30+

[stayathomegardener]

@Babdoc @baroqueandblue @Casino218 @ChippedPotatoesLloyd @DandyPeguin @EMichel102 @JackJackIncredible @KatySun @kevintheorangecarrot @littleblackdress04 @Littleninja1*@longshot @Lovelesslily* @ofwarren @onlinelinda @Porcupineinwaiting @SchrodingersKitty @ScrimpshawTheSecond @Spacecadetagain @Tangledyarn @TheDrsWife46 @TheDrsWife46 @TheWooisStrong

Welcome to a group none of us want to be in.

Apologies to anyone missing or added that didn't want to be.

Please do add more, don't feel pre day 30 is a barrier.

@Tangledyarn I am just hoping that at the beginning when I had sore throat and SOB that's what covid was, not what I am experiencing right now. I just wish I could order an antibody test. I know they do a clinic in London but I am in Wales so that's definitely not an option and obviously cannot travel anyway due to lockdown. I am just feeling so fed up. I have taken 2x paracetamol to see if they get me through the day and maybe make me feel more cooler as I am still feeling flushed, despite my temp saying 36.5-36.6c

But also thankful I am probably past the dying point (especially as I am in the extremely vulnerable group).

@onlinelinda @everythingisginandroses I get that tingly back too - definitely the lungs. Wondered if it was the start of a secondary lung infection that some people have mentioned? That you can maybe get antibiotics for?

Really don't know- but has only come on in last couple of days for me (I'm around day 21 now)

@Bornlazy your symptoms sound like my symptoms. Are you sure you should be going back to work? I can only manage working in short bursts from my bed (and only on ‘good’ days). I can’t imagine being able to do a full day’s (or even a full hour’s) work at the moment. Would occ health support you in staying off till you are better?

@Bornlazy that analogy of waking from the falling off cliff nightmare is perfect for how I feel when I wake up throughout the night. I’m sorry to hear it hasn’t eased up though for you. Day 27 here for me and still had it last night too. There is no way I could go back to work at this stage in “recovery” as I think it would do more to set me back and also I couldn’t manage it. Definitely not a linear recovery!

@Bornlazy sorry to read your update- it is absolutely the weirdest virus ever. I wouldn't rush back to work, as I imagine a whole day on your feet would be too much.

And I understand your worry about being reinfected with COVID.

Such a difficult time for us all

@Bornlazy I’m so sorry to read your update! You sound like me a couple of days ago. It’s day 33 I think for me now or 32, lost track. Anyway between 24-28 I felt pretty ok, went for short walks etc and had jelly legs and bit of rib pain but ignored it...I didn’t do a lot but definitely felt I was on the road to recovery. From 28-now I’ve taken a big dip again. I have ups and downs even within these days. Achey chest and breathlessness are still up there and very annoying as is general malaise, headache and racing heart. I am totally sick of it but keep thinking of that article that @Joeaj23 sent yesterday. I’ve accepted it may take me 8 weeks to get over this and I’m more than half way...! It’s awful, I’m 38, was very fit and have two young children but there’s no way I can work and there’s no way I can do more than rest so that’s what I’ll do.

Listen to your body, if you feel unwell don’t work and don’t walk. Rest and do what you need to to take each day at a time (meditate, read, whatever). There are lots of us in this boat it seems and I agree with what you say it seems to lie dormant then come back. I know the only way to rid it will be to rest and let my immune system fight it. Sending you

@eyebrowsofinstagram I'm on antibiotics since Friday. Although I was on 2 sorts, and had a reaction to one. The main sensation I have is a sort of internal heat across the back (and previously the chest, last week). Almost but not quite like that deep muscle gel Voltarol, for anyone who has had it. It's weird, isn't it?

Signs good this morning again-day 29. No severe chills and not bedridden since yesterday. Although I am in fact bed, but out of laziness.

I really hope you all have a better day today than yesterday, including those on the mend.

