My lungs....part 4

[Casino218]

Continued support for those who need a few kind words to help them through the dips.

Please do not come here to ask 'but how do you know if you haven't had a test'

I was drawn to this thread tonight having had a ferocious headache and very tight chest today and just want to say how much I admire the way you are all handling this and how supportive you are being for each other.

Can I just ask some practical things. I live alone with no support network. Could you have managed all of this without a partner or someone to support you? If I do get it, am I likely to be able to get downstairs for fluids? Get to the bathroom etc? What foods were you able to eat?

I hope you won’t mind the questions. I just need to have some kind of action plan as to how I could deal with this alone.

@Inmylifeivelovedthemall .
We are a lovely supportive bunch here 😄 I’m single and live with two dcs. TBH personally speaking I’m better off than when I was with ex h as he was utterly useless when I was ill !

@inmylifeIlovedthemall: I have been much less debilitated by this than by the two bad cases of flu I've had in my life, and less than by swine flu. I have been able to walk rather than having to crawl, for instance. The worst things have been the constant progression of changing symptoms, just when it seems to be over, and the tight chest and breathlessness. I have only had a couple of days of brain fog. I haven't been cooking for myself, but I could have done so. I have been keeping out of the way as much as possible in order not to infect DH and DS.

(by the way, love the name - is that 'loved them all' or 'loved the mall' or is - as I assume - the ambiguity deliberate?)

@inmylifeIlovedthemall: just realised I spelt it wrong!

Well I think it’s safe to say I’m not getting a call. How on earth am I supposed to get help ? I’m not sick enough for an ambulance and my gp won’t deal with Coronavirus concerns .Im physically exhausted as only got four hours sleep last night and it’s now heading towards six hours since I called them . I tried calling back .. got through quite quickly and a woman told me curtly that if I was waiting for a call back I should ring 111 again and press option nine.. there is no option nine 🙄

@thedoctorswife46 I sympathise with the tummy upset. It's just started with me and I was a bit alarmed as it's quite bad. I'm hoping it is just the body purging the virus.

I started slowly with just a sore throat but now it's day thirteen and I have the elephant on the chest feeling but just on one side in the lower lung.

What I find frustrating is I rest properly one day, then feel a bit better, energy levels up etc. Then feel terrible again. It's like the virus tricks you into doing more and then punishes you for it with more/worse symptoms! If it was normal life I'd have visited the GP by now and I'm someone who only goes once every two or three years, so I'm not someone who goes at the drop of a hat.

I'm taking on board the advice about drinking more liquids. I've been lax with that. Sorry for those who've been in pain, had palpitations etc. I've been lucky with that. And in fact my temp is on the low side if anything - just 95.7, so no fever.

Thread 4 already - I can hardly keep up.

I've slept for most of today and now I'm wide awake.

Day 20.

I had a much better day than yesterday. I think I have been trying to do too much too soon so I decided on a stay in bed and do absolutely nothing tactic and it helped. Nearly 3 weeks of this shit has taken it's toll and I just needed to stop.

So, this morning from my bed I texted everyone in the house that if they did not bring me water and food I would most probably fade away.

Still feeling breathless, especially when I ventured out to the loo and oddly when I eat. I couldn't seem to get enough air in when eating with my mouth closed - so table manners will have to go out the window for now.

However,
The elephant seems to have got bored and upped and left.
My chest didn't feel tight at all thank God.
No ache between my shoulder blades.
Not had a fever since last week.
Cough and sore throat never really got past the tickle stage.
However, I'm refusing to say I'm on the mend because I've said that before ….

DD came in for a chat this afternoon and told me how shocked she had been to learn that someone who lives next door to a friend of a friend had contracted CV. And that this is the first person she knew in real life having it and now it all felt very real.
So there you have it. I am officially invisible.

Goodnight all and I hope tomorrow brings us all a better day than today.

@longshot
Or so how are your chest pains now? I am much improved generally now but have stabbing pains still in my back left ribs and still the sort of general ache in my left side around breast and shoulder blade. I guess this is ‘pleuritic pain’ but as I feel quite reasonable now I am wondering if everyone is still left with this? If I take paracetamol it is milder but still quite sore. Scaring myself it’s coming back. I’ve had a restful day so don’t think ‘I’ve done too much’.

I had all those symptoms yesterday and do not want another day like that ever again so I took myself off to bed today and did absolutely nothing.
It has helped a lot. I've been taking co-codamol at night which sends me off nicely.
Looking forward to another day of doing nothing tomorrow. I now realise that you can't carry on as normal and wish it away. Rest is best and I'm not getting out of this bed till this bloody virus is gone.
Hope you and everyone who seems to have been on this thread forever start to feel better soon.

Sat here in tears .. Got through to 111 to be told they had no record of my call six hours ago ! I had to be assessed all over again by a call handler and was told I’d be called back within .. wait for it .... 12 hours !!!! He basically said if I was worried call an ambulance .. I’m literally crying my eyes out .. They obviously can no longer cope .. So I think it’s a case of I’ve no hope of any medical advice or assistance now unless I go to a and e which we can’t do if we believe we have CV ...

