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.

@Arewehere, the bruise analogy is a good one / it's all inflammation I guess. I'm not sure when medical services will start to refer people again but I suppose I'd start pushing if I didn't feel substantially better after 3 months. There is evidence on the Slack Fb group of x rays showing clear but CT scans picking up lung changes. The trouble in the U.K. is that you can't get further tests if your chest X-ray is clear without paying privately for them.

There is evidence on the Slack Fb group of x rays showing clear but CT scans picking up lung changes. The trouble in the U.K. is that you can't get further tests if your chest X-ray is clear without paying privately for them.

I didn’t know that. Very interesting as I nearly had a CT scan in A&E on Monday. By nearly I mean I was in a gown lying face down on the CT machine about to go through the tunnel. But then it turned out the nurse had got confused and a CT scan hadn’t been ordered for me. Wish it had now!

I work for the nhs and could have had a test 4 weeks ago but even that as I'm now into week 9 would have been too late so I didn't bother. Maybe I should have.. it just seemed at week 5 a bit of a waste of my very limited energy.

Once again desperate for some positive stories. Any of you lovely people feel like they are fine now? Please share. Tomorrow I will start week 10 and I was hoping 8 weeks will be it.

@moodgie yes I am struggling to eat stuff as my tummy still v irritated. Bowel m's not their usual selves, sorry tmi. Trying to eat little and often and healthy to build up slowly. Am having kefir and coconut water and a couple of electrolyte drinks each day too.

Hi everyone! Day 68 and another Groundhog Day. Main symptoms are fatigue, high heart rate, intermittent feelings of breathlessness, tight 'raw' chest and lots of anxiety.

I'm just wondering if you use other forums for connecting with people in our situation? I dip in and out of Slack and I've just joined a Facebook group (Covid 19 Support Group) but I haven't posted much. It's a real balancing act though - useful to get as much information as possible but I have to be so careful as it sends my anxiety levels through the roof. So this is my main source of info/support.

@emoojoo I do hope it improves quickly for you. I have been taking biokult but hasn’t made any difference yet. Kefir is the same concept in that in contains good bacteria. I don’t struggle with eating really, it is just this morning thing, every day.

Just coming on to say that CT scans of your lungs should not be undertaken lightly as they increase your risk of breast and blood cancers (with maximum risk around 15 years after the scan). Some consultants are reluctant to do them on younger patients for this reason (though opinions differ).

@fedupofbed I am only using this group. Too much input will definitely not help anxiety levels.

@fedupofbed I joined the Facebook group yesterday but am finding it depressing (people with symptoms at >120 days) so may leave.

120 days

Yes - I don’t really need to know that!

@Dandyish I've gone past the lost 8lb stage to the regain it plus one! I've newly developed a sweet tooth over this, . I've also been ravenous. I've decided to try (at least a bit harder!) to curtail it now.

Can anyone give me any guidance as to how much to push DD to get up/out, moving a bit more? She’s doing most of her schoolwork on her laptop in bed. Has just come to see me in the garden (I’m in a sleeveless top in the sunshine) wearing a massive fleece and saying she is cold. She spends most of the day in her room. We tried to persuade her into a walk to the park (2 mins away) yesterday but abandoned our efforts as she was in tears. I am sympathetic but think it can’t be good for her mental or physical health to spend her days this way.

Just checked my emails, gosh thanks for all the replies and I'm sorry I flounced off. I think I was being too sensitive as I e been largely dismissed and/or ignored by friends, family and HCP and I guess I thought MN was my next hope for some support.

Day 48 now and I'm utterly worn down by this, energy levels in my boots and mental health awful. I'm just desperate to feel better and when I do begin to feel as though I've turned a corner, bam! All symptoms return.

ts just disgusting that we’ve all been thrown to the wolves to catch this thing without the government even attempting to observe, understand or learn from the protracted experiences of those contained at home.

This ^^ really struck a chord with me! I've never really looked at it like this before but yes, those of us struggling on at home, unable to get a test or a FTF appt with a doc, have really been abandoned haven't we?! My daughter's an immunologist so she's been giving me tips and advice but if I'm honest, she doesn't really believe I've got it because I had no fever and not much of a cough which are the supposed main symptoms. It's all v depressing. Some of you seem to have had a really rough ride with hospital visits too, I'm so sorry to hear this. My heart goes out to you.

I'm sorry again for my sulk and I will keep posting if you don't mind as I think it'll help me to feel less alone. 💜

@Norugratsatall that all sounds so familiar. Sorry that you are in the club no one wants to be part of. Does your daughter have an explanation for your symptoms if she does not think they are covid then?

