Optimism needed. If you think you've had it and have now recovered or know somebody, please come and talk to me

[Roostersmum2]

Hi all. I'm having a bad day

I have some symptoms which could indicate the onset of the virus (diarreah, chills, extreme fatigue, loss of appetite, chest pressure, feeling wiped out from doing as little as picking something up off the floor) and I'm feeling a bit vulnerable. I'm currently being isolated in the bedroom away from my young DC but if I do have it then they've inevitably been exposed and both have a cough.

Chances are it is CV as we live in a hot bed.

I'm mid 20's but my immune system isn't great and I'm frequently poorly with something or other. I had some health problems last year which I recovered from but my immune system is taking a while to catch up.

Regretfully I was a smoker and that became a crux when I was going through some pretty crap stuff. I'd be lying if I said I wasn't worried about that. Please no doom mongering about smokers, I know it was a terrible habit

I would really appreciate if any of you who believe they've had it would spare a minute to reassure me that they've come through it or know somebody who has.

I don't know if I have it or not. Have had extreme fatigue for the last 3 days. Coughing but mostly in my sleep according to dp, not much during the day. Feel unwell with a headache that doesn't really go away, but not so unwell that I'd stay home from work in normal circumstances. Pain near my boobs that feels a bit like heartburn. That's about it I think.

sure Ali, I'll keep updating the thread

I'm a bit confused about the isolation period, I keep seeing that after 7 days suspected cases can go out again?

I'm on day 4 and feeling less energy than the past 3 days combined so can't see myself feeling able to do that.

My little boy keeps coming and knocking on the bedroom door. It's making me sad. He doesn't understand bless him

Oh and the fatigue is the main symptom I think. I have been sleeping a lot. Falling asleep at 8pm but struggling to wake up in the morning and not getting up until 9am or later.

Ditto with the fatigue

I've left my bed once this morning to go to the toilet and that's it.

I have an deep desperation to be outside in the fresh air, I'm not going to of course and I don't think I would manage regardless. I had the same sense of desperation to be outside last year when I was in the HDU for something else. I don't like being reminded of that time. Damn anxiety

I had something very weird at the end of January. Sore throat, tickly dry cough, hoarse, bad muscle aches in my neck and down my shoulders and arms. One night in bed the unremitting dry cough suddenly went into breathlessness, scary, but lying still and sleeping seemed to help that go off. A mouth ulcer (which I don’t suffer from) came and went. Shivers on and off, but not exactly a temp, just flashes of the chills (like goose bumps and face feeling hot).

I even sought a private referral to ent at the end of feb as my throat was still sore. The consultant can find nothing and was mystified. Put it down to a non descriptive virus. So don’t know if that was “it” or not.

I was in both Oxford and London a few days before this happened. I think it might come to light that people in the uk have had this before we knew it was in the country, so early January. First confirmed case was 31 Jan so exactly the same time as my symptoms were at their worst.

Oh I forgot the tingly upper chest pain and slightly loose bowels that showed up at some point and have now disappeared again.

Steam might provide some relief for you.

Just a bowl/saucepan and a towel over your head would do. I’ve read some really good reports of that helping to manage symptoms and it’s benign enough not to worry about side effects. Steam inhalation is recommended by respiratory doctors fairly routinely for respiratory conditions.

At the beginning of Feb I had 6 days off work and two weekends that were total write offs......I had a Raging temp, cough, chest was sore, really awful pain in my breast bone, exacerbated by coughing, and the worst sore throat I’ve ever had. It was the most ill I've ever felt and I was wiped out for ages afterwards.

The Nurse practitioner thought I had a bacterial throat infection and It did go away with antibiotics......but then the gp I saw afterwards said she thinks it might have been viral in hindsight....clearing up once I had antibiotics was just a coincidence as I got them at the peak....

I asked a friend who is a dr if I could have had it.....he said only if I'd been in contact with some from China. But in the last weekend in Jan I had been to Edinburgh for Chinese New Year celebrations....museum of Scotland ground floor was full people celebrating Chinese New Year and we were amongst it.....

I’ve not ever been that ill
Before and I’m NEVER off work!! Another friend who is a consultant of respiratory medicine says she thinks it might have been around for longer than we think.....

OP - thank you for creating this thread. I have decided to go nowhere near the news because of how it makes me feel.

Hearing these positive stories doesn’t make me want to go back to life as normal, but it does help me to feel that life as normal will return and those I love who have health conditions aren’t automatically doomed if they get it.

I do know someone who has tested positive but I don’t know exactly who. I’m a student and been told by my uni that one of our course members tested positive a couple of days ago. I don’t know which student but am confident they will be okay. If I’m updated on their status again and it’s a good outcome, I’ll post here.

Stay well and don’t worry about your smoking habits from the past. You changed them and that’s all that can be expected of you.

Thank you again for creating this thread. You have really helped me to set my anxieties aside a little x

I definitely think I had it in December. Had a week off work with flu like symptoms. Ill before and after it. I am never off work even though I have Crohns Disease. I even had cancer and managed back to work after two months. I rarely catch a cold and have nursed DP through 3 flu episodes (real not man flu) and never caught it. Feel better soon

I absolutely believe it will have been here longer than "officially" reported. We do know the Chinese government tried to conceal it for at least a month before notifying WHO. With the amount of traffic we have from China and vice versa on a weekly basis I would say it's a given.

I'm going to try the steam inhalation thank you!

I've just had a bit of a cry because I miss my children, I can hear them with DH and hate not being able to hug and kiss them. My youngest is a baby and usually attached to my hip

I had it, felt rough for 2 days then just really tired for the rest of the week.

Dh and dd didn't get it! We were really careful.

I'm really pleased that some others are taking comfort from the responses here too. You ladies taking the time to respond are super!

