Covid Lungs Week 7/Day 49 and onwards

[Dandyish]

Support thread for those who've had Covid symptoms or post-viral fatigue for at least 7 weeks/49 days or longer.

If your symptoms haven't lasted that long, check out the Lung 7 thread (or later).It'll be more helpful as people there will be in a more similar position.

If any of you use Twitter I just read a whole stack of tweets by Dr Rachel Pope who is on about day 60 and has followed everything quite closely - v useful Dr Rachel Pope @preshitorian

I should add she's not a doctor she's an archaeologist but a lot of her detailed notes ring true with my experience

Can I ask...does everyone feel like they're out of the danger zone? I still feel so ill I'm finding it hard to believe this morning.

I heard the phrase 'Covid survivor' from a Yoga instructor that was linked on one of these threads and I'm afraid I did a mini eye roll at it BUT now I am going to bloody use it (in my head)

We are Covid survivors and I think we need to remember that

I feel so so rough today, headache, nausea, sore throat, dizzy - day 65 ish.

But each and every one of us is putting one foot in front of another, albeit slowly - we are the lucky ones

I don't do twitter but if I did mine would be #covivors

Dunno if anyone has thought of that yet but it might be apt for our cohort here 💕

@mumlurker my take is "I honestly don't know". Still having days/hours where I really do wonder if it could all just go 'offroad' 😔

Yes. Sometimes I think... well, I've made it this far...other times I just don't know!

@mumlurker, I've had a negative CV test and bloods show there is no active infection of anything but I'm still feeling ill. 6 week anniversary today - tight chest, breathlessness and searing back pain still. All inflammation I guess but going to speak to the GP again on Monday about a referral to some sort of respiratory service. I think I need some sort of inhaler/steroid treatment possibly.

Look right, I know that this is very scary and we're the vanguards of this illness so we have no real answers. But what information we do have is actually seriously reassuring. The virus in us is dead. Our immune systems are unfortunately over-reacting. This happens to people some times. Millions and millions of people throughout history have had post-viral syndrome and eventually they get back to normal. If we rest we will recover.

It feels like it's taking for ever and ever but a few months isn't that long in the grand scheme of things, it just feels like that when you're living it. Most of us are mothers, remember how long pregnancy seemed to go on and on and on for? And then you blinked and your kid was 5? That what this is like. We'll be unwell for months, it will drag on forever. Then we'll recover and blink and it will be 5 years in our past. One day this will just be a bad memory.

If it helps any, my grandfather had TB when my mum was a baby and one of the things she remembers most about him was what an excellent rollerskater he was. In fact it's one of the things my dad remembers most about him when he saw him skate on a holiday we all took together when I was a baby. TB, one of the biggest killers on the planet even today. So take heart. This isn't forever, it's just for now. We will get better. We will recover fully. We will dance and run and rollerskate and cycle and do handstands in the future. We just need to rest now.

@Lightsabre I read your post yesterday and meant to namecheck you because I think we're having very similar issues. I'm really sorry to hear that you're so worried you're now contemplating asking for that referral. You've really been through it and to think that at this stage you've concluded that they need to bring bigger guns out for you is saddening. I hope you're ok 💐

@alittleprivacy Huge thank you for this post. Xx

@alittleprivacy thank you, really needed to hear that take on this today! 😃 You make a lot of sense and although I've never been pregnant I have had long recoveries from accidents and live with chronic illness so I know things can improve and I hope so much that they will, for all of us. Think the unknowns in the covid profile so far get in the way of the optimism, but the reminder that we're likely to be post-viral really helps.

Thanks @baroqueandblue and sorry to hear you feel the same too. It won't hurt to have further tests I suppose for reassurance (if the clinics are even accepting referrals).

@alittleprivacy, thanks for your stirring post - I so, so hope this is a blip in time for all of us. This is the only place I can voice my fears about possible longer term damage - I hope it's not life changing for me but at the moment I can only function at about 30% of normal at 6 weeks down. Sorry to bring everyone down but just can't see the light much today.

@alittleprivacy you are completely right, you've put it into perspective.

