About Me
Life with Long Covid (My Story)....
Do you even remember what normal feels like?
Maybe you've forgotten what it's like to think clearly. To have a conversation without losing words mid-sentence. To walk up stairs without losing your breath.
Some days you probably wonder if anyone has actually made it out of this hell…
And the worst part?
Everyone thinks you're over-exaggerating. Your tests come back "normal." Doctors shrug. Friends stop asking how you're doing.
You're trapped in a body that's failing you while the world moves on without you.
If this is your reality, I need you to know something:
I've been exactly where you are.
I know the kind of grief that comes with mourning the person you "used to be".
You see; Long Covid didn't just take my health – it took my identity, my future, and it ripped away who I fundamentally was as a person.
I went from running a 7-figure startup to being unable to walk to my car without losing my breath. From running 5 miles a day to being defeated by a flight of stairs. From having a laser-like focus & mental clarity to forgetting my own phone number.
It was hell for 12 months, but eventually…. I paved a path out towards recovery.
The way I did it wasn't conventional. It was experimental, but it worked.
My Long Covid Nightmare Started Like Yours
It was January 2024. I was 28 years old, running a successful online startup in Bali, crushing 12-hour workdays, and feeling like nothing could stop me.
I felt unstoppable. My confidence was through the roof. I had an amazing 5+ year relationship, an awesome group of friends, and tons of hobbies that brought my happiness.
I felt like I was winning at life.
Life wasn't just "good"… it was incredible.
Then Covid hit.
And little did I know; I was about to lose everything. My business, my identity, my relationships… everything.
When I got Covid - the acute infection? it was mild.
Slight fever, and minor muscle cramps. I bounced back after 5 days.
I thought I'd dodged a bullet.
Two months later, I learned how devastatingly wrong I was.
I woke up one morning and couldn't catch my breath. My heart was racing at 95+ bpm all day long. The brain fog became so thick I couldn't remember what I had for breakfast.
Within days, I went from running 5 miles a day to being bedridden for 20 hours a day.
I felt like crap, and looked like crap.
Every hour, of every day:
The Medical Gaslighting Marathon
Here's what happened next – I bet you've experienced some version of this:
Doctor #1: "Maybe it's just anxiety"
Doctor #2: "Have you tried taking a deeper breaths?"
Doctor #3: "It's probably asthma. Here's an inhaler."
Doctor #4: "Your tests are normal. Just rest and recover, you'll be fine"
I spent $47,000 on medical consultations, tests, and treatments in the first four months.
MRIs, CT scans, countless blood panels – all "normal."
By month six, I'd spent over $30,000+ on medical consultations and received exactly zero answers about why I couldn't breathe.
Meanwhile, I'd lost my company, my 5 year relationship, and 15+ pounds of muscle. I was sleeping 18 hours a day and still exhausted. My resting heart rate was 95 bpm. I had 24/7 Shortness of Breath, PEM, Fatigue, and brain fog so severe I couldn't read a paragraph.
But here's where my story gets different from most others I read online.
The Biohacker Inside Me
Before Covid, I wasn't just an entrepreneur. I was also a health-nut who loved research. I'd spent years experimenting with health optimization techniques – improving my cognition with nootropics, tracking biomarkers, running n=1 experiments, and diving deep into scientific literature.
This background in health & science saved me.
So, while doctors were telling me to "wait it out" and "try pacing myself", I started applying everything I knew about biochemistry, health optimization, and problem-solving into my own recovery protocol.
I turned myself into my own lab-rat.
18 Months of Relentless Experimentation
The breakthrough came when I discovered the Long COVID subreddit. Reading dozens of stories from fellow athletes experiencing identical symptoms was like finding my tribe. Finally, I had a name for what was destroying my life.
Between January 2024 and July 2025, I tested over 127 different interventions. Not random supplements from wellness blogs – I'm talking about systematic, data-driven experimentation based on emerging research and mechanistic understanding.
Here's what most people don't understand about long Covid:
It's not one condition – it's an entire web of dysfunctions.
According to a 2023 Nature Meta-Analysis, long Covid involves at least 4 major pathophysiological mechanisms: viral persistence, autoimmunity, endothelial dysfunction, and mitochondrial damage.
You can't fix it with one magic pill. You need a systemic approach.
The Breakthrough Moments
Let me be clear: The first 6 months of "rest and recovery" got me nowhere. In fact, I deteriorated.
It was only when I started actively intervening — targeting specific pathways, addressing root causes, optimizing cellular function — that dramatic improvements began.
