I'm living with long COVID like millions of Americans. Please, don't forget about us.

My life changed on March 17, 2021. I went to bed completely unaware of how badly I could be impacted, as a healthy person, by COVID-19, and woke up to the start of a chronic illness that has profoundly altered my life.

That day, I tested positive for COVID-19 and experienced high fever, intense body pains, fatigue and headache. Despite feeling unwell, I managed to care for myself at home and began to feel better after about two weeks, eager to resume my normal routine. It never occurred to me that I might not bounce back.

I struggled to juggle what used to be routine – caring for my three children and my responsibilities at work – with new challenges including extreme fatigue, chronic pain and neurological issues. As days turned into weeks, and weeks into months, my symptoms persisted.

It’s been three years, and I continue to wake up feeling tired, nauseous and dizzy, immediately planning when I can lie down again. My brain fog feels like I have cobwebs inside my head.

Before long COVID, I was active and healthy. I was driven and ambitious. I put myself through college, earned an MBA at night and pursued a career in human resources. I loved my job as the director of human resources at a local community college.

I felt like I had “made it” until the onset of long COVID created a seismic shift in my life, creating a clear divide between the before Rachel and the after Rachel.

COVID, flu and RSV are still here. The 'tripledemic' doesn't care that we're over being sick.

Long COVID has taken my job, health and time with kids

Despite my efforts to return to work, I ultimately lost my job. I could only work for about an hour before my headaches became debilitating. I started out using sick days, then went on short-term disability and eventually transitioned to long-term disability, at which point – because of my role in HR – I knew I’d be separated from my position.

I used to have the very same meetings with employees. Because of this, I was aware of what the next step was, and that it was completely out of my control. Losing my job was devastating, and it’s been hard to accept that I no longer have a career.

My family and I have adapted to my illness, planning activities around my energy levels. On good days, I have a few hours of energy, but events like birthdays or holidays require careful planning. Sometimes I need to recover for days afterward.

It was normal for me to go to school assemblies or shuttle my kids to their school activities after a full day of work, but now I need to plan to get as much rest as possible so that I can cheer on my kids. I used to work out every day, but now I need oxygen to catch my breath after a long conversation.

Daily errands like going to the grocery store are challenging; it can feel like sensory overload. There have been times when I felt too dizzy to finish shopping and my children had to help me get back to the car.

We used to enjoy day trips to hike in the mountains or go to the beach. I used to cook dinner and do bedtime and bathtime with my kids, but I sleep through that most evenings.

Long COVID has taken my job, my health and my quality time with the kids.

Each day, I battle with a profound sense of loss – of identity, purpose and the confidence and vitality that once defined me. Encounters with familiar faces in my small town serve as reminders of my old life. It’s hard not to be filled with depression and grief, as I watch my life go by in front of me while time moves on for others.

Bernie Sanders: US is turning its back on long COVID. We'll pay the price if we don't act.

Millions suffering from long COVID can't be left behind

I’ve heard people say COVID is just a cold. What people don’t realize is the impact long COVID can have on your brain, lungs and other body systems.

I am proof of that. I was not at high risk for COVID and was patiently waiting my turn to get vaccinated when I was infected, and we know now that the COVID vaccine can protect you against severe COVID infection, which can increase the likelihood of developing long COVID.

With the virus continually evolving, the latest vaccine is the most effective way to boost your immunity.

Believe me – long COVID is a disease that can have a significant impact on your quality of life.

It’s difficult to have faith while navigating an illness without a cure. People say don't lose hope, but I don't know all the damage that COVID has done to my body. It's hard for me to stay positive with so many unknowns.

Millions of us who are suffering eagerly await progress in research and therapies. At least 65 million people are living with long COVID worldwide, including 16 million working-age Americans. I want to encourage all the scientists, researchers, elected leaders and everybody working toward a treatment for long COVID to keep at it, because we need the treatment now.

In the meantime, I’ll try to make the most of my new reality and find peace with sharing my story and raising awareness to hopefully help others.

Rachel Beale, MBA, is a long COVID-19 advocate and mother of three from Southampton County in Virginia.

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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Long COVID, with no treatment in sight, took my life as I knew it