I'm feeling a bit better today. I need to know my limits and then halve them. I'd rather be frustrated now than drawing this out.
Pulse is dropping quicker on sitting down today.
Chest pain is still there but because I've had no panic attack wave things I'm not as bothered about it. My ribs have cracked/popped a bit easing the pain in places so I think its inflammation.
Inflammation means I am healing.
And ibuprofen helps.
I feel much better in general having cut sugar and caffeine. And since I started a diaroalyte every morning my shakes and hand tremors have gone completely.
I got another full night's sleep last night. One waking with palpitations episode, I'd rolled onto my front. Hopefully in a few weeks this will rectify itself.
I've been well enough to do some of my online course today and learned some interesting things.

@alittleprivacy wise words and thank you for helping to put some perspective on this - it is so overwhelming for everyone. We will get there! My mantra at the moment is rest, repair, recover. We will all continue to support each other's ups and downs on here

@Crayfishforyou that sounds great and like where I'm up to at the moment.
I'm trying to concentrate on staying calm so lots of mediation app stuff and resting! - (I'm day 50 or so)

Hey @Crayfishforyou good to read your Ibuprofen is working out? I remember you mentioned you'd started taking it. What's your dose?

This week I've been taking 2 after breakfast... then 2 Paracetamol pills in the early evening. The Ibu feels like it's benefiting my back / chest, not just masking the discomfort. Tomorrow is wk 6 and for the 1st time my chest is producing a little yellow mucous. Might just use Ibu, for a bit.

Also think the very warm weather has helped no end. Shame it's turning cold again.

By the way what's with the cracked/popped ribs? Pretty sure I've been getting that today when exhaling.

@Norugratsatall this cfs scale is excellent for plotting progression, ideally once a fortnight.

Just on inflammation, it might be worth adding turmeric capsules as a supplement. I find they help hugely with a different problem that I have, certainly won’t hurt.

@MillStone usually popping joints is them moving and releasing a bit of air I think. I guess I've been that swollen and inactive they're moving around a bit more now.
Total guess though!
I'm taking 400mg every 6 hours or so. I have got 350mg pills but I'm not brave enough for that.
I'm still on the paracetamol as well as my gp told me taking it even long term would do no harm at all.
My body feels as though its trying to right itself but struggling a bit. The chest pain feels largely mechanical, pain and palpitations if I lean a certain way. It's gradually getting better.
I'm just so relieved to have had only a one day dip. Actually by half 6 yesterday I was a lot better, just exhausted.

Day 56.

Excellent idea for positives dandyish

• I'm not treating this as aggressively as I was for the 1st six weeks.

-I'm up and cautiously active every day 8.30 - 1.30. Ok I don't move much after that but this is at least consistent.

-I don't actually feel unwell when I wake up. I could not move and feel fine.

SOB, tight chest and stabbing pains come and go based on actively and also form part of relapses.

-Acid indigestion still here and driving me nuts but responding to natural treatments I think.

-I sleep through in two or three blocks after starting Glycine powder. Three weeks without sleep initially took their toll.

-I'm the healthiest looking sick person I know, very tanned and super slim, just don't tell me that cos I'll bite you head off.

-Appetite is back and weight lost is going on normally.

-I had CFS for years and this doesn't feel like that. Post viral yes but not chronic.

• I have a slimmed down circle of acquaintances and new Covid friends who are turning out to be FUN! Well remotely anyway.

Don't get me wrong, the chest pains, SOB, crazy sweats and relapses are really worrying me but there certainly are improvements. 🤷‍♀️

Stayathomegardener that scale is useful, thank you

@Crayfishforyou

Thanks. It's great to hear about your shortening dips. I've noticed that too -- symptoms appear to becoming less severe and for less time. Overall upward trend.

Same too with the chest. My heart is still working through something as is the rest of me. Slightly hot, rosey cheeks... clammy hands and pits... ear ache as and when. Blood pressure is also way low for the first few hours of the day.

@sleepwhenidie

I bought some off Amazon and then bottled it and cancelled the order incase they give me a bad stomach... Instead I've been drinking 1.5tsp Turmeric and 1/8 tsp black pepper in 100ml of dissolved water. It's nowhere near the dose of the pills ... and it tastes awful! But I'm hoping every little helps.

My evening meals for the past week have been abundant with garlic, chilli and ginger. Yesterday's Tesco delivery brought with it Pomegranate juice and also a carton of Beetroot juice.

@stayathomegardener Thanks for posting that CFS chart, it's super interesting.

The pdf from the New Orleans Dr is particularly interesting.

www.nhs-corona-doctors-on-the-frontline.com/