Some interventions produced night-and-day differences within 24 hours. Others built slowly over weeks. But the pattern was unmistakable: targeted action beats passive waiting every time.
My intervention timeline & breakthroughs:
Month 6: Started running my own tests. I discovered my testosterone had crashed to 225 ng/dL (normal: 300-1000). I immediately started hormone optimization protocols. Within weeks I noticed improvements in energy, recovery, libido, drive, and mental clarity.
Month 8: I identified severe mitochondrial dysfunction through CPET testing. I implemented targeted mitochondrial support (keto diet, methylene blue, NAD+ injections, CoQ10, PQQ). Brain fog started to lift, my mood improved, PEM dissapeared, and zest for life started to come back.
Month 9: Addressed systemic inflammation, neuro-inflammation, and immune imbalance with LDN. I instantly saw improvements in sleep quality. My morning energy levels were finally normal again.
Month 11: Experienced eureka moment in eliminating my severe shortness-of-breath when I began addressing ICS resistance with Theophylline. Breathing issues almost completely resolved at this point, when combined with first-line treatments.
Month 10: Discovered Thyroid function was borderline hypothyroid, started microdosing T3 hormone at 5mcg's daily. Brought my T3 levels into the perfect range. Within weeks I noticed even more energy, mental clarity, and additional improvements in breathing.
Month 12: Returned to 95%+ function. Started going back to the gym, traveling to different countries, enjoying a social life & thinking less about my health issues every day.
Month 16: Regained all the muscle I'd lost during long covid, plus added an additional +15lbs of pure muscle. Got back to exercise again like pre-covid days.
Month 18:
Full recovery. Packed my bags, left Cape Town, and moved back to Bali. Wrapped up this chapter of my life, and got back to the life I missed living so much. I was now single, no business to run, and building everything up from scratch again.
But, I felt good - I started dating again, having dinners with friends, and actually enjoying myself without constantly stressing about my health. The light at the end of the tunnel was in full view finally, after so many dark months in isolation.
Why This Matters for You
I'm not sharing this to impress you. I'm sharing it because if you're reading this, you're probably where I was two years ago:
Desperate for answers
Tired of being dismissed
Willing to try anything
Losing hope
Here's what I want you to know:
Recovery is possible. But it requires a different approach than what conventional medicine offers.
The Recovery Framework That Actually Works
Through my journey and now speaking with dozens of other long Covid sufferers, I've identified the key pillars that separate those who recover from those who don't:
Comprehensive Testing (beyond standard panels)
Targeted Interventions (based on YOUR specific dysfunctions)
Systematic Tracking (what gets measured gets managed)
Protocol Optimization (constant refinement based on data)
Mindset Mastery (the mental game is 50% of recovery)
My Mission Now
Today, I split my time between Bali and Cape Town, focusing on health. My goal for my long Covid recovery research is to help hundreds of other fellow long-haulers reclaim their lives.
I'm not a doctor. I'm not pretending to be one.
What I am is someone who's been in the trenches, who understands the science, and who's figured out what actually works – not just for me, but for the growing community of recoverers I speak to daily.
Why I Do This Work
Every morning, I wake up grateful for my recovery. But I also wake up angry.
Angry that millions are still suffering unnecessarily. Angry that the medical system is failing them. Angry that simple interventions that could change lives are being ignored.
That anger fuels my mission: to help hundreds of long Covid sufferers fully recover by the end of 2025.
Not slightly reduce symptoms. Not "learn to live with it."
Fully. Recover.
Ready Begin Your Own Recovery?
If you've made it this far, you're probably wondering: "Could this actually work for me?"
The answer is yes – if you're willing to think differently, experiment systematically, and commit to your recovery like your life depends on it.
Because it does.
You can start with my free recovery guides that outline the exact frameworks I used to go from bedridden to better than before & if you want more personal one-on-one help sifting through the research, don't hesitate to reach out to me personally.
Your recovery starts with a single decision: to stop accepting "there's nothing we can do" as an answer.
I made that decision 2 years ago.
When will you make yours?
If you want my one-on-one help creating a tailored recovery plan, schedule a call with me here.
P.S. Still skeptical? I get it. You should be. That's why I've posted all my lab results, protocols, and recovery timeline in the resources section. The data speaks for itself.
This is Julian - signing off - peace! ✌🏼
Note: My story represents my personal experience with Long COVID recovery. Individual results vary, and all medical decisions should be made in consultation with qualified healthcare providers.
