Tapering sounds like the best option for you and while yes it may take longer, it’s definitely not as harrowing as cold turkey especially when you are recovering from COVID too.
Oh the money I wasted! It’s horrifying when I look back! Each week during the first few weeks of giving them up, the money I would have spent on pills, I bought something I really wanted as a kind of incentive to myself. The health aspect is scary with these pills but once you stop you feel so much better!
Best of luck with the tapering! I’m here if you want to chat at any point ❤️