Coronatide: A Memoir of a Postpartum Physical Therapist in Pandemic

Coronatide is the story of Dr. Tracy Fehring, wife, mother, and physical therapist in the Denver metro area at the time of the COVID-19 pandemic. When the pandemic lock down began in March 2020, Tracy held her one-month-old daughter close, looking out the window and wondering what would come next.

Framed within the story of her family's acute COVID infection, Coronatide explores Tracy's experience of what came to pass in the next 18 months: being postpartum, working as a healthcare provider, and surviving the disease itself. After stepping off the frontline in September 2021, Tracy wrote this memoir as a part of her own therapy process, in order to engage healing and move beyond her post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). She hopes that through reading her story, readers will pause to acknowledge and process their own.

Disclaimers:

• Coronatide addresses issues of mental health, family dynamics, and healthcare delivery. While originally intended for adult audiences, Coronatide is appropriate for mature audiences. Readers under the age of 16 are encouraged to speak with a trusted adult to additionally process any content needing further review.
• While the content of Coronatide includes medical diagnosis, treatment, and care recommendations, readers are encouraged to consult their primary care physicians prior to adding or eliminating any care to their health plan.
• All content within Coronatide is the original work of Dr. Tracy Fehring, unless otherwise specifically attributed and cited. Photographic images included were originally captured by the author.

While Coronatide began as a blog, the print version not only includes the full memoir, but also these special features to further engage readers in Tracy's experience, as well as their own:

• The "1 Year Ago Today" Series - A picture per day with a short description, originally posted on social media at the anniversary of each day of Tracy's family's acute infection
• Reader's Reflection Guide - Questions to springboard the reader's reflection on their own life experience, regardless of when this piece is read, as the questions engage the pandemic of the day and are not exclusively applicable to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Praise for Coronatide

"Writing becomes a healing process in this memoir by a health care provider who relates her experience of having postpartum depression during the Covid-19 pandemic. . . Fehring's account is particularly enlightening regarding the experience of health care workers outside of hospital environments. . . An introspective and relatable exploration of the coronavirus experience."
-Kirkus Reviews

"Dr. Tracy delivers us a raw account of the intimate moral complexities of being a healthcare professional (both remote and frontline), a mother, and wife while navigating the beast of COVID-19 entering her community and home. Dr. Tracy's story has lifted the veil on my own pandemic experience. Now it's time to acknowledge the time, resources, support, and systemic change needed for America's healthcare professionals to heal."
-Rachael Angstadt, Occupational Therapist, Washington DC

"Tracy let us travel with her on a profoundly personal journey. As she navigated the uncharted waters, her words of vulnerability gave me comfort and insight. Tracy's beautiful ability to be honest and true helped me to look closer at myself. When someone gives you that gift you realize we are more alike than different. We all need each other and each other's stories. Thank you, Tracy, for sharing yours."
-Nancy Olson, Special Education Teacher, Minneapolis, MN