@notangelinajolie Does your DD not realise that you probably have it ! Your poor thing.. I’m sending you some
I’m crying hard and my lungs are grating horribly .. and I can’t get medical help . I know they are under strain but I feel failed by the NHS I devoted myself to years ago .. I can’t believe my call wasn’t logged earlier

Spacecadetagain I hope you are doing okay, and that when you do manage to speak to 111 properly they are able to help.

I feel awful at night. Just can’t sleep, and somehow all my symptoms just feel worse.

Oh @Spacecadetagain

But if you come to the point where you cant cope, and you sound pretty close tbf, maybe 999 is the answer? Or if not please call your gp first thing in the morning.

@Spacecadetagain

Right. Ive had a lot if crying time tonight and I also managed that chunk of time to sleep. I have had family facetiming me and I couldnt talk. I just begged to phone for a doctor.

But they gir harsh with me.

If you go to hospital you will end up with other patients there will be no barrier control. They will merely assess you for oxygen and send you back home again. And the chances are even if you have pneumonia they will send you home to manage it.
Hospital is not the place we knew and sought for solace.

We have to manage this at home. Or 999 if you cant breathe. Stay here on this thread. Gather yourself uo for another battle and we go again.

Xxxx

Ok so I was called back by a nurse .. she’s insisted on sending an ambulance team to check me out due to my medical history . I said I didn’t want want and she insisted. I’m terrified.. If it’s entirely possible I don’t have it .. I will do once paramedics have been in my house .. I even rang 999 and begged them to take the call down but the call handler said looking at the notes I needed assessing. I explained that I believed I had pluerisy and an ambulance wasn’t required .x so now I’m exhausted .. sat in my sofa waiting fir an ambulance I don’t want and I’ve no idea when it will be here so looks like I’m going to be up all night

Hi all

Started with a tight feeling in my chest Sunday night and a fever of 38.2°C. Cough started Monday late morning and has gotten worse throughout the day. Temp continues to fluctuate between 37.3°C to just over 38°C.

Cough is dry and comes in fits, probably averaging around 4 coughing fits an hour. Chest has become more painful at times but mostly it's a feeling of pressure/tightness.

My eyes are sore (?) and kinda itchy, but not. I'm exhausted and feel generally rough.

I'm on immunosuppressive drugs, which I'd taken Monday early morning before I realised what this might be (cough didnt really start being persistent until late morning).

My RA nurse has said that it wasn't a great move to take it and not to take more until I'm better as it leaves me at higher risk of complications. She's also said that it sounds like covid-19 & if my breathing gets worse, etc, I'm to go to the 'pod' at our local hospital, or call an ambulance if it's really severe.

I was already self isolating (mostly) anyway and I'm lucky enough to have my own bathroom so I can keep away from everyone else.

I'm actually feeling ok-ish atm, apart from the pain in my chest and the fact my temp is going back up.
I was expecting to feel much worse at night though(?), but atm I'm just pissed off that I'm now stuck in my room and can't cook, etc, and will have to rely on others.

Do these symptoms sound like other people's experiences at all?

Also had very loose stools this morning and haven't really been hungry since.

Will check in tomorrow as my chest pain is getting worse as it feels like someone is sat right in the middle of my chest. Temp still climbing, back into fever level now so feeling crappy. Need to get some water.

Hope everyone has a good night.

@Knowhowufeel2
Your symptoms sound the same as most peoples on here.
Nobody knows how long, how severe or how often their symptoms will be
It comes in waves. One minute you feel ok and then it knocks you for 6.
Stick around. There is always someone here for you if you are lonely or afraid.
Fingers crossed yours clears up quickly

@SpaceCadetAgain
Don't be afraid of the ambulance team. They will be wearing protection and Will be cleaning equipment between patients.
They are here to help you and you may feel reassured once they have been.
Let us know what they say.
We are here for you.

Thanks, ofwarren, you too. Have you had it long?

Yeah, I thought I'd feel crap all the time, so didn't think it was that as I was, and still am, having periods where I feel ok- ish and just knackered.

Sorry to hear about your symptoms getting worse spacecad, hopefully the ambulance crew will be able to reassure you of their procedures wrt to infection control once they are there, as well as help you feel better.

Woke up with a tickly cough and now I can't get back to sleep because of my acid reflux.
I have no gaviscon till Wednesday
It's so frightening how we can't even have basic medicine and medical care.
Never will I take those things for granted when we come out the other side of this shit show.
F*CK you Covid19

@knowhowufeel2
Today is day 8 for me.
It's the up and down and uncertainty that makes it scary. You can feel almost normal then bam, you are sick again.
It truly is a vile disease.

@Spacecadetagain if they feel you need that then go with it. I hope you are able to get the treatment you need. They may just assess you from ambulance and you may not need to go anywhere

@Spacecadetagain you need to be seen. The ambulance crew will check you over. They wont necessarily want to take you anywhere . I saw them on Friday and they were a godsend tbh.