My Lungs Part 6

[TheDrsWife46]

New thread here let me see if i can link back and forth...

@Lightsabre the pattern you describe (1 day better, 1 day worse) is really characteristic of the second week of illness ime. It does get increasingly hard to bear though, so sympathy. The best thing to do is to do very little on the "better" days and even less on the bad ones. Rest and drink, rest and drink.

I've had the paramedics out twice and got an ecg (that I didnt need but they were worried because I was describing a crushing weight on my chest) both times. They also listened to my chest to check that there were no signs of pneumonia. If the pain gets bad and you are worried then call 111 and let them triage you.

Day 29 here

@ChippedPotatoesLloyd thanks for your message, very useful to me.

I have woken feeling worse again. Very tired and aches all down left side and in my upper left back. I have taken paracetamol and am planning to rest all day. To some extent I think this is self inflicted. We had a catch up with friends on zoom last night, stayed up later (not late!!) and I was laughing. Very glad I didn’t drink. Anyway it’s made my ache more and feel exhausted again. So I shall rest again...

I’m also taking the amoxicillin now. No idea if it will help but figured I may as well try it. I feel it probably won’t help but I read your post @chipped and thought it worth a go.

Sorry not to bring better news to everyone. I’m starting to realise that although I probably won’t end up in ICU I seem to have some damage in my left side. I should also add I’m more breathless again today so I really don’t think it’s ‘muscular’ which the Dr had suggested (and I had hoped) it could be. It’s a lung capacity thing I think plus some inflammation. No walks for me today!

@pinkoneblueone what antibiotics are you on? Could that be bothering your stomach at all?

@stayathomegardener could you link to a nebuliser? The ones I looked at previously we're all for medical supplies and required prescriptions so I'm wondering if there is another kind I don't know about?

I take a multi vitamin and have continued to do so throughout. Also been drinking orange juice each day as GP recommended this.

Agree with whoever said that the Queen's breathing exercise hurts - it really does! It made my throat and ribs more irritated. I only started it yesterday so will try again today.

@DandyPeguin sorry you are still poorly. I feel less alone knowing others are very frustrated by the lack of information on us 'moderates'. Perhaps I'll contact The Guardian about it - their articles have been all focused on 7 days/ICU despite the data from Germany, China etc showing lots in between.

@Tangledyarn did you get some sleep? I managed a few hours

If it's hard to sleep at night, nap as much as you can in the day. And if you can't sleep, rest.

@storyofcats @ineedsun I am the same. On day 24ish. Initially had 6 days with low grade fever aches and chills burning chest and breathless. Day 7 woke up feeling great, clear chest no aches. Next day chest and breathlessness back. Getting better but still sore achey chest and slight breathlessness. Debating whether to call GP. Not sure as is definitely better but seem to be stuck where I am for the last week - no better no worse 🙄

Morning everyone . I slept ok last night but have woken feeling pretty rubbish . I feel very hot and chesty and my sinuses are very inflamed. I’ve got earache which I quite often get if I get a sinus infection so I’m hoping that’s the case and the antibiotics work . Think I ma be day 26 now as I’m losing count . My right lung is really rattly and hurts in my back .
@stayathomegardener my best friend has been ill sane time as me and he started taking high dose vitamin c as soon as he felt poorly and seems to have just had a mild dose (well milder as he’s still been ill two weeks )

What dosage vit C please?

Thanks @Porcupineinwaiting and @stayathomegardener - I can see from others accounts that it seems to be two steps forward, one step back. The lack of medical monitoring worries me. I can't see when it will all end but it is a comfort to see others going through this too. I'm worried that the lack of temperature now is hindering my recovery ie; that my body isn't able to fight it. Those are the sorts of things I'd like to discuss with a medic plus have some physical tests. I've been taking paracetamol 3 x daily also for over 11 days now too.

@Littleninja1 are the queens exercises the ones where you do 5 breaths and hold, cough, repeat and lie on front? I have been doing those and wondering if they irritate my ribs.

I also agree re contacting the press. I also might email the guardian today. However as many of us aren’t confirmed would they be interested?

One final thought, i stopped looking at the media and recovery stories ages ago as found it so depressing BUT it occurred to me a while ago that one of the reasons there are very few from us bad mild / moderate types is that it seems to take forever to feel better. I have considered writing up my symptoms / story and putting on social media / sending to friends just because I think it could be useful but I’ve held back because for a long time I worried I would take a turn for the worse / didn’t feel well enough to write and now that I could I don’t feel recovered...I wonder if people don’t want to talk about it until they feel fully well as they’re scared it might come back (I am feeling this). I am also scared of being shot down by people saying ‘you’ve got something else’. I feel a bit shit today to be honest. I did think I was improving but now I am just in pain and exhausted.