Thanks so much for this thread - I need to be reminded of how many people get over this!

We took the decision to self isolate this morning. Starting yesterday, I have a very sore throat and glands are massive. Ache all over, incredibly tired, breathless at minimal physical effort. I have an occasional cough which is more like throat irritation than anything else. Occasional wheezing, as if I have been a round a cat (I am allergic to cats). No fever, but it is very very rare for me to get a temperature at all. I do have a slight runny nose but not full-on like with a cold. Do you think it could be it?

I am classed as immuno-compromised because I have an autoimmune disease. But not flaring at the moment so hoping all this will be fine. Terrified of giving it to DS (7) so I am locked in my bedroom.

I'm convinced I've had it, I'd been Tommy parents house where my brothers live too, the evening I came back from
My mums that night she got a temperature and chills for 3 days then felt better then 2 days later during the night I got fever and chills and a dry cough, this only lasted 2 days but I also got a really bad headache like. I've never had before it lasted 4 days it hurt my eyes so much too, during this time my dada and brothers experiences the same, then my husband got the same and my children all he a cough and complained of headache and eye pressure. 2 days after my head stopped hurting my chest felt so much pressure and I had a bit of difficulty breathing, this was by far the worst feeling, this again lasted 3 days the kids dh and me also have lost smell and taste buds .
All feeling better now this lasted 2 weeks.
Sorry for the long post

Ijustwant.. It's possible lovely yes. I'm another who virtually never gets a fever. I can recall one time during my lifetime and that was with sepsis, so it takes something life threateningly bad for me to develop one it seems.

Weirdly I'm prone to viruses and bugs. I've had tonsilitis far too many times, pick up a cold every time in around anyone with a little sniffle etc. My immune system is terrible and we don't quite know why. I've had plenty of blood tests and checks for deficiencies but nothing ever picked up.

I digress.

Yes I never develop a fever.

Each post I read where somebody has gotten better without complications makes me smile. Thank you and I'm absolutely bloody chuffed that you guys are ok !

Were you tested, Superfoodie? That really doesn’t sound like “it”?

I think I've had it. Today would be Day 13 from first onset. We have a big family - me, DH, DD15 DS14 DS10 DD5.

To reassure you, only DS14 has had any symptoms. These were 2 days before me, were very mild and lasted only 3 days. So no spread to family members.

In terms of my symptoms, they peaked Day 4-5 and I knew i was on the mend by Day 7.

I have continued with a cough but the cough distinctly changed from a dry cough to a (very) wet cough. Reading around, this indicates dead cells being cleared from the lungs after infection and not an infection-spreading cough. The government's Coronovirus website says a continued cough after the infection is normal and nothing to worry about.

We're about to come out of family isolation and no one had developed any symptoms.

You've got this OP.

This thread is very reassuring, thanks all!

@roostersmum2 yeah, it's weird how some people just don't seem to get fevers at all. I think I must be naturally cold-blooded!

Thanks for agreeing that it could be it. DH has agreed to self-isolate but keeps saying it can't be because I have a slight sniffle and no fever. Think he is trying to make me feel better but actually it would be much easier if we just fronted up to this and agreed it is a distinct possibility.

Keep the positive stories coming! Love this thread.

That is very reassuring FATE, I'm really glad your family are ok and coming out of isolation. I can't wait for a walk up to the local fields in the fresh air!

Can anybody clarify on when I'm able to go outside? Today is day 4 feeling like rubbish.

My timeline so far has been

1 week ago - pains in my legs up to my bum when walking, like I've done a heavy leg workout at the gym (I'm mentioning this because it's unusual - and mentioned in confirmed cases)

Then nothing until..

Wednesday - much more tired than usual, bordering on fatigue. A strange pressure in my chest.

Thursday - burning in chest when walking uphill (unusual for me) rendering me a bit wheezy. Later in the day sudden sharp abdominal pain with diarreah. Back pain. Fast heart rate and a bit dizzy.

Friday - aching limbs. More abdominal upset. Chills. Exhausted after minimal activity like picking up DC's blocks. Loss of appetite. Foul metallic taste in mouth. Feel worse in the evening than i do in the morning. Headache all evening. Sore eyes.

Saturday - foul metallic taste still there. More chills. Consistently cold. Still exhausted. Head still aches. Now frequently needing to clear my throat. Still no appetite. Going to the cupboard for paracetamol feels like a huge effort. Felt worse in the evening than all week.

Sunday (today) - legs are aching a tremendous amount but I'm wondering if that is because I'm in bed. I woke up with my throat feeling narrow and it's a bit harder to swallow. Two sore areas inside my cheeks. Foul metallic taste still there. Having to force myself to eat soup. Wheezing a little when I exhale (like the noise the cat in the hat makes) . Slight pressure in the centre of my chest. Throat feels a little tickly and need to clear my throat. A few coughs but not continuous, more so to clear my throat. Mild headache.

I'm so confused as I've seen medical advice saying people can go outside after day 7 yet some people are still unwell on day 16?

I just wish I knew whether it was CV and if so then when am I likely to develop the temp and uncontrollable cough, if ever.

The unknown is frustrating isn't it.

Op feel much better soon

The thing reassuring me about the numbers is most people who get this will be fine. That includes lots of people who have health conditions. That's what I've been telling myself as people close to me have come down with it.

Thank you nooo, that is very true

I must remind myself to keep that in mind and not focus so much on the media cases where people are very unwell

Can anybody clarify on when I'm able to go outside?

It's Day 8. This is useful from the BBC website (So it's an official source)

That's really helpful fate, thanks.

So 4 days to go then. It seems bonkers really as I've seen plenty of comments on MN about people being even worse on day 11 etc. Will go for a short walk on Thursday if I can manage it and don't feel worse