20 million people suffer from chronic illness but don’t have the knowledge you have now (or are learning). Unfortunately, the medical community, at large, remains largely unaware of the connection between a dysregulated immune system and neuroinflammation—a brain on fire—so people just like you continue to get misdiagnosed or dismissed every day.
As I write this, we are preparing for something big next year—and I am asking for your help and generous support to make it a success.
On February 9-11, 2022, Georgetown University and the Foundation for Total Recovery are partnering to host a virtual medical conference titled Autoimmune Encephalopathy Secondary to Infectious Disease: A New Perspective on the Pathogenetic Interaction of the Immune System, Infection, Stress and Chronic Disease. A panel of world-class physicians will address how we can completely reimagine the way we view, diagnose, and treat chronic illness.
This is where your generosity can make a big impact. It is imperative we educate both the medical community and the public on this new perspective. It will be a beacon of hope in the shadow of looming sickness, especially during the holiday season when problems intensify for many who are suffering. You can give them something they long for but don’t even know exists for them: hope.
Your generous gift of any amount is fully tax-deductible. Even more important, you can help us reach the millions of people who are plagued by these illnesses but see no way out.
Without you, this foundation would not exist. We are eternally grateful for your support and for trusting us on your path to optimal health. Thank you for helping people like you find the answers they so desperately seek, and for giving us a platform from which to share such life-changing information.
Want to learn more about the conference the Foundation is co-hosting?
The mission of this conference is to help address the experiences all too many of you have had. That of going to doctor after doctor earnestly describing your symptoms and seeking answers, only to be dismissed, given yet another pill, or worse, told “It’s all in your head.”
This conference will bring hope and healing through knowledge to the masses and the medical community alike. Even the media will be present to ensure this message has the most visibility possible.
Some of the best doctors in the world—top specialists in their field hailing from institutions such as Oxford, Duke, and Columbia—will be sharing new research and expertise with doctors, patients, and the general public about new ways of viewing, diagnosing and treating chronic conditions like:
“The way it’s always been done” has failed us. It’s time to radically rethink our entire approach so all who suffer can finally find relief and experience total recovery once and for all.
You can view the conference agenda here and read in-depth about it here.
From all of us at the Foundation for Total Recovery, we wish you the happiest holiday season and a truly wonderful, prosperous, and healthy 2022.
With warmth,
Dr. Gary Kaplan, DO, DABFM, DABPM
Program Chair
Clinical Associate Professor
Department of Biochemistry and Molecular & Cellular Biology
Georgetown University School of Medicine
Washington, DC 20057
P.S. The conference is open to the public and we’d love to see you there! If you are interested in joining us you can learn more here and sign-up to join us here.
The Foundation for Total Recovery, Inc. is a not-for-profit organization whose goal is to help find a cure for and to help better understand, diagnose, treat, and ultimately prevent the progression of neuroinflammatory disease. In addition, the foundation offers important resources to help educate and support patients suffering from chronic pain, as well as their caregivers and doctors, and those involved in researching chronic pain. All U.S. donations to the Foundation for Total Recovery are tax-deductible.
Dealing with Long-COVID Fatigue
/in COVID-19, Long Covid/by Kaplan CenterLong-COVID Syndrome (also known as post-COVID or long-haul COVID) describes a wide range of new or persisting symptoms that COVID-19 sufferers experience after infection with COVID-19. Commonly reported symptoms of Long-COVID Syndrome include fatigue, difficulty thinking, prolonged cough or shortness of breath.
The fatigue of Long-COVID Syndrome can be particularly difficult to manage. Often described as a lack of energy or motivation, fatigue can have profound impact on one’s life resulting in the following:
Causes of Long-COVID fatigue
There are many theories about the causes of Long-COVID Syndrome and the resulting fatigue. Unfortunately, researchers still do not have concrete answers. What we do know is that about 30% of the people infected with the COVID-19 infection worldwide have gone on to develop long COVID symptoms that last weeks or months—long after the virus clears from the body. A study that looked at 143 people who had severe COVID-19 found that 87% of the participants still had ongoing fatigue two months after they were initially admitted to the hospital. However, it’s important to note that developing long-COVID syndrome does not depend on the severity of your original infection. Long-COVID syndrome presents in people who have had asymptomatic to severe cases. In essence, long-COVID fatigue is common and widespread.
Diagnosis of Long-COVID fatigue
Your initial diagnosis of Long-COVID syndrome may have taken weeks or months to be identified Unfortunately, many have struggled to find a practitioner that understands how to evaluate and diagnose a patient with a diagnosis of Long-COVID syndrome or post-COVID fatigue.
At the Kaplan Center, we will take time to explore the onset of your condition. During your visit, our providers will take a thorough history and ask you about the fatigue, its effect on your day-to-day life, your past medical history and other core elements of your overall health.
