A Friend for the Long Haul: A Long Covid Podcast

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.

A Friend for the Long Haul: A Long Covid Podcast is a society podcast hosted by Unknown Host, with 49 episodes on record and a Required Pod Score of 80. PitchCentric scores this show on Booking Probability, Listen Score, and live audience signals refreshed every 24 hours.

Unknown Host hosts A Friend for the Long Haul: A Long Covid Podcast, a society show with 49 episodes published.

Our AI reads these to draft pitches. Use them as grounding for a pitch that cites a real guest and a specific topic.

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  Episode #12

  Clarity, Awareness, Presence, Acceptance, and Gratitude: A Conversation with Claire Jones of Sista Creative Rising and Musings of a Black Disabled Elder

  Aug 10, 20261h 13mS4

  Welcome to a new episode of A Friend for the Long Haul - A Long Covid Podcast! Claire Jones, co-founder of Sista Creatives Rising and creator of Musings of a Black Disabled Elder, is a repeat guest of the pod. She has developed a five-part framework for navigating life's chaos: Clarity, Awareness, Presence, Acceptance, and Gratitude. In this episode, Claire and I talk about what it means to build a life when illness, disability, trauma, grief, and change knock us sideways. We talk about: Learning to live and resist within your capacity, and why your contribution doesn't have to look like anyone else's Claire's experience with cancer and how it changed her relationship with self-love, joy, and worthiness Why acceptance isn't the same thing as forgiveness Grieving the life you thought you would have while still making room for a different kind of joy The cognitive cost of constantly trying to manage other people's experience of you Living a COVID-conscious life without allowing other people's perceptions to define what makes a life rich or fulfilling "Getting ahead of life before life gets ahead of you ” Claire reminds us that life will always contain suffering, disruption, and uncertainty. The goal isn't to become so grounded that nothing ever knocks us off course, it's to develop a way back to ourselves. Read Sista Creatives Rising and Musings of a Black Disabled Elder on Substack . A Friend for the Long Haul is a podcast about chronic illness, disability, Long COVID, community, and the messy business of building meaningful lives when our bodies and circumstances don't cooperate with the plans we made. If this conversation resonates with you, subscribe/follow the podcast and share it with someone who might need it. #LongCOVID #ChronicIllness #Disability #DisabilityCommunity #ChronicIllnessCommunity #Acceptance #Grief #SelfLove #SistaCreativesRising Find Claire and Amaranthia's Instagram account for Sista Creatives Rising here: https://www.instagram.com/sistacreativesrising and their website is: https://www.sistacreativesrising.com/ Follow A Friend for the Long Haul - A Long Covid Podcast on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/afriendforthelonghaulpodcast/ A Friend for the Long Haul is a one disabled woman produced podcast. If you'd like to support my work, you can: Check out my shop , full of snarky long covid and chronic illness shirts, mugs, and bags. Any proceeds from the shop go right back to the podcast, or community care/mutual aid. I have an Amazon gift registry focused on back to school and things that would help at home. We're a family of 6 neurodivergent and disabled baddies. All 4 kids are heading back to school next week, and any help is always appreciated. Venmo me at: afriend4thelonghaul Or, just listen, review, and share this podcast! Thank you!

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  Episode #13

  Why Stories Matter in the Fight for Long COVID Awareness with Charlie McCone - A Friend for the Long Haul Podcast

  Jul 20, 20261h 4mS4

  In this episode of A Friend for the Long Haul - A Long COVID Podcast, I'm joined by Charlie McCone. Charlie is a Long COVID advocate, contributor to The Sick Times, member of the Patient-Led Research Collaborative, someone whose work has become deeply woven into the LC community, and another guest I was convinced was too cool to come on the show. Charlie and I talk about what happens when your life is changed by an illness that most people still don't understand, if they even think it's real. We explore why Long COVID has been so difficult for the public to grasp, why facts alone don't seem to be enough to create change, and the role storytelling plays in helping communities be seen, believed, and understood. We also discuss the concept of "hypocognition," which is what happens when society lacks the frameworks to recognize a problem, and how this shows up in the experiences of people living with chronic illness and disability, as well as disability culture, patient-led research, the power of first-person narratives, how communities organize, and what keeps people speaking up when progress feels so very painfully slow. We also chat about Charlie's friendship with Alice Wong, and the lessons he learned from her about advocacy and life. You don't have to live with Long COVID to understand how it feels to try to find purpose when your life takes an unexpected turn. But if you do have LC, are navigating another chronic illness or disability, you're supporting a loved one, or trying to better understand what millions of people have experienced over the last 6 years, I think we took a really good look at how people telling the truth about what they've lived through is a powerful way to drive change. Charlie, thanks for your work and for joining me! Find Charlie on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/loscharlos/ Bravely, on X: https://x.com/loscharlos?lang=en On Threads: https://www.threads.com/@loscharlos His amazing piece, Alice Wong showed us DIsability Justice makes our advocacy stronger: https://thesicktimes.org/2026/04/10/alice-wong-showed-us-disability-justice-makes-our-advocacy-stronger/ Find Beth on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/afriendforthelonghaulpodcast/ Treat yourself to some Long COVID merch in my shop and support this podcast and mutual aid: https://www.bonfire.com/store/a-friend-for-the-long-haul/ Read my Substack: https://f4lh.substack.com/

