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.

EMichael102 try to eat little bits, however much you don’t feel like it. After 4 weeks my appetite slowly started to return but I was forcing stuff in for a long time. Don’t overdo it or you’ll be sick. I found little and often was the key and trying to eat earlier in the day than I normally would. Drink plenty of water too to help the headaches. I have to keep on and on drinking or I quickly get strong looking pee and the headache starts to return.

I had the slightly green poop and pee you were taking about but I’m drinking lots and I’m hoping it improves as the infection diminishes. As I feel like I’m slowly getting better I’m ignoring it for now but will mention it if it goes on too long/ I have to speak to a doc again.

@EMichel102

Yes, sort of like I'm really aware of my heartbeat - feels like it's thudding/pounding and sometimes fluttering. Combined with lung pains and random chest pains (probably lung and rib inflammation, or indigestion) there's been many a time in the past few weeks I was convinced I was going to have a heart attack...the internet seems to suggest that heart palpitations are a normal flu symptom and obviously heightened by anxiety so trying not to focus on them too much.

@musicposy thank you for the advice and it’s encouraging you slowly got an appetite after 4 weeks!

@longshot and @Tangledyarn I'm sorry you are both dipping again. Although the bra wearing and hours walk sound very positive.

It is really is relentless.
Interesting re the eye floaters Longshot as I'm pretty sure DH had this virus earlier in the year, hence why he's not caught it from me now and he had eye issues for weeks half way in after visiting an optician he ended up having emergency eye lazer treatment. Never had eye issues before. Leaflet said something about age related floaters so definitely keep an eye on it.

@pinkoneblueone so glad your DH has been checked over.

@baroqueandblue Muriel is a little worn out today as expected as she had her first couple of hours out yesterday in the garden for 28 months! She can't get down her kitchen step at home so only ever goes out in an ambulance for hospital visits. Dd made her a fruit salad and sat with her.

She is now eating like a horse, doubling up her sandwiches at lunchtime and extra bread and butter with her tea. ❤️
Do hope you have improved this afternoon and can cough to order on the phone to your gp for reassurance.

@findingschools4myboysgreat update, long may that continue!

@DandyPeguin I totally understand what you are saying about a reluctance to start a new thread, I'll leave it with you but have just posted on there asking someone to set one up so maybe that will just happen...

Hi, please can I join? First ever post, but have found the lungs thread and now this one a source of comfort for me over the last few weeks.

I've been in bed now for 5 weeks (day 35 or thereabouts I think) and it's hard to stay positive. The main symptoms are a consistent raised temperature (this spiked at 40+ a couple of weeks ago but now only up to about 38), tummy upset, horrible constricted feeling in my chest like my lungs are half the size, and generally exhausted/feeling like pants. If I manage to get up for a shower it's a good day. I'm just lying in bed now thinking this is never going to end.

Over those 5 weeks I've had 2 trips to hospital, ambulance out 3 times, 2 sets of antibiotics (about to start my third) a chest X-ray and multiple blood tests. I also tested negative for covid in the 2nd week of March. Chest X-ray at similar time was clear, blood test showed I was fighting a viral infection. I'm fortunate really that although I'm feeling rotten my obs have always been okay and I'm not seriously ill.

I and my GP now doubt the covid swab result- I was tested 10-14 days after first symptoms so could be false negative? Also, I've never experienced anything like this and for so long, and so much of what I've read in these threads resonate with me.

Thanks to everyone for their posts - have found them particularly comforting at 3am when the anxiety kicks in.

So I’m at day 24 and still feverish in the afternoon. I know I’m not the only one like this. I have had antibiotics (2 courses) without improvement and apart from the fever, still have cough, palpitations and a few days of discomfort in my chest when I cough (oh joy!). I really appreciate those coming back on who are getting better as it helps to have hope. Anyone out there beyond day 24 who was still getting a fever at this stage but then found it disappeared?

@fedupofbed welcome and sorry to hear you are 5 weeks in. Did you get swabbed via NHS? Can you get swabbed for other viruses to see if it's something else? This sounds horrible but at least you have had all the observations done and there is nothing seriously wrong. I also got swabbed but my tests came back negative and I am also convinced I have coronavirus. I was told it may be adenovirus - but not sure if that can take weeks/months to recover from.

Poor you, fedupofbed. That's a long time.

Hi everyone.
Today is shit again. Severe heartburn is back, sore throat and can feel my chest tightening up again.... cannot believe this. When is this nightmare going to end?! I honestly thought I was over it. I'm wondering whether it is anxiety but even with anxiety and stress, I've never suffered like this in my life.

Sorry @fedupofbed, I cross posted. Welcome to the club none of us want to join. Sorry it has been going on so long for you. The support on the thread helps a lot, keep letting us know how you are doing.

@kevintheorangecarrot - if I recall correctly, you had a relapse? How long were you ill, then well and then became ill again. I’m going through a relatively well period (day 26) and am nervous about having a relapse.