I’m not due back until Thursday so I will see how I feel over the next few days. My main worry is still being infectious and from everything I’ve read I shouldn’t be, but I am well aware that as this is a new virus that the medical profession is sort of making it up as they go along. To be honest occupational health were of little help to me. They are swamped as they have so many staff with new symptoms.

I feel that by not testing people we have missed a valuable opportunity to monitor how this virus progresses. There is just so little information out there. I also think that the effect that it has on your other systems is being massively downplayed. I know that it is predominantly a respiratory virus but I think lots of people have digestive problems and I worry that they might be having a bigger impact than is being recognised. When my lungs start to play up again so does my gut. The heartburn ramps up and the diarrhoea starts again. Now it could be post viral, but I don’t think it feels “post” anything it feels like it is alive and kicking.

Not sure what day i am. Either 39 or just 9.
Started with chills 3rd march. Then tight chest. Which lasted weeks. Got better then next day -last week got a sore throat and then cough as did dp. Felt better yesterday then chills overnight again (havent had fever at all this week) which was very scary as it's bang on if this is a new infection it being when you should be recovering or get worse.
Dp seems better.

@bornlazy it’s absolutely ridiculous they haven’t tested you!! Although having said that I know some people tested negative only to go back positive again which I feel could have been me last week...if I had tested. Currently feel I would test positive as the symptoms feel ‘live’ as you say. Having said I haven’t had a fever for two weeks almost and very little cough now, hardly any unless I do my breathing exercises.

I have just found this thread. Although it is hard to say exactly when I became unwell, I think that I am on about day 29. Mine began with a headache and feeling tired. As I had been running around for a couple of weeks, I genuinely thought that I was just overtired. About 5 days later, I began to feel as if I had a cold and then went downhill quickly. I had the chills/temperature, loss of appetite, aches and extreme fatigue. Every time I got up to use the bathroom I couldn't stop coughing. It was as if I was choking. I was extremely breathless.

Once I got my appetite back, I seemed to improve but have been shocked how fatigued I have been and how slow my recovery has been. I have felt as if I had lead tied to my legs and have had what I can only describe as a 'fuzzy' feeling in my head. I manage by getting up in the morning, then going back to bed for a sleep in the afternoon. I then get up at five and can have an evening with my family downstairs. I can feel that I am gradually improving and try to focus on this.

@DandyPeguin I am ravenously hungry too!

@bornlazy I think I've read that there is a bit of a double dip with this infection. Maybe this is the infections last gasp for you? I got better last week, then worse again, now seem to be improving.

@longshot it’s rubbish isn’t it and even harder for you having younger kids. The reason I got myself moving is that I listened to a post on Facebook (somebody famous I can’t even remember who it was now) saying how the virus wants us to lie down to it as that’s when it gets to do its job best in our lungs. That made sense to me as lying flat is not good for chest infections (or heartburn) What I can’t be sure of is would I have relapsed anyway? The first time I did, which was day 10, I was doing nothing barely moving out my bed or off the sofa.

Another reason thinking about it, was I felt that my family were getting sick of me being sick and I desperately wanted to show them I was trying. I do think they felt I was malingering. Anyway I am going to rest up for the next few days no matter what they think.

to all of us having to justify and explain something we can’t explain to people who just want us to go back to normal. In my darkest moments I worry that this is the new normal

@onlinelinda I’m really hoping this is my last dip!! Very fed up of it now and as wonderful as my DH is I think he’s showily going mad doing 90% childcare, all housework and homeschooling!

Today I can’t manage much, had a shower and got dressed now exhausted again! Sats are ok so my body clearly wants rest today.

Can I ask does anyone still have pain / ache in the heart area at this stage? That’s the one consistent thing I’ve had now for maybe a couple of weeks, the other pains come and go and wax and wane but that seems to always be there radiating into my arm a bit. It scares me!

