"I need my life again," she advised 9news.com.au.
"I do not know what to do."
The headteacher at TAFE in Kingscliff, northern NSW, caught COVID-19 in February, and has by no means actually recovered.
In addition to fixed fatigue, her signs embrace tingling so dangerous she describes it as "a sensation that there is poison working by my physique".
Whereas she has returned to work three days every week, she's too exhausted and ailing to work any extra days, she mentioned.
"I sleep and cry on Tuesdays and Thursdays," she mentioned.
She used spend time paddle boarding, training yoga and going to gigs.
Now she says she barely leaves the couch.
It is classed as a situation suffered by those that've had COVID-19, which lasts for no less than two months.
Signs embrace fatigue, shortness of breath and cognitive dysfunction, or "mind fog".
A brand new examine discovered ladies are 22 per cent extra possible than males to endure from lengthy COVID, and they're going to expertise a unique set of debilitating signs to males.
Like Trugett, Sydney knowledge analyst Anna de Sterke, 27, can also be crying out for assist.
She mentioned she feels, "like she died and is seeing all people stick with it after her funeral".
She caught the virus final December, and mentioned she was solely mildly ailing on the time.
However then the lengthy COVID signs set in.
De Sterke described having to "price range" for what she will do daily, due to the "crushing fatigue".
That is in comparison with her earlier lifetime of going to the health club, weightlifting, biking to work, climbing, and travelling along with her companion.
She additionally has gastrointestinal points, and says if she does something as difficult as stroll down the steps, her coronary heart charge soars.
"I now take into consideration my life by way of earlier than I bought COVID and after," she mentioned.
"I am experiencing a grief of the outdated me."
She says she tried to idiot herself into considering she has retired, to try to cope.
In the meantime, Miquette Abercrombie, 49, has been advised she will see an skilled in lengthy COVID in Melbourne - in six months.
The mother-of-two from Rowville is distraught when she describes how she has been bedridden for ten weeks, after being severely ailing with COVID-19 in April.
"I actually lie in mattress. I used to trip my bike 25km, I used to be on the health club, now I am unable to even stroll to the laundry," she mentioned, additionally in tears.
"I've by no means felt so alone and so sick with no assist."
She mentioned she has been referred to a state-run lengthy COVID clinic however should wait six months to see any individual.
All three ladies - who're all no less than double vaccinated - have seen numerous GPs and say they've been advised they've lengthy COVID, after different issues have been dominated out.
However have up to now not discovered any aid from any therapies.
De Sterke is seeing consultants in continual fatigue, which has been in comparison with lengthy COVID.
Solely Abercrombie, a self employed registered BAS agent has any monetary assist - $400 fortnight from Centrelink.
Trudgett is terrified her sick depart from work will run out and she or he will not be capable to pay her mortgage.
De Sterke is managing to work at home among the time, and depends on the goodwill of her colleagues to get her by.
Professor Greg Dore, infectious ailments doctor on the Kirby Institute and St Vincent's Hospital in Sydney, mentioned the federal government wants to handle the shortage of companies for lengthy COVID sufferers.
However he believes it can enhance as extra instances emerge.
The federal authorities says between 10 and 20 per cent of people that've had COVID-19 will get some type of lengthy COVID.
With the official variety of infections now at nearly 9 million, that may imply between 900,000 and 1.8 million individuals may have some degree of ongoing sickness already.
"I believe well being departments are conscious, there are ongoing discussions and exercise round attempting to develop the suitable scientific mannequin," Dore mentioned.
"It was actually the Omicron variant that modified the sport by way of the inhabitants degree burned with an infection and even when it has a decrease danger of lengthy COVID, the sheer burden of an infection meant it was going to translate into lengthy COVID."
He mentioned docs like him first rule out another situations, then refer individuals onto specialists to research particular person points similar to for cognitive or coronary heart issues.
However there is not any magic treatment up to now.
He mentioned analysis is underway globally.
"The problem with lengthy COVID is it is not one set off... there's in all probability a number of," he mentioned
"There is no magic answer that can deal with all lengthy COVID successfully.
"It will be a matter of assist, some particular interventions, additional analysis to take a look at totally different approaches."
He mentioned if individuals discover their GP is dismissive, they need to discover one other one.
How states and the federal government are dealing with lengthy COVID
The Australian authorities mentioned states and territories are answerable for well being departments, and mentioned a GP ought to be the primary place sufferers search assist.
It mentioned a variety of Medicare rebates can be found to assist with prices, and lengthy COVID sufferers could also be eligible for MBS Persistent Illness Administration objects.
The federal government has additionally funded a number of analysis initiatives into lengthy COVID.
NSW Well being mentioned the NSW authorities introduced $19 million within the latest price range to pay for a number of new post-COVID clinics within the state, from early 2023.
There may be already one at St Vincent's Hospital in Sydney.
Folks ought to see their GP within the meantime.
Victoria mentioned the Victorian Company for Well being Data is doing a well being survey to establish the prevalence and affect of lengthy COVID, which can assist its response, with plans for extra companies already underway.
It's spending over $600m on numerous COVID-19 companies.
The ACT has a post-COVID restoration clinic on the College of Canberra Hospital in Bruce, and folks want a GP referral.
Queensland Well being mentioned it's "is actively contemplating choices for devoted remedy pathways for lengthy COVID".
WA Well being mentioned it's also "assessing the wants round lengthy COVID", and mentioned individuals must see their GP initially.
South Australia has an extended COVID clinic on the Royal Adelaide Hospital
NT Well being says on its web site individuals ought to see their GP if they're nonetheless ailing, 4 weeks after having COVID-19.
The Division of Social Safety mentioned there are particular funds to assist people who find themselves unable to work as a result of momentary sickness or a everlasting impairment.
Contact journalist Sarah Swain: sswain@9.com.au