Hope everyone is surviving. I still feel like I'm really struggling to recover and just feeling so unwell still on day 34. Am still struggling to spend more than a couple of hours of day out of bed. Am guessing at least some of this must be also having asthma/ME/hashimoto's etc. I'm trying to allow myself to be reassured by people that I will make progress but it's tough. Randomly had a prearranged zoom appt with neurologist today (not to do with covid) and he was saying its likely to take me lots of time to get better given my other conditions, which I know logically and it's the same as the gp has said but I'm just panicking that I'll be stuck in bed forever. I have already had to give up so much due to my other conditions, not having children, only work 20 hours a week, no exercise, v limited socialising etc and I dont think I have the resilience to cope with being anymore unwell that I was pre covid. Anyhow, tommorow is another day and I hope you all have a good nights rest! Xx

Ah thank you for this thread @stayathomegardener it's great having a separate thread to discuss issues for us Covid seniors (hopefully soon graduates!).

@Casino218 thanks for that article. Really interesting!

@longshot also a really interesting article. Hopefully this is becoming more well known now.

In answer to your question about the stairs, yes I can walk up two flights now and I'm tired at the top but it's manageable. It's on an off though so sometimes harder than others. This is an improvement for me today. Yesterday was harder.

I've had my best day today - gentle walk for 45 mins, able to read and make meals. Breathing much better today. Hoping this is the beginning of the end.

@Babdoc thank you for the update. I'm so glad you're doing better. I think I remember you have a cat? It must be nice to be back to a furry friend

@Tangledyarn you are doing really well. Just take it one gentle step at a time x

@kevintheorangecarrot @Tangledyarn there will be an improvement soon I’m sure. Otherwise the guidance wouldn’t say 4-6 weeks for moderate to severe cases. It’s awful though not feeling an improvement day to day and regressing some days. The “good” news is that many of us all share most of these symptoms And can relate so we aren’t some crazy outlier. I’m young and healthy typically and having the same experience so hopefully this is just typical.

@Sambucus i am also feverish on Day 23 after 3-4 days of no fever and have chest tightening. Frightened i may have viral pneumonia - let's see how the night pans out.

Day 28 for me and I’m feeling a bit better. My main issue is exhaustion. I’m still coughing and breathless but less than I was. I suspect my symptoms are secondary bacterial pneumonia related as the viral-ish symptoms (sore throat, diarrhoea, headache and burning pain) have gone. Coughing up blood and brown crap so they’ve changed my antibiotics. The pleurisy is finally easing a little but still there.

I’m embarrassed to say I’ve developed what looks like the start of pressure sores. Well, very very early ones. I’m trying to move around as much as possible. Ugh, I’m too young for this stuff. :(

Take care everyone

@tangledyarn i know it seems like there is no end in sight but you will get there and recover soon. Look at the bright side that you don't have a fever or cough and so just battling out the remnants of the virus.

Just wanted to post something positive, Day 21 and I am finally starting to feel better! I went out for a short walk earlier which was ridiculously tiring and got out of breath easily but chest pain has disappeared Ive no idea how long it will be before my usual level of fitness returns (a fairly low bar!) but am grateful to feel well again.
Yesterday was a good day too though felt more tired than today and symptoms were easing so I'm now I'm fairly hopeful and confident I'm on the up-finally!
I think resting is key, this isn't something you can just push through . The breathing exercises posted really helped as did this thread which has held my hand throughout. I really hope everyone else feels better soon, hang in there- its a long haul,

@Standrewsschool I was unwell for about 18 days, then I had a few days where I felt much better and breathless / heartburn went but now it is coming back and I'm feeling lethargic, poorly in myself and feel like I'm getting hot but the weather is 23c so bound to feel warm anyway. I'm just so scared of waking up and feeling unwell. I also have a stomach ache so I'm hoping I'm not getting diarrhoea. AF is not due for another week and a half so can't be that.

@user34254356 no I haven't had any further swabs though my doctors have been generally fantastic. I managed to get an NHS covid swab before the rules on testing all changed.

Thank you for the welcomes. Yes it's good to know we're not alone. We'll get through this!

Hey to everyone on the thread we don’t want to be on.
I’m day 28ish I think, I know I’m a day behind @longshot
Finished my antibiotics yesterday and whether it’s them or something else my bronchitis has nearly cleared.
But I’m still intermittent short of breath, and this evening the pain between my shoulder blades is back, as is my sore throat.
I’m trying to convince myself that both are just from coughing too much, but I’m now totally paranoid I’m going to have some kind of hideous relapse.

@TheWooisStrong I could've wrote what you wrote! I had the exact same thing. Got prescribed antibiotics but didn't touch the sides. Breathless went after about 10 days but I feel like it is coming back again. What a shitty thing this is to go through. I wish antibody tests would just be available already so I can put my mind at ease! Wishing you a speedy recovery x

Hi, Littleninja! Yes, I do have a cat. My friend has been leaving food outside her catflap while I was in hospital. I was discharged yesterday, and Madam the Verminator was rather huffy - she doesn’t regard covid infection or hospital admission as a reasonable excuse for staff absence! However, she relented and slept on my bed, and has been v affectionate today. I’m glad I have her, as I live alone and the lockdown is a bit lonely.

Thanks everyone Yeah am trying to focus on the things that have improved..like coughing a lot less generally and probably not having a temperature any more..am having night sweats but that might just be virally rather than an actual temp. I'll be glad to finish the antibiotics as I dont think they've helped as chest pain, burning and breathlessness is still the same but they might be contributing to how more generally unwell and faint I feel..plus I have thrush which is always nice! X