I debated sharing my journey with Covid-19. Normally, I’m a very private person and just use my twitter account to stay informed. However, this illness has changed my mind about remaining silent.
I’m a healthy middle aged woman.

I’ve had pneumonia a couple of times in the past so I’m prone to it. My doctor suggested I get the pneumonia vaccine and the flu shot regularly so I do. Also, I keep a few bottles of generic Mucinex DM Extra Strength (Guaifenesin) on hand just in case.

It all started simple enough. The pollen count was high that day so I thought I was having a normal seasonal reaction with watery eyes and runny nose for a few days.

Then the sneezing kicked it so I started taking pseuphedrine (generic Sudafed-not over the counter). A day later I experienced an onslaught of symptoms...low fever, chills, body aches, diarrhea, dry cough, tightness in the chest, and shortness of breath.

My mind raced with possibilities and I ruled out the cold which left the flu or Covid-19. I immediately went into support-my-body-mode. I took the generic Mucinex, generic pepto for the diarrhea, generic Advil

(Ibuprofen) for fever, increased my fluid intake, and ate healthy meals and snacks even though I wasn’t hungry. I had to support my body as much as possible to fight this off.
I isolated myself. Blended frozen berry, banana, yogurt, chia seeds and

coconut water (electrolytes) into smoothies to cool me down during fever spikes. I added a multivitamin which included zinc, magnesium and selenium. Also, added an Elderberry supplement to boost my immune system. Mostly ate soups to heat up my chest and loosen everything in

my lungs. A little spicy heat to help with the nasal congestion. Drank hot echinacea or ginger tea with honey and lemon for my throat and chest. Letting the tea steep for 10 mins is best, sometimes I had to microwave it to heat it up again.

I have a heated chair massager placed on my lounger. I used it to heat and massage my back (lungs). I replaced my bed linens every day. Disinfected my floors and surfaces regularly. Washed my hands regularly.

Steam from warm showers helped loosen up my congestion.
I have eczema flare ups so I took generic Benadryl (Diphenhydramine) at night. It also had the added benefit of suppressing my dry cough so I could fall sleep. This went on for 2 weeks.

I started to feel better. All my symptoms were tapering off.
But a few days later, all my symptoms came roaring back one morning. There were frequent gasps for breath with my neck extended as if that would help get more oxygen into my lungs.

I reached out to my doctor. We both knew there wasn’t enough Covid-19 tests. We needed to conserve them for the severely ill and healthcare providers working the front lines. She stated I was already doing everything I should be doing and prescribed

Albuterol (inhaler) to open up my airways. She recommended to continue the guaifenesin (Mucinex) to thin out the mucus in my lungs. It was clear to us both what I had. This is not the flu.
There was no reason to put providers at risk with my mild-ish

case of Covid-19. I will not be going to the hospital unless my breathing becomes more labored and I need oxygen. I wouldn’t put other providers at risk unless absolutely necessary. They don’t need to spend time on me right now when they could be focusing on

more severely ill patients. I will manage my symptoms and support my body until I can’t. There are some good days and bad days. What I’ve learned about this virus is ...it’s unlike anything I have ever dealt with before.

I’ve never had to fight so hard for control over my body. I’m doing everything humanly possible to fight it and it’s still clinging to me. It’s week 4 now and I’m still in this battle. Some days I think I have this thing beat and other days, I’m terrified.

I’m grateful I can work from home and plan to stay isolated 14 days after my all my symptoms disappear. I will take an antibody test when it becomes available. I will do my part to flatten the curve. Stay Safe and Stay Home.
#CovidLife #CovidDiary

I’m heading into week 6 with this virus and it’s kicking my ass. I feel better for a few days. All the symptoms subside even the dry cough. Then it all comes rushing back and I wake up with congestion, fever, chills, intense headaches and body aches.

The coughing becomes worse.
I have noticed the duration of bad days are shorter so that’s good news. Unfortunately, I have a long way to recovery. I can still hear the wheezing as I breathe, feel the tight rattling in my chest.

This virus...I don’t know how to describe it. It’s fighting for control of my lungs as hard as I am. I’ve never had to fight so hard even with the flu and pneumonia.

I can’t state this enough.
This isn’t like the flu.
It comes back in waves week after week. It depletes your body of everything. Some days I can’t eat or drink enough to support my body especially in the first 3 weeks.

The symptoms are stronger. Regular headaches, aches and pain are amplified until I’m clenching my teeth. There were times I sweat so much from a bout of fever that the hot air from the heater felt ice cold. Your lungs feel like cement blocks.

Moving from the bed to the sofa will leave me gasping for air and exhausted for an hour. If I go 30 mins too long without eating or drinking, I’ll pay for it hours later when the symptoms become worse.

You are hyper aware something is in your body trying to kill you. If you’re afraid, stressed or angry and cortisol floods your body, weakens your immune system... it will take advantage and the symptoms become worse Immediately.

Every morsel or fluid you consume, every time you’re late taking your meds makes a huge impact on whether you suffer or not for the next 6 hours. It is relentless and powerful.
This is not the flu.
Don’t underestimates this virus.

#Covid_19
#covidlife
#coviddiaries

Update: I stopped taking generic pseuphedrine since it increases my blood pressure and the likelihood of a stroke.
Pepto stopped working a while ago so I’ve switched to herbal chamomile tea. It takes a few days longer to work but it works.

Even mild diarrhea can hamper you since it causes dehydration.
Dealing with this virus is a constant balancing act.
Sometimes I wake up coughing or gasping for air because I’ve moved on to my back in the middle of night.

Your lungs are closer to your back so you’re basically adding pressure and blocking airflow by lying on your back.
When I’m just resting I try to lie on my stomach to support my lungs as much as possible.

“I can’t catch my breath. Is it time to go to ER? Who will take care of my cats? I know if I get on a ventilator 90% I’ll die. Who will take care of my babies? Am I going to die today?”
This virus paralyzes me with fear.

The hardest part of this illness has been controlling my fear. Letting my fears run rampant only increases cortisol which hampers my immune system. I can’t “zen” my fears away so I’ve focused on distracting myself.

Taking care of my cats helped take the focus off of myself.
Btw, animals can catch the virus. My cats have been dealing with miniature versions of my symptoms... watery eyes, sneezing, coughing, diarrhea. Good news is they’re in better shape than me.

They’re shelter cats so I upped their daily dose of Lysine which helped immensely.
I’ve taken to feeding squirrels. Dishing out their food n water in full virus riot gear, face mask & latex gloves. I mean I’m not going to be the one to get squirrels sick.

On good days, I do household chores and cook pots of food to get me through the bad days.
On bad days, I do nothing but take care of myself and watch end of the world movies.

It’s oddly reassuring...
Like, “See? It could be worse? You could have covid AND be a zombie.”
Or I’ll traverse the social media sphere and validate that I am not a racist, xenophobic, toxic...
Whatever I can do to distract myself from virus fears.

I drink fluids constantly and yet my strong, thick nails have become brittle which happens when you’re dehydrated. Think about that....
I’m so dehydrated my body can’t provide moisture to my nails.