Lifelong athlete and five-time marathon runner Maryanne Reagan details the shocking physical deterioration she experienced after a mild case of COVID-19. Known for climbing mountains over 20,000 feet, competitive tennis, and a 40-year workout regime, Maryanne was suddenly unable to walk across her own yard or engage in extended cardio, and only received repeated medical dismissals when she sought answers. Tune in to hear how this formerly energetic patient, who went from running 10 miles on weekends to struggling with simple movements, uncovered the physical root cause of her ailment—vascular compression—which finally explained the drastic loss of her athletic abilities.

This is a special episode of The Long Haul with Summer, featuring Summer's daughter, Millie, a tiny pioneer for fighting long COVID. Millie discusses her experience with the illness, including the need for inhalers, breathing treatments every two hours, and frequent trips to the hospital. Tune in to hear Millie's wisdom on why patients must be resilient and what she wishes people understood about kids who are strong and brave while living with long COVID.

Summer Powers, an adult acute nurse practitioner and host of The Long Haul, shares her powerful testimony detailing her experience working the COVID ICU front lines before she and her daughter contracted long COVID. Plagued by symptoms like pericarditis and debilitating respiratory distress, she faced intense medical gaslighting, but her fierce determination led her to challenge conventional care and find treatment based on the micro-clotting theory with Dr. Vaughn's team. Tune in to hear how Summer moved beyond guidelines to achieve healing and now advocates for other patients suffering from this misunderstood disease.

At the Microvascular Research Foundation we believe in listening to patient voices is the foundation of clinical discovery, especially when dealing with post-acute illnesses for which there's not a book. Our founder, Dr. Vaughn discusses how physicians must synthesize patient histories and symptoms with medical knowledge to develop hypotheses and apply interventions, often leading to crucial new insights. Join Summer for our first episode and The Long Haul.