When diagnosing a patient, we will also evaluate for a dysregulation of the immune system due to the COVID spike protein using a blood test.
This may involve exploring possible exposure to toxins or heavy metals. Additionally, we may ask questions about how well your gastrointestinal system is functioning. All of this information will give us a better understanding of your overall health before, during and after COVID-19.
Other tests that may be carried out:
This combination of medical history, physical examination and diagnostic tests will guide our diagnosis and help us put together a comprehensive treatment plan.
Managing Long-COVID fatigue
The complexity of fatigue, even without the presence of COVID-19 makes it a difficult condition for traditional medicine to address. Fatigue is a multifactorial condition. It can affect our physical, emotional and psychological wellbeing. Taking an integrative approach to medicine, we consider treatment options that help to address all of these issues.
Depending on the results of that discussion we may suggest treatment options that include:
Managing long-COVID fatigue is something that our team can help with. Using a holistic approach, we listen to and work with our patients to come up with management plans that are tailored to their needs. Post-covid fatigue is a condition that should be addressed on multiple fronts and our goal is to help our patients do just that.
References
Long-COVID Recovery Services
If you are experiencing symptoms beyond six weeks of being diagnosed with COVID-19, our Long-COVID Recovery Services may help you regain your strength and vitality.
Long-COVID Syndrome: Symptoms, Diagnosis, Management
/in COVID-19, Long Covid/by Kaplan CenterWhen COVID-19 was first discovered, many predictions were made about how the virus would behave. Most of these predictions were based around how other known respiratory viruses have evolved in the past. However, COVID-19 has been anything but predictable. Emerging variants, unexpected effects on pregnancy and the surprising persistence of some symptoms has made COVID-19 uniquely challenging. This is particularly true in the case of post-COVID syndrome, a condition where the symptoms of COVID-19 continue to persist weeks after initial infection.
What is Long-COVID Syndrome?
Long-COVID syndrome may be referred to as post-COVID or long-haul COVID. Long-COVID syndrome is a wide range of new or persisting symptoms that COVID-19 sufferers experience weeks after they were first infected.
By now, an estimated 3.2 million Americans are thought to have Long-COVID Syndrome – a figure that translates to approximately 10% of COVID-19 cases. But this is just an estimate. The true number is likely much higher.
Symptoms and Signs of Long-COVID Syndrome
COVID-19 can affect almost any organ in the body. In Long-COVID Syndrome, the most reported signs and symptoms are
Other documented symptoms include
Who Gets Long-COVID Syndrome and Why?
The picture around long-COVID remains unclear. Unfortunately, there is still a lot we don’t know such as who gets it, why they get it, or how long the condition will last. Researchers will continue the search for answers to these questions but for now, much remains unknown.
Furthermore, the severity of the original COVID-19 infection appears not to determine whether you develop post-COVID syndrome or not. Even those with minor cases of COVID-19 that did not require hospitalization or were asymptomatic may still have post-COVID syndrome. Conversely, some with severe cases of COVID-19 have gone on to recover completely.
At the Kaplan Center our doctors continue to manage Long-COVID Syndrome by assessing each patient, considering their own set of circumstances and working with them to come up with a tailored management plan.
Diagnosing Long-COVID Syndrome
The diagnosis of Long-COVID Syndrome may have taken some individuals through a difficult journey. Sufferers of long-COVID may have experienced misdiagnosis, due to the similarity of its symptoms to other illnesses, or indifference, leaving the patient to endure symptoms with the hope they will resolve on their own.
At the Kaplan Center, our physicians will take a thorough medical history and explore the onset of physical symptoms while equally considering an individual’s emotional well-being. We will ask you about previous illnesses and consider how your immune system may have previously been damaged in the past. We may explore possible exposure to toxins or heavy metals. We may also ask questions about how well your gastrointestinal system is functioning. All this information will give us a better understanding of your health to determine whether your symptoms solely due to COVID or if underlying illness may be contributing.
Other tests that may be carried out:
This combination of medical history, physical examination and diagnostic tests will be used to guide our diagnosis and put together a comprehensive treatment plan.
Management of Long-COVID Syndrome
Long-COVID syndrome appears to be a multisystem disease. This means that multiple systems such as the stomach, nerves, heart or lungs may be affected. Our goal is to treat this complex problem by taking a holistic, whole-body approach.
The Kaplan Center has been treating chronic illnesses for decades. This is our specialty, treating those with long-term conditions. Our management is comprehensive and may involve one or more of the following:
Managing Long-COVID Syndrome is something that our team at Kaplan can help with. By taking a holistic approach to healthcare our team is equipped to listen and work with our patients to jointly come up with management plans that are tailored to their needs.
References
We are here for you, and we want to help.
Our goal is to return you to optimal health as soon as possible. To schedule an appointment please call: 703-532-4892 x2
SPECIAL REPORT
Understanding Long-COVID Syndrome