My Lungs Part 6

[TheDrsWife46]

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

@Taffyapple8 I'm so sorry your partner is being so unsupportive :( We are here for you. Please try to get some rest and don't be worried about calling 111 or GP again if you need to.

I've just requested another call from my GP. She is going to be absolutely sick of me and honestly I don't know if she can really do anything so I don't really think i have another infection. But who knows!
Just woken again still clammy and sweaty, with worse chest pains. Can't stop the shaking and temp has gone from 38 to 35.

Surely this isn't right on day 19?!

@ChippedPotatoesLloyd they have already added a section where you can write in any other important information. I'm using that quite freely! Bet they love me...
All a bit in shorthand but it doesn't seem to have word restrictions.

@longshot let us know how the blood test goes. We have had the same dip and I'm about 31 days although I'm starting to lose track!

Day 26, day 5-feeling better, apart from sinus/dry throat (day 3).

Last night, a couple of people posted about having relapses after feeling well for about ten days. Just wondered how common that was? How many people still on this thread feel recovered, or vaguely normal, and how many days in are you.

Apparently a side effect of doxycycline is green wee (someone was asking upthread, I think).

.Hopefully today’s sunny day can lift our spirits.

@Lovelesslily if your gp doesnt call back soon maybe you should call 111? Such a big drop in temperature would worry me. Excuse me for asking but are you still peeing ok?

I'm going to make a potentially unpopular suggestion.

I think we should set up two new threads, a continuation of this one; lungs 7 and a new one. Day 20/30/? or whatever onwards.

Two reasons, 1. the lungs thread will fill up rapidly with posters at the start of the virus and I think the needs of people change at different points. Hopefully many will be ill for a week and the completely recover.

1. For those of us seemingly stuck with it for now I think as we go forward I'm very keen to follow long term recovery's

I'd like to know for example if someone received a test result in an area my GP hadn't thought to look or someone found a source of reliable antibodies tests. As I learn more from Dr Myhill I can share that.

I would envisage being on both threads.

@goaty Yes, you've described exactly how I felt when I took a turn for the worst (days 9-11). Before that I felt fluy, racing heart, temp, aches and pains, fatigue, headaches etc. Dat 7 ish felt more like a head cold and felt a bit better. Nose felt I'd snorted Bleach and then lost my smell/taste. Then came the breathing. Had to focus on each breath (tight chest, but breathing OK) as it just felt like I might stop. Also felt dizzy and numb, like I wasn't getting enough oxygen. Had to ask my DH to lie next to me as I was worried I'd just stop breathing as I drifted off. That improved over a few days and it wasn't constant, it came and went. I literally lay in bed for 2/3 days at that stage.

As I started to recover (before the antibiotics), my chest felt like I had trapped wind under my ribs. My only comfort was peppermint tea. I was drinking mugs of it. This also helped with the intense kidney pain I felt one day.

Evening as still my worst as I become too aware of myself, my body and my breathing. Not sure if it's still shallow breathing and tightness or anxiety.

I do keep getting random muscle twitches--in my head near my temple, in my arm pit, eye... And I still have tight chest/cough/loss of smell/taste.

This is a very useful NMC article written for gps.

www.bmj.com/content/368/bmj.m1182

@stayathomegardener I think that’s a good idea. I worry that my sometimes negative posts at day 30 don’t help those on day 4!!

@isitorisntit what day are you on sorry? I am losing track but think it was you that said antibiotics really helped and you’ve been unwell for some time?

Good morning everyone. So sorry some of you have had a rough night My husband is now on Day 11 and did have a good nights sleep he feels brighter but has had the chest tightening and breathing problems this morning. He is also very tired but calmer. I am on Day 25 and feel ok I have also been getting headaches and in the evening feel extremely tired. This just seems never ending but when I spoke to my doctor she said it can take over a month to recover. There should be information about for people like us who not in hospital or recovering quickly. However I can say 111 and the paramedics and hospital were brilliant in my husbands case Thinking of you all

Taffyapple i hope your partner leaves you in peace now. This is not in your mind. As regards going to your mum’s, once you are passed fourteen days, if you have no symptoms like coughing or a high temperature, then you should be safe to go. DD also had it and the doctor said she would be safe to go out after fourteen days as she had no symptoms except tiredness left.
If you get some privacy to call your GP or 111, you can also ask them when you would be safe to leave the house.
If the abuse escalates, then I think you should also consider if you can self-isolate within your mum’s house (ie is it big enough?)

I am sorry I have not caught up with the rest of the thread - I am on day 19, chest and back still sore, sharp stabby pains as well as more general crushed glass feeling; second day of antibiotics for potential secondary infection. I guess I am worried this is not covid-19 and I still have that to come, when my lungs already feel damaged. I would probably move over to a longer than 20 days thread because I think there is a perception that this is a mild illness and after seven days you either end up in hospital or recover, and in reality, for me at least, it feels like neither getting worse or better, just ups and downs with the same condition.

@stayathomegardener I think that's a good idea, I feel bad posting that I still feel so unwell on day 34 when people are only getting started and also really disheartened myself when people 2 weeks + behind me are better and I still feel horrendous.

Sorry that's me..with my stupid switching username.

My test was positive for covid19. I was tested on day 9 or so and he said the levels were 'on the low side' so hopefully I am past the worst

The doctor just phoned me now to tell me.
He was asking about my chest and symptoms now and the dates of my symptoms

Said should be getting better at this stage and if chest symptoms aren’t actually improving then I should phone a doctor “have a low threshold to phone” - I wanted to say the same to all you xx

I am feeling slightly chesty this morning, meaning pain on inhale but better than yesterday morning 👍🏻 temp 38 at the moment, sats 97, slept well

This means I bet you others have it too. Symptoms just too identical. Sending strength and best of luck to you all.

