On the evening of May 13 (a Wednesday, when I was working from home), I found myself unusually tired. I woke up still tired the next day, but proceeded to try to work. After a few hours, I gave up. This pattern continued for several days, sometimes with only maybe 30 minutes of being able to be productive. I was dealing both with fatigue (sometimes pretty profound fatigue) and also a bizarre inability to put thoughts together (more on this later). After a few weeks of being unable to work properly, I started the medical leave process. As of writing (mid-August 2026), that's still where I am.

The physical fatigue waned after a few weeks. By the second week of June, I was able to partake in all my usual non-cognitive activities -- including some bigger days of physical activity. I'm grateful for this, but it doesn't help me get back to work!

My cognition remains quite limited. Some tasks (e.g. solving crossword clues, playing along with Jeopardy, playing Taboo with friends) are unaffected. But any activity where I have to assimilate multiple different thoughts together and form a comprehensive opinion about them feels like the mental equivalent of hitting a brick wall. I just can't do it. Sadly, assimilating multiple different thoughts together and forming a comprehensive opinion about them is about all I do at work, so my work feels completely impossible right now. When someone is explaining multiple details to me in sequence, it almost feels like there is a conveyor belt, where one idea is shoving the last out of my brain. There's never room for more than about 1. Maybe 2 on a good day.

I'm also pretty limited in my ability to read. I can read texts on my phone, sure. But anything requiring understanding of detail or the flow of a narrative is out, at least without a lot of concentration and rereading. This lack of reading is definitely unusual for me. (Interestingly, writing this all was effortful, but possible. Reading it? Nope. I've had my wife review.)

There are a host of other cognitive changes (trouble maintaining attention, slower processing speed, inability to filter out background noise, forgetfulness) too.

On the plus side, I'm able to live much of my non-working life. I'm spending quality time with family and friends. Jane Street has excellent disability coverage and has been supportive of my needs. But it sure would be nice to get back to work.

I think it's long covid. The Saturday before this all started, I had a funny tickle in my throat and coughed a few times. It was enough that I looked in the grocery store for a covid test. (This is unusual behavior for me, less than twice a year -- so it's not that I'm always suspicious of covid.) I didn't find one, and I didn't ask or go to another store. And the day after my fatigue started, my wife lost her smell and taste for a few hours (with no other symptoms). Both my wife and I tested positive for covid in November (we missed Thanksgiving), so it seems possible that our immune systems were ready to jump into action in May and stop us from getting sick.

Blood tests are all normal, except for elevated covid and EBV antibodies. I had never been tested for EBV before (I was surprised I was positive at all; I never was diagnosed with mono), so I don't know whether I'm a person who normally has elevated EBV antibodies.

Brain MRI and EEG normal, too.

Mostly, flailing about trying to find medical care.

My primary doctor has given me no useful guidance so far other than to rest and hope. She also suggested seeing a neurologist who told me, effectively, "you seem to be someone who gets brain fog after viral infections, and this one is taking longer to resolve than others." Which isn't exactly helpful. (To be fair, neither doctor was dismissive of my complaints. It's just that they didn't really move the needle forward). I’ve also been receiving cognitive therapy (distinct from cognitive behavioral therapy and delivered by a speech therapist). While it contains some good ideas, ultimately they feel more like coping mechanisms rather than an actual route forward.

Into this void steps my wife Amanda. She does not hold a medical degree, but she is effectively my doctor. She found a research paper recommending several experimental therapies for my situation, as well as doctors who are doing research in this area and might actually be helpful. So I am now in the process of scheduling transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) and hyperbaric oxygen treatment, as well as taking a supplement (PEA-LUT, along with vitamins D and B12, recommended by my primary doctor). These treatments seem safe, and may be effective. I very much hope they are.

I'm also looking into less likely causes for the cognitive problems. I have upcoming appointments with a pulmonologist (to explore the possibility of sleep apnea or other disturbances) and an ENT doctor because the brain MRI showed an inflamed sinus (though I have had almost no headaches). We're also trying to get the attention of folks who study this kind of thing.

If you have ideas for me, do get in touch! I'm eager to get back to functional programming!