@Lightsabre don’t worry about the paracetamol. I asked the GP she said safe for 3 years! Probably the least of our worries right now.

stayathomegardener I can’t get high dose vit C anywhere - people have obviously also all got the message! Anyone got any ideas?

I just wanted to share a good call with the GP that I had this morning.

She asked me to check my oxygen saturation while walking up the stairs which went down to 89 and then quickly went back up to 98 when I sat in bed. I was told that if after activity my saturation's stay below 90 for at least a minute then I should be going to the hospital. I had never monitored my oxygen saturation levels during activity and so this has got me more into panic mode as according to her with activity my saturation should've been more in the range of 95%. I will have a follow up with the GP again on Friday.

She did tell me people are still feeling poorly day 25/26 and then start to get better.

Anyone care to share their oxygen sats with activity for a benchmark?

@Lightsabre I had the same thoughts about temperature but one of the paramedics told me that high temp isnt that much use with viruses as they are pretty robust, works better w bacterial infections apparently.

Also, if you are taking paracetamol x3 a day this would effectively mask any temp spikes you do get, as mild fever 37.8 or so, seems to be fairly typical for many of us.

@stayathomegardener
Day 20: I was taking 1 gm of Vitamin C and zinc since a long time even before I had Covid. Hence I might have been lucky to have milder symptoms. I still find that it helps me tremendously to lift my spirits up and aid with fatigue. I do feel a lot better now and have increased my Vitamin C dosage to 3gm daily for a few more weeks. iT HELPS.

The last thing I would want is interest from the press, personally.

Got some on amazon! There are loads today - couldn’t see anything before. How weird.

@user34254356 thanks for that. It's so important to build up a picture of what doctors are recommending, just so that we know what vital signs to look out for, especially as this virus lingers for far longer than imagined.
I was told an oxygen saturation of below 94 is a medical emergency. Nothing about when to take the readings.
I was also told that a respiratory rate of under 20 breaths per minute is is ideal and between 20-28 puts you in the 'grey zone'. Anything above that is a medical emergency.

Hello friends, Day 23 checking in. Slept a decent stretch from taking a Nytol tablet (12:30-6:30), but woke up still feeling drowsy / shaky / light headed. @user34254356 I’m not nauseated per se but I still have no appetite or desire to eat so I force myself but don’t really enjoy it at all.

I’m a bit concerned over my heightened central nervous system stuff going on. I feel like I can get my head around my lung pains that go up and down but worried about the fact I still have a pulsating heart at times (noticeable more in bed) and my heightened sensitivity to sounds, particularly first in the morning and toward the end of the day. Is anyone else still feeling like it’s really affecting them like this? I imagine this also affects our sleep cycles and ability to get quality sleep.

Can I join?

I've been following this thread & cheering you all along from the sidelines.

My GP told me yesterday that he thinks I have CV. Both my kids have been ill. The younger one is fine now, but the older one still has a raised temp and dizziness after two weeks.

I have lymphoma & COPD so am in the shielded group, so I'm very scared. Also, I have no idea which day I might be on.

I had a look at a report from China which says that older people and people with co-morbidities can sometimes develop symptoms more slowly, so the seven-day rule-of-thumb might not apply to me.

I'm on Clarithromycin, and have ordered a nebuliser on the instructions of the GP.

I'm also sorting out my will and writing letters to my DCs.

This thread is more people describing their own symptoms, rather than offering support.

I get why, I do scroll through and check on people's well-being - I just haven't got the energy to name check and ask about people individually. I do care though 🌼

I'm on day 15, yesterday I felt well enough to spend all day downstairs - I even cleaned the oven.

Today I feel exhausted, I have reflux, feel sick, loose 'tummy' (but not the horrific diarrhoea anymore) I also have a slightly 'pleghmy' chest.

My sense of smell is at about 70% I would say, but my taste buds are whacked - I can taste stuff but nothing tastes 'right', it's as if there is a 'note' missing.

Keep on getting better folks - it really is 2 steps forward and 1 step back!

@emichel02 yes it's similar for me. low level nausea but more no desire to eat or enjoy my food.

@AnythingPecan yes that's what i recall being told as well ie anything below 94 but when resting. The GP's test seems to be more stringent given that she wants to see the sats right after activity. Anyone else been asked to do a similar test?

I am on Doxycycline, I think I have an infection in my tooth and jaw, breathing is a bit more difficult today and I feel like I am burning up.

I am now not sure I am on day 9ish.
I think it's longer but it went away and then came back worse.
I developed a cold on 19th march. Sore throat, congestion. I also felt as though I had swallowed a hot coal or something and it was stuck in my chest.
I had a bit of a cough but no temperature. It went away after a week apart from very slight snuffles until the weekend before last when I had sore eyes and now I'm here.
I thought is was a separate cold but now I don't think so.
I feel dreadful, I went to the supermarket as 111 said no fever or mad cough no count.

Also I can’t seem to get vitamin c before the middle of April from amazon