@Egghead68 No, not really.... when we FaceTime, she just adopts this slightly concerned but confused face and says 'I don't think you have it Mum, it's prob another upper respiratory virus going around....'. The fact that it's gone on for so long also has her perplexed and not believing me. It's not widely publicised is it - those of us who've had it weeks! Normal gestation of illness appears to be 7-14 days. It's so frustrating.....

120 days - I don't think it's been around that long?

I’m so glad you came back @Norugratsatall
Good of you to apologise and of course keep posting

I scrolled back and found your post. I remember that I’d made a mental note to respond to something about Covid toes but amongst updating and responding to other things I must have forgot. I’ve got terrible memory fog and a bit overwhelmed by all the things I’ve got to do that I’ve let slip whilst ill - like homeschooling DS!

So, Covid Toes. I meant to pass this on after my A&E visit on Monday.

Dr checked my toes and legs for discolouration and rashes. He said they were getting quite a few people in with purple blotches on their toes and that they’ve realised it’s a symptom. He said that the hospital dermatology dept are very interested in this and are now doing research on skin rashes/discolouration due to Covid. So anyone presenting with Covid Toes (our term, not official!) at the hospital is being referred to the dermatology dept. Worth bearing in mind.

My toes were fine but I had noticed them looking purple two weeks ago.

@onelinelinda ooh that’s harsh! My friend is incensed on my behalf that I haven’t lost weight with this. She said it’s usually the only silver lining to a virus and that Covid really sucks

@Egghead68 - yes, here's hoping re: entering the 50's! However, I seem to remember thinking that in the 30's, about heading into the 40's, and sadly, we're still here. Interesting what you said about CT scans. My young son had one for something completely different last year. Wish I'd been wiser now, and refused! That's very worrying.

@Norugratsatall - with all due respect, I think your daughter is wrong. I think only those that are going/have been through this for such a lengthy period, can fully understand and appreciate its effects. I also think this whole 'cough and temperature' guide book has grossly misinformed the public. Then again, when does the average layperson ever get heard/listened to?!

Yeah @Egghead68 and @Moodgie I think I'll just stick to this one and try and keep my sanity!

@Norugratsatall welcome to the forum though sorry too that you're having a hard time - I think we've all experienced that sense of being dismissed, especially by some medical professionals. I do hope that this is changing now as there is more and more awareness of people with slow recovery.

Oh your poor daughter, @sleepwhenidie 💐. I can only go by how I feel, and for me this means staying in bed and resting as much as possible. Every time I've tried to push myself it's made it worse. Saying that though, it's a beautiful day and I'm sure some rest in the garden would help vitamin D levels and mood.

@notrugratsatall glad you came back! The thread does get busy but I think most questions get answered one way or another as we are all comparing the same stuff. I'm on day 48 ish too

@moodgie thank you, hope yours sorts itself too.

Day 51.

Ok so, a bit of an update. Two days of extra walks, pilates/yoga and some exercises designed to open and strengthen my chest and diaphragm. I have chest soreness again. I can't quite tell if it's inflammation or doms. I suspect it's a bit of both. I have some bicep pain, that's almost certainly doms so I suspect that what I'm feeling on each side of my chest is doms in my pectoral muscles. However the pain up my sternum is most likely inflammation as that's a pain I've only ever felt with this illness. Ibuprofen is helping with it and I'm now taking care not to do any movements that involve 'crossing' my chest or squeezing my shoulders forward. I'm nervous about it but going to carefully keep moving forward. The tightness in my diaphragm is definitely easing but in my upper back it's still unreal and I really think it's having a negative effect on my breathing.

On the otherhand. I woke up this morning after a full nights sleep with no sweating and my breathing was great. Really, really strong full breaths. Not as good once I got up and started moving but I'm going to take another walk shortly while focussing on my breathing (I'm walking but breathing like I'm doing cardio) and hopefully that will help. Then I unfortunately really do have to clean my kitchen as I've been ignoring it for days and it's like a bomb hit it. If I have the energy after that, I'm going to do some leg stretches. Weird as it sounds, I'm not sure if anything helps my breathing more than leg stretches.

I have bloody well decided that I'm in the recuperation phase of this illness and I'm doing everything I can now to speed up getting well. I know I will have days where I go backwards. I've had lots of them. But apart from the relapse on day 23, where I got sick again after what I assumed was complete recovery, every time I've gone backwards, it's been a little bit less. So I'm going to cling to that. I'll go backwards again soon but maybe not as much or for as long as I did last time. Two steps forward, one step back, is still one step forward.