@Calyx72 what day are you now?

@stayathomegardener that's a great suggestion as it will be more helpful for those early on versus those in a forever recovery mode to get more focused support.

@stayathomegardener you may have to be quite descriptive when the cut of days for each thread are.

Morning everyone, I feel guilty that I slept when so many of you were awake and stuggling because I know how much those night time hand holds meant. I slept crap and had the shakes in my legs in my sleep, Dh held me tight and the pressure helped. Then little dd woke up and said “ive had a bad dream daddy, a very very bad dream”

I said “shes not wrong is she, this is a very very bad dream”. I feel like Im stuck in a horror movie. Although I dont have anxiety/depression I have always been a worrier...the “what if....” person. This is honestly my worst nightmare come true.

@EMichel102 I think for you having had so many palpations etc now I’d be calling with chest pains and noticeable heart extra beats etc. An ecg trace would reassure you a lot. Do you have an apple watch that you could measure your heart on as they detect irregular beats. When ive had it before my watch detects my beats as normal which is reasurring.

@Taffyapple8 your partner. Okay its a bit like I said when I thanked the thread for support. It doesnt matter whether this is Covid, flu or “all in your head” and an anxiety response. My mum said the same to me, she literally screamed to my DH that “you need to take her to see someone cos shes clearly got mental health issues” (i had had diarrhoea and a fever on day one and she felt that this ‘wasnt even a symptom of covid’) anyway, my DH told her that “there is no taking her to see anyone anywhere right now and shes ill!”

So whether your having a massive anxiety response to the news, genuine Covid, annual flu or another virus like adenovirus etc. Your treatment is the same. Because you cant get out for tests or assessment by a doctor. If someone cant care for you, ill, then they aren’t worthy of you. Only you can decide whether he is worth sticking around for in the bigger picture. But the point isnt your diagnosis, its being ill when the health service and our reliance on it has been pulled away. You need alternative means of support. If you think he cant help you, go to your mums self isolate there. X

@isitorisntit I tried peppermint tea but it made my heartburn flare up worse. I sometimes have bouts of acid reflex and assumed this was just another one, but reading this thread maybe it’s covid related.

Yes to the neuro symptoms though. I had a numb big toe for a day and terrible pain in neck and shoulder with tingling and numbness in arms/fingers.

So odd, unnerving and so unpredictable and inconsistent!

Yes yes to your suggestion @stayathomegardener

This is very fast moving and difficult to keep up.

It seems that a lot of people will be significantly better by Day 14. I hope, anyway. Or at least within 3 weeks max.

I'm on day 22 and finding it useful to compare with people who have symptoms still rumbling on, however minor they are. It's a very different situation from the early days and may make people feel anxious if they read about people still suffering. Conversely, the early days panic of some upon getting their first possible symptom - some of whom won't have Covid - isn't always constructive to read when you've had it for weeks.

I think a thread for Day 21+ would be very helpful.

stayathomegardener very good idea. Do you want to start it? I really need to follow the long term recovery of others now as it helps so much.
I’d still be on here - posting support to those earlier on that they can get through it.

Day 31 and my temperature was up again last night - only hovering around 37.6 but very definitely a mild temp for me - I’m around 36.5 usually. I was trying not to panic that it’s all going downhill again but don’t feel too bad this morning.

Really sorry for all those really struggling still. TheDrsWife46 your posts have been so lovely and very helpful.

Morning all - Day 13 here. Sorry to hear some of you had a rough night - hope you're resting now @Taffyapple8. My dh luckily has been working from home but is struggling to look after me, our son and work too - he's not used to cooking by himself and would live on take aways if there were any open! Although I have no appetite, I'm forcing myself to eat ; avocado on brown bread is meant to be good due to the ph balance so having a lot of that as easy and quick for dh to do.

After a rough day yesterday with weakness and breathing, I feel slightly stronger today. So fed up of sitting in bed so I'm going to try to sit in the garden for a bit for some Vit D sunshine. I'm a bit worried about how long I'll need off work - 2 weeks already and definitely won't be ready to go back next week either as I'm too weak and breathless still. Due to have another consultation with my GP tomorrow morning (can't believe they're open on Good Friday but things are bad in London so must be the pressure). I'm going to push for a blood test at the end of next week if I feel the same way.

@Calyx72, can I ask why/how you were tested please (sorry if I missed it earlier). Were you in hospital? In one way, it must be a relief to know what it is.

It’s day 29 and I tried jogging at a gentle pace for about 2/3 mins. Please don’t do this. I thought I was ok and just a bit of asthma flare up left. It felt fine at the time but my trachea is burning and raw which has brought the cough back. I’m going to look at non and low cardio options instead. The virus damages the lining of the trachea as well as the lungs. It’s going to take months to recover for even many mild cases :(

@stayathomegardener I reckon another thread for long term symptoms is a good idea for exactly the reasons you list.

On day 22 (day 27 after I felt like I was getting a cold!) after another rough night of little/interrupted sleep here (after an amazing one the night before I had my hopes up!) Chest very rough this morning and the infernal jittery buzzing feeling with high pulse rate is back. When is this going to bloody end?! Feel like I’m in some sort of horrible limbo between serious Illness and recovery. I just want this thing out of my body so I can be a good Dad for my boys again (5 mnth old and 2yr old). Apart from getting over this thing I’m concerned about long term lung damage too, it’s rather stressful that we are all completely in the dark, it would be good to get more recovery info from other countries hard hit.

Thank god my wife is such a strong person but I know she’ll be getting pretty fed up with me now.

Can any posters from earlier threads offer reassurance in terms of recovery after long term symptoms?