@Bornlazy I think there’s something In that. Other than my worst days around day 10 I’ve been up every day. I walk around my house and garden plenty even though I can’t manage an actual walk now. So I guess I move around every 30 mins or so at least. I also try not to lie down much in the day unless I’m actually sleeping, definitely find being upright helps breathing.

Today I feel I could attempt a short stroll but my legs are like jelly again and last time I did this on a day I felt like this it made me worse so I have kind of resigned myself to short ups and downs around the house AGAIN!

My respiratory consultant told me to “get up and exercising because it won’t make things worse” but I don’t believe her. It might be just coincidence but everytime I have tried anything like a short walk indoors I have a huge relapse. There’s also evidence that exercise when you have active symptoms of other illnesses (flu) is associated with worse outcomes.

@onlinelinda thanks I hope that’s the case.

If I tested negative I’d be gutted and I’d worry that they wouldn’t test me for antibodies at a later date. If this isn’t CV then what the hell is it? It’s not the most unwell I’ve ever felt in my life but it’s the longest I’ve had symptoms for.

Egghead68 I just don’t know what to think. I do know that prolonged bed rest is not good either. I suppose a balance is needed. Is a walk really what they mean though when they talk about exercise?

@Bornlazy that's exactly how I was thinking. I'd love a test and looked hard for the Surescreen one. But I don't see the point of a throat swab at this stage, myself, as I can't see where they'd get the mucus from-there is surely unlikely to be any?

I feel your pain on the denial from family after day 7-although mine have changed their opinions since more anecdotal evidence has come to light .

We have to remember that medics themselves are inevitably shifting their understanding as the disease progresses over here. A GP I consulted Tuesday used the phrase " we are now seeing", to describe the covid patients he has been speaking with full time over the last 6 weeks. Which I took to mean that as the amount of time the disease has been in the uk progresses, and hence the amount of time they are talking to patients, they are widening their understanding of disease progress and spectrum of timescales for different individuals.

@longshot I do have an almost constant pain in the upper lobe of my left lung which is I suppose roughly where my heart is. I don’t have radiating pain in my arm though. If you are worried about chest pain being cardiac then please phone 111 (or 999 obviously if you think your having a heart attack) they will surely be able to either put your mind at rest or arrange for you to be seen and assessed properly.

@longshot

I've had pain in my heart area for about a week now - some of it feel 'digestive' - like bubbly or as if there's trapped air, some of it is small stabbing pains, but most worrying is a sort of dull ache that moves around. Since it's mostly been on my left hand side and I've had numbness in my left arm it's really been worrying me. My GP didn't seem concerned by it (although she didn't offer an explanation either). Anyway the same sensations seem to have turned up in the right hand side of my chest now, and without my heart in the way to distract it definitely feels more like muscular pain and tightness so I guess it's a lung thing.

Anyone still getting lots of digestive symptoms? I have mild diarrhoea most mornings when I wake up (sorry TMI) and a whole lot of gurggling during the day/heartburn at night. My appetite was fine for the most part until about day 22, now really having to force myself to eat even though I can feel that I'm hungry. Gah this thing seems to get into every part of your body!

@Egghead68 yes I feel exactly the same. There is a recurring pattern- I start to feel a bit better, try and do a bit more and then completely relapse. Had a hideous day yesterday but feeling a bit better in myself today - I will not be moving from my bed though!

As others have said, I sense that this virus is still very much present in my airways and my tummy (and also my head?!). People on this thread are getting better though, which gives me optimism.

@bornlazy how do you know where the upper lobe of your lung is? I doubt I am having a heart attack (I’m 38 and generally very fit and healthy) but the pain in that area has really scared me. I’ve put it down to pleurisy type pain. I have had it all the way through and had an ECG 3 weeks ago when I went in to be checked and it was fine but can’t help thinking ‘but that was 3 weeks ago!’

@mumlurker yes I've had digestive symptoms the whole time.