Two Purple Pills

July 19, 2025

Two purple pills each day for the next year are the culmination of two months of phone calls, emails, medical records, messages with doctors, and a week of invasive testing at the University of Minnesota. I am proud to say I’m officially a part of the Reverse LC study!

What’s in the pills?

Only one person in a lab somewhere knows what patient #017-**** (me) is taking - Baricitinib or the placebo.

The stress my body and brain have been under this week was counterbalanced by my excitement and interest in meeting with all the grad students, researchers, and professors who run the tests and the study. What I noticed beyond each practioner’s empathy and kindness, was their genuine curiosity in getting to know what Long Covid has done to me and their pride in being part of the study. One set of researchers saw me go from my functioning self to not moving after exercise and they had A LOT of questions. To read about a Long Covid crash is way different than seeing one in person.

In my downtime this week, I’ve reflected back to myself even as recent as Christmas, and have to admit I would not have been well enough to withstand the travel, tests, and navigation involved over the week. While laying on my side with cerebral spinal fluid dripping out of my back, I pictured your prayers, love, and good vibes circling me and the vials collected, wrapping us both in bright, warm, healing light. Because of you, I’ve made it this far and can hopefully contribute to the study team being able to find some answers for all those who suffer.

https://www.reversinglongcovid.org/