COVID lungs 7 weeks plus/ 49 days plus plus

[pinkoneblueone]

New thread,

I won't be a very good host as I tend to dip in and out of these things but have filled up the last thread. (Sorry)

Interesting reading about everyone's tests. How gutting if the antibody test is negative but I'm really inclined to think that the test was wrong rather than we didnt have the virus. Like.. what else could it be?! Def worth doing another test I reckon when the Roche ones come out.

I've doing the Abbott test on Fri, in a private GP clinic as I'm an absolute wimp about blood and needles and wouldn't even be able to do a finger prick one myself!

Sorry for those feeling poorly. Sending get well wishes. I'm ok in myself just still suffering with dizziness and blocked ears.

@hollieberrie where's the abbot test? Clinic? How much is it?

It's the Mayfield Clinic in Oxford. I think they may have branches in a few places, maybe London too.

It's £220 to have it done in the clinic!!! Or £190 for members (I'm not one) and £128 if you get an at home test. But I just can't do it at home, I'll pass out. It's expensive but I really want it done. Although I'm day 69 now so may have left it too late..

Hello everyone in my week 8 or 10 since sniffles
After a terrible monday with chest pains, racing heart, shaking and feeling as though I was going to faint, I feel a little better.
I've read all the symptoms of ME, I have more of those than covid so I do believe the virus has probably been gone for a while.
Yesterday and today I have felt more hopeful and stronger. I did a 1000 steps yesterday and today I haven't come crashing down.
I think the key is to keep well within my limits. I'm very cautious now.
Chest pain still there, bpm is a bit better, still cant wear a bra. I've ordered some wireless ones as an acceptance to this, not much of a fun, uplifting, prospect at 28g but there it is. Lymph node pain still there, but I'm trying to ignore it as my white cell count was fine.
I still can't lift my arms above my head, it brings on chest pains. I wish I knew why this was, maybe to do with the heartburn? If it is I'm on omeprazole now. Hopefully that will help soon.
I don't want anymore dips. I feel positive and hopeful. Even the ear buzzing isn't as bad.

@Crayfishforyou, great news that you feel like you're turning a corner. I started on Omeprazole too a few days ago to see if it makes any difference to my raw throat feeling. Will give it a few weeks. I'm still wearing my maternity bra's (ds 14 now) but they're the only comfortable thing.

Hi all, just stopping by between resting to post this useful/reassuring video by a gp who has had covid, about Post viral fatigue after covid. https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=1MHlum4AOlY&feature=youtu.be
I'm feeling completely exhausted today, but no symptoms except a headache this morning. Yesterday was gastric symptoms! Am finding that at the moment (week 9-10) it's a steady but slow improvement. Keep resting! Hope everyone doing ok.

@emoojoo Thank you for that. Yes I truly believe that's what it is in my case, as I had Chronic Fatigue Syndrome before I went down with this virus. I don't hold out a lot of hope for a full recovery, sadly.

There's certainly been some improvement though, I don't have the massive build up of phlegm blocking my airways anymore thankfully.

I hope your improvement continues.

Ha @Lightsabre well done for keeping your maternity bras for so long! I have been braless for so long now... luckily I don't have much to support!

Hello, just been reading through everyone's posts. As ever really sorry to those who've had bad nights and awful relapses. And great to hear that you're improving slowly @Crayfishforyou

@Moodgie thank you for the links, I've signed the petition.

For those who are starting omeprazole, I found it really helped, not just with the more obvious reflux symptoms but also with a lot of the burning sensation in my chest and throat too, and even with a bit of the breathlessness.

@Whatnext2018 I have very strange feelings in my mouth, jaw and chin too - not fully numb but almost a feeling of paralysis. I mentioned it to my GP, and she didn't seem concerned- she was much more interested in my new bladder symptoms and possible uti. Have a look at the vagus nerve function - Maybe a lot of these weirder symptoms can be attributed to our parasympathetic system being put completely