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  A Friend for the Long Haul: A Long Covid Podcast

  Dreams vs. Realities: Entrepreneurship, Chronic Illness, and Disability with Katrina Dreamer

  Jul 13, 20261h 27m

  What happens when the life you planned collides with the reality of chronic illness or disability? Is it still possible to build something meaningful, even if your energy, body, and definition of success have changed? In this episode of A Friend for the Long Haul , I'm joined by entrepreneur and creator Katrina from https://www.katrinadreamer.com/ for an honest conversation about what it really looks like to pursue your dreams while living with chronic illness. Together, we explore the tension between ambition and acceptance, the pressure to "keep up," and the ways disability forces us to rethink productivity, purpose, and success. We talk openly about the grief of letting go of old expectations, the creativity required to build a business around fluctuating health, and why sustainable entrepreneurship often looks very different from the stories we're told. Whether you're considering starting a business, navigating a career after illness, or simply trying to figure out what comes next, this conversation offers reassurance that there isn't one "right" path forward. Sometimes the dream doesn't disappear, it just evolves. We Discuss The realities of entrepreneurship with chronic illness and disability Redefining success when your body has new limits Letting go of productivity myths and unrealistic expectations Building a business that supports your health instead of sacrificing it Navigating uncertainty, identity shifts, and changing dreams Why being flexible isn't giving up, it's a strategy for sustainability If you've ever wondered whether your dreams still have a place after illness, I hope this conversation reminds you that they do. They may look different than you imagined, but they can still be deeply meaningful. Connect with Katrina Visit Katrina at KatrinaDreamer.com and follow their work to learn more about their experience. On Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/katrinadreamer Co-founder of Covid Safe Colorado: https://www.instagram.com/covidsafecolorado/ The Covid Logs Co-Editor: https://www.instagram.com/thecovidlogs/ Writer of Chaotic Good and the Banned Bookmobile webtoon: https://www.instagram.com/chaoticgoodcomic/ Connect with Beth On Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/afriendforthelonghaulpodcast/ On Substack: https://f4lh.substack.com/ If this episode resonated with you, I'd love for you to subscribe, leave a review, or share it with someone who's learning to build a life that works with their body, not against it. I'm trying to learn that living well with chronic illness isn't about doing more. If you'd like to support my work, you can Venmo me at afriend4thelonghaul, you can check out my merch shop for Long Covid and chronic illness merch : https://www.bonfire.com/store/a-friend-for-the-long-haul or you can help my family of 6 disabled folks survive summer at home together by sending us a little something from my Amazon wishlist. Thanks!

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  Episode #11

  Foraging with ME (Myalgic Encephalomyelitis) with April Thompson of Chronic Market

  Jun 20, 202640 minS4

  Welcome to Season 4, Episode 11 of A Friend for the Long Haul - A Long Covid Podcast! For Week 3 of Camp Long Haul, we're exploring The Great Accessible Outdoors and this conversation changed the way I look at the plants growing outside my front door. In this episode, I got connected with April Thompson, who has had ME(/CFS - I'm adding it because a lot of people search for it when looking for help) for most of her adult life, an urban forager, artist, and founder of the Chronic Market , where you can buy "beautiful, one-of-a-kind items and unique services offered by artists, artisans and entrepeneurs around the world suffering from ME/CFS, a debilitating chronic illness. Living with ME/CFS for over 20 years, April has found a way to stay connected to nature, curiosity, and creativity by being curious what's growing around her. After a series of technology mishaps (including a waterlogged phone and a last-minute change of plans), April gives us an impromptu tour of the edible and medicinal plants she can find just steps from her home in Washington, DC. This was a really sweet introduction to urban foraging. We talk about: Urban foraging for beginners Accessible ways to connect with nature while living with chronic illness ME, pacing, and finding meaningful hobbies within your spoons Dandelions, plantain, lamb's quarters, mugwort, wood sorrel, amaranth, mallow, and more The nutritional benefits of wild foods About Camp Long Haul: Camp Long Haul is a low-key virtual summer camp experience for people living with Long COVID, ME/CFS, dysautonomia, chronic illness, disability, neurodivergence, and anyone whose life doesn't fit the traditional summer adventure story. Every activity is optional, asynchronous-friendly, and designed with pacing in mind. Connect with April: Instagram: @chronicmarketplace Instagram: @prillytee https://aprilwrites.com/ Connect with Beth on Instagram @afriendforthelonghaulpodcast Get Camp Long Haul Merch on my Bonfire shop: https://www.bonfire.com/store/a-friend-for-the-long-haul/ Support this podcast by sharing, liking, and subscribing! If you're so inclined, I also have a summer wishlist on Amazon for our super queer, neurodivergent family . #LongCOVID #MECFS #ChronicIllness #DisabilityCommunity #UrbanForaging #Foraging #AccessibleOutdoors #NatureConnection #Pacing #Dysautonomia #MCAS #ChronicIllnessLife #DisabilityAwareness #CampLongHaul #AFriendForTheLongHaul #SpoonieLife #Gardening #CommunityCare #AccessibleAdventure #ChronicMarket

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  Episode #10

  Introducing Camp Long Haul - A Virtual Summer Camp for Spoonies

  May 25, 202619 minS4

  Welcome to S04E10 of A Friend for the Long Haul - A Long Covid Podcast! I accidentally invented a virtual summer camp for Spoonies after having a small existential crisis in my Instagram stories. In this episode, I talk about why summer can feel surprisingly painful for chronically ill and neurodivergent people, especially parents, caregivers, and anyone grieving the life they thought they’d have. Between Long COVID, autism, ADHD, sensory overwhelm, heat intolerance, and the logistical nightmare of trying to “summer normally,” I realized what I actually need is community, ritual, silliness, softness, and something to look forward to. Enter: Camp Long Haul. A fully optional, low-pressure, asynchronous virtual camp for spoonie folks featuring themed weeks, crafts, scavenger hunts, campfire chats, hydration flotillas, ghost stories, pacing tips, and absolutely zero requirement to keep up or explain your absence. Lurkers welcome, goblin mode accepted, no assholes. Grab your flotilla and let's camp! Key topics Why summer can feel isolating and emotionally difficult for chronically ill and disabled people Parenting in a fully neurodivergent household while managing chronic illness Creating accessible community spaces for Spoonies and Long Haulers The structure and philosophy behind Camp Long Haul Low-pressure participation and asynchronous community building Themed weeks, campfire chats, scavenger hunts, crafts, and low-spoon activities Pacing, overstimulation, burnout, and adapting expectations Friendship, belonging, ritual, and chosen family in disability communities Community rules around respect, consent, and psychological safety Reclaiming fun, softness, and creativity after trauma and illness resources Whose Land — Whose Land Instagram account for Ray and Stormi (pet enrichment & disability-friendly dog training): Ray and Stormi Instagram and TikTok: Ray and Stormi TikTok Embracing Enchantment — Embracing Enchantment Podcast Support this Podcast I'm a disabled lady doing this whole podcast on my own. If you would like to support the podcast, please subscribe and follow, engage with my posts, comment, and share episodes that resonate with you! Those are the biggest ways you can support me and my work. If you'd like to get some of my merch, check out my Bonfire shop! All proceeds are funneled back into the podcast for tech or used for community care and mutual aid. I don't keep the proceeds. I do have an Amazon gift registry that I update for the summer each year. We are a blended family of 6 and all of us have disabilities. Some of our kids have complex medical issues as well as intellectual and physical disabilities, and we're increasingly neurodivergent. Summers get emotional, kids get boring, and the parents work from home without a "village" or the luxury of childcare. This summer gift registry keeps us afloat. --- If you'd like to be a guest on the show or suggest a guest, please use this form! https://forms.gle/q9wiV6mQ4G3SMBu99 Thank you for listening to and supporting A Friend for the Long Haul! Keywords Long COVID, Spoonie community, chronic illness podcast, neurodivergent adults, autism, ADHD, virtual summer camp, disability community, accessible community, chronic illness support, CPTSD, pacing, burnout, neurodivergent parenting, accessible joy, online community, disability advocacy, mental health, summer loneliness, chronic illness isolation, low spoon activities, asynchronous community, virtual support group, EDS, chronic fatigue, inclusive spaces

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