Self isolation support thread

[JustUrggghhhh]

Apologies if a thread on this has already been started. Had a look but cant see anything glaringly obvious.

Thought I would start a self isolation support thread to stop those in isolation from going stir crazy.

I am on day 1 of self isolation. I have had mild manageable symptoms of various things slowly creeping up on me all week. But last night my temp reached high numbers and I'm now coughing have consulted work and I must stay away for 7 days. Kids wont be at school either as they have told me to keep them home. They both have mild coughs and I was struggling to get my head around the logistics of getting them to school.

I have found the whole week very strange. Not knowing when I need to panic. I suffer with chest infections when I get run down anyway so the symptoms are all similar. Have also had full blown flu a few times and again the symptoms are similar. Everything feels too vague, no one knows anything for sure and I feel like it's such a weird time to be living in.

Please post here if you are self isolating to keep me company. I'm really gonna miss work as I work with the the most fantastic people! No doubt the kids are gonna drive me crackers too as whilst they are pleased they get a week off school they have realised they will be missing all their extra clubs etc.

That must be a relief, Just. Everything feels weird and unreal, though.

Felt a bit tearful after the lockdown speech. DD2 is at uni where she will stay and DD1 has a little flat a few miles away. I’m not going to see either of them for goodness knows how long now. I’d ordered a big overdue birthday present for DD1, limited edition animal crossing games console for release date, which she’s been looking forward to forever, and today we discovered Dpd have lost it. They are now unavailable everywhere so not replaceable. So it’s not been good full stop.

everything hope you get the leak isolated today!

Day 14 here now and finally starting to feel more like I’m getting over this. I’m still weak and shaky but I’ve had a stressful day! Onwards and upwards.

Thank you, @musicposy - we ended up using an isolation valve to turn off cold water to bathroom until we can get a plumber. Not ideal, as we will have to flush the loo with buckets of water, but at least we still have hot water and the shower. It was really stressful as we are really not DIY people on top of being sick!

Hot and tired again today after my burst of overnight flood-preventing energy.

Sorry to hear you can't be with your DCs at this time, hope everything gets back to normal soon.

I'm worried, I isolated last week with a very dry cough and general bleurgh feeling. Felt rough for a few days but felt fine by the end of the week. Came out of isolation (within the house) on Monday, although we are all staying in the house anyway. Today, which is 10/11 days after the start of symptoms, I am feel increasingly breathless. I can take a deep breath but it makes me cough afterwards. I feel pretty exhausted and my chest just feels 'wrong'. I have no idea if I should go back into isolation or not?

Think you should woolly.

Yes I've retreated to bed now. I don't think I can isolate completely from everyone but I'll try and stay away as much as possible.

@WoollyFoolly I've started to feel better, eating properly, less achy so did a bit of housework yesterday, I've gone back to feeling tired and looking pale again today.

Seems to come and go a bit, also can't get a deep breath, very slight cough still.
I'm on day 13.

I’m day 10 now. I haven’t breathed properly since last week, still got the tight band. It doesn’t help that I’m having panic attacks at night that exacerbate the breathing issues.
I managed to speak to my GP this morning who has prescribed antibiotics and antidepressants (have to wait until Monday for them to be ready). She also thinks my asthma has come back after more than 20 years but obviously can’t give me an inhaler without examining me, and I can’t go to the surgery because I am still showing COVID symptoms.
I’ve downloaded the COVID app and have been filling in my symptoms daily, so hopefully that will help with tracking the spread. You don’t have to be showing symptoms to download it.
Hope everyone is on the road to recovery and feels better very soon

I feel like I've got worse today. I am fine when resting but anything makes me out of breath, I'm yawning a lot to get more oxygen in. I've had many chest infections before and it really feels like that. I can breathe but it feels like I'm not getting enough air in and my chest feels 'odd'. I'm not isolating any more but I am keeping my distance from everyone and I'm in bed now. My DH is now finally convinced it's COVID-19, he didn't think it was earlier.
Klatchian are the antibiotics in case it's a bacterial chest infection? I suppose that will be my next step if it doesn't improve over the weekend. I haven't felt at all achy or had a fever.

@WoollyFoolly Yes, it’s in case it’s bacterial, she said she’s hedging her bets, if it is a viral infection then it’ll clear on it’s own but if it’s bacterial then I need the antibiotics. It’s likely to have been the virus though as a few days before I started feeling ill I was in contact with someone who had been in isolation after being in Wuhan but whose son was running a temperature. We were in the chemist and she was trying to buy a thermometer for him.
I totally get what you’re saying about the yawning, my jaw is actually crunching when I yawn, but it’s the only way I can get a deep enough breath! DD has ordered me to the couch until Monday, I’m only allowed off to go to the toilet, this is because we had a food delivery yesterday and I tried to put a bag of stuff in the fridge and it completely wiped me out.
And I haven’t managed more than 4 hours of broken sleep a day since last week. I’ve got bags down to my chin.
for everyone.

After just over two weeks I am definitely picking up! Lovely to hear from others picking up too.
Interesting reading the yawning - my yawning was insane last week. I just couldn’t stop. A way of getting oxygen in, I guess.
I still have a cough and my breathing isn’t 100% yet but it’s improving.

I’m still quite weak though gaining strength daily. My huge worry now is if it wasn’t Covid 19 but was this nasty flu I’ve heard people mention, catching that covid top would really not be good right now with my breathing already compromised. I definitely had all the symptoms but who knows? So do clearly plenty of other people who tested negative. Do hope an antibody test becomes available to all eventually.

Onwards and upwards, everybody! Keep safe xx

I'm sorry I haven't posted for a while. My mood is quite low and I'm on the verge of slipping into a depressive episode I think. DH is now 3 days into definite CV symptoms, he never gets ill but is currently quite poorly with it. I'm struggling with homeschooling and I'm very low on energy. Trying to entertain 2 kids when all I want to do is sleep.

Ooh Just it’s so hard. I think there will be a lot of depression around and getting worse for a lot of people.
My anxiety is through the roof at the moment - I’m sure there are millions of us feeling the same way over anxiety and depression. I’m not feeling so good again today - chest hurts, tired, no appetite again, and I’ve got into a bit of a downward spiral because I thought I was over it. I’m not sure now how much is that I genuinely am having trouble breathing and how much is just anxiety. DH is endlessly patient, I keep crying, asking for reassurance, thinking I’m never going to live through it.
I’ve been depressed in the past and have a book called the depression cure which is great if you can’t get meds or they aren’t working so well. But a lot of it is hard to do in the current situation, exercise, sunlight, connecting with people, sleep well, eat well. I’m not effectively doing any of those right now!

Do you have friends and family you can FaceTime? I’m doing this like never before and it’s helping my mental state. I think finding people who lift you is key. My sister is so good at this that I’ve told her she’s like a miracle worker! If you can find someone outside your house to chat to online - and do it frequently - that might help a bit.

If you want homeschooling advice I homeschooled both mine - not initially through choice but it ended up being that way. The main thing I would say is you’ll be doing much better than you think you are. Learning at home is intense and I had lots of social stuff for the girls to break that up. Trying to do it under lockdown must be crazy hard. So don’t feel guilty if they end up having way more downtime than they would at school. You’ve been unwell and now your DH is - schoolwork is way less important than that, whatever school or anyone else says. They’ll be learning much more and much quicker than you think they are.

A poorly spouse is a worry. DH - who I know I caught this from - breezed through it with just a cough but it’s been awful for him seeing how hard it’s been on me. Do what you can but don’t overstretch yourself.

I’m finding that posting on here but keeping off of a lot of the other mumsnet threads does help. Keep chatting; we can all be here for each other

Thanks for your reply @musicposy. I snuggled down and watched a rubbish film with the kids after cooking a nice tea. It was calming. I'm trying to draw a line under today and starting again tomorrow. I had things I wanted to get done today but I just couldn't muster the energy. I will try again tomorrow. DH is really quite ill, I'm struggling with that fact We have been together for over 20 years and he's never had more than hayfever in all that time so to see him like this I am concerned. I am hoping tomorrow will be a better day.

I hope you feel better soon! My chest is clearer but I still have a pain in one of my lungs when I breathe in. I dont know when this becomes a problem and I need to get it checked. But again, like you, I cant help wonder what is an illness thing or an anxiety thing. The pain could be anxiety related?!?!?

My son in law picked up my prescription for me yesterday, so I’m day 2 of my antibiotics.
I took my antidepressants last night and managed to sleep. I’m day 12 or 13 now and the tightness is easing a bit, breathing is a little better too and I’m actually feeling hungry. DD still won’t let me move off the couch but I’m ok with that as I still have a headache and dizziness when I try to move about. I still feel exhausted.
hope everyone is doing better.

How is everyone doing now? My breathing is much better at rest now but the slightest thing makes me totally breathless. I was getting really lightheaded trying to cook tea earlier.

Hi, @WoollyFoolly. Day 14 - getting there, I hope. Got fully dressed today (proper underwear and everything!) and straightened my hair just because I could Still tired, temp still not normal, but feel much more like myself!

Darn just found this and just out of 14 day quarantine!

We are on day 10 of isolation after my son was sent home from school with cough and fever. He has now recovered and now today I Am not sure if my sudden symptoms are something or just physical tiredness. Started with slight cough 2 days ago. Nothing worrying, almost like something stuck in the back of my throat. Then this morning I woke up and I just can’t put my finger on it but I just don’t feel quite right. My upper back really aches and my chest feels heavy. Temperature is only 37.3 though, Took my self to bed at 8 but can’t sleep. My son (10) was sent home from school ill 10 days ago with cough and fever.

My symptoms have certainly included bodily tiredness (as opposed to 'head tiredness' of not having had enough sleep, if that makes sense) and heavy chest with some pain across the top of my back (top of my lungs? I dunno, I am not a doctor ) My cough has been very marginal, more akin to throat-clearing really. Hope you feel better soon, @897654321abcvrufhfgg

Hi all, can anyone that thinks they've had it help? On Saturday evening I had weird heart palpitations and a slightly constricted feeling in my chest, and since then have felt exhausted (taking to my bed in the afternoon & falling asleep) and lightheaded. I have a dry throat and intermittent cough that comes when I talk too much, but other than feeling groggy, I wouldn't say I feel ill. Still walking the dog and up and about generally. Does this sound like early symptoms? I'm a teacher and was meant to be going in but have self isolated just in case. So frustrating not knowing as I have (older) children at home with me. Thanks.

I’d say possibly early symptoms shelsley. I started with muscle aches and tiredness, a very mild temperature one day, a pretty pathetic dry cough, and not much else. I was well enough to carry on working those first few days (online!) although I was shattered at the end.

After about 5 days it really kicked in and then I did feel like shit.

However, DH had a bit of a cough for a few weeks and that’s all so it’s not inevitable you will get worse.

I can’t say for certain I had it, but I certainly hope so because I’d rather not be that unwell again!

How’s everyone doing?

I’ve had a much better week this week, improving every day until yesterday then have started to get noticeably worse again. Am wondering, like GenuineKlatchianPottery, if it’s secondary bacterial. Chest has got noticeably worse and am hot then cold again, starting to feel rubbish.

I am so fed up with this. Fed up with feeling like shit, feeling better, then feeling like shit again. Over three weeks now and I am still struggling to shift the damn thing. Will phone GP in the morning.

How’s everybody else?

I'm doing much better now, I am still out of breath if I do anything much but still a vast improvement on a week ago. I tend to suffer from chest infections fairly regularly and have various autoimmune conditions so in my experience of these things I'd guess it'll be another 3-4 weeks before I'm back to normal. I've been furloughed this week so at least I have no pressure to work (from home) for the next few weeks now.
I hope you manage to get somewhere with your gp @musicposy, it'd probably be sensible to get antibiotics in case it is a secondary bacterial infection.

WoollyFoolly I too have autoimmune conditions - thyroid, coeliac and a question mark over a rare thing called IgG4 disease, all autoimmune. I’m also not that young (53) although I’m usually quite fit and strong for my age. I think I need your patience and I’m expecting to be better too quickly. I’m not the most patient person! I’m really glad you’re doing better though.

My ds, who is nearly 19 became unwell on Tuesday, really bad headache that made his sick, he does vomit with migraine so at first though it was that but he felt slightly warm. He has slept alot but has been eating since wednesday and is now asking for more food and a coffee but he did say his chest felt a bit tight this morning. He is in his room and has main bathroom to himself. But now 16 year old dd is complaining of headache and a bit of a sore throat, but she does get that sometimes in the morning, she has gone to her room after taking some paracetomol.