Cliff Richey’s Five-Set Match With Long COVID

by Cliff Richey

Cliff Richey was ranked the No. 1 in professional tennis player in the United States in 1970, the most valuable player of the victorious 1970 U.S. Davis Cup team, and has won 45 tournament titles over the span of a 26-year career that included semifinal finishes at the U.S. and French Opens..

The world has gone from a COVID pandemic to COVID long haul epidemic. It’s been reported that 15 to 20 million Americans have COVID long haul, including myself. COVID long haul has over 200 symptoms. Some of the most common symptoms are extreme fatigue, insomnia, muscle twitching, extreme hot and cold flashes, depression and some are unable to walk without a walker. Those are the minor health issues. The major ones are lungs that are so damaged they never heal, heart and kidney damage, disabling long term fatigue and extreme vascular inflammation. The news channels rarely report on this epidemic. Wonder where all the workers are? Large numbers are in their parents spare bedroom unable to work, financially broken, marriage in trouble or divorced, and literally in bed 18 hours a day. It’s not a short term life stopper. It can last for years. Most major medical clinics have COVID long haul treatment departments, but they have no idea how to treat the reason for it. Of course, this is a new disease but not enough is being done to help and heal millions of Americans. It’s estimated that 15-20% of all who have had acute COVID develop long haul. 

Until recently, I have been in bed 18 hours a day for most of the last three years. I had COVID which turned into COVID long haul. There are no words for me to describe the horror of this disease. It started with a 103.5 degree fever on June 9, 2020. I also had a spot on my lung. After five months of fighting to get well I suddenly felt I had licked it. From November 1,2020 to April 1, 2021 I felt as good as I ever have. Then early April of 2021, I started to have all the symptoms return. In just a few days I was unable to do anything I had done the last 25 years. Golf, walking two miles, and some days I hit 250 practice balls. I have been a mental health advocate and have two published books by New Chapter Press, Acing Depression and Your Playbook For Beating Depression and have given over 80 presentations nation wide. My mission has been to help millions suffering clinical depression. It’s been my problem most of my life. I will always have episodes of depression, but with the help I sought with therapy and the antidepressant Zoloft I was able to once again lead a productive life. In addition to Zoloft my other therapy has been through the dogs I have had. One of my dogs was named Zoey, which is obviously short for Zoloft. However, COVID long haul completely altered all of that.

My sister, Nancy Richey, winner of six major titles and an inductee into the International Tennis Hall of Fame, found covidlonghaulers.com on the internet. I watched one of Dr. Bruce Patterson’s presentations and in my gut knew he had the answer to my life stopping disease. So on August 6, 2021 I put myself under the care of the Chronic Covid Treatment Center which Dr. Patterson is the founder. The good doctor was the head of virology at Stanford University for 10 years. He cut his teeth in the 1980’s when HIV/AIDS hit our world. Being a tennis fan, Dr. Patterson asked to be my doctor. That was at the beginning of 2022. Chronic Covid Treatment Center repurposes meds that have been approved by the FDA for many years. Probably the coolest thing is Dr. Patterson has patented blood tests that check your immune system and also tests for the cause of COVID long haul.

So here’s the deal on chronic long haul. In most COVID infections your immune system kills the virus and the dead viral particles clear out of your body and you are good to go. With COVID long haul the dead viral particles don’t clear out. So after you think you are well, your immune system “spots” those dead spike protein particles and are fooled to do their thing. Your immune system can’t kill off dead viral particles! So you have an immune system out of control and it doesn’t turn off. You are in big trouble. Your entire vascular system becomes inflamed.

After six months on the repurposed meds I began to feel I was finally on track to beating this disease from hell. Without getting to far into the weeds, two things need to happen to fully recover. The meds clear out the dead spike protein particles. Then once that happens you have another major problem due to your immune system that has run amuck. In my case, as I said, it was three years. The problem with extreme vascular inflammation is that it takes six months to a year to heal. It’s like a house that has burned down. You have the fire put out, but your house has to be rebuilt. All of this sounds crazy. Trust me it’s real. I am writing this as 2023 comes to a close. On or about June 1, 2023 I started to feel well and now am back 100%. It was the toughest five-setter of my life. It was worse than clinical depression.

I’m not suggesting any treatment and this article should not be taken as official medical advice. I’m not a doctor and I’m not being paid by or receive any additional benefits from Dr. Patterson. If you are suffering from COVID long haul, you must talk to your primary care doctor first. I am writing this to give people hope that there is recovery. I am part of a support group online of 900 people who are part of 30,000 patients under the care of Dr. Patterson’s world wide network of doctors. They will do telemeds with sufferers of chronic long haul. As I said, after researching other CLH clinics this is the only “real” help I found. It has cured me! There is help. There is life after COVID long haul. Dr. Bruce Patterson is one of the best virologists in the world, and unlike the government health agencies, he is curing people! Dr. Bruce Patterson is not only a great doctor, he is compassionate and inspiring in every telemed I’ve had with him. For me Dr. Patterson and his great group of doctors are the best in the game. And now a great friend.

I’m now adding COVID long haul advocacy to my clinical depression advocacy. Both are in the “disease closet.” I hope I can help beat down those two doors. So blessed I found CCTC. Again thank you Dr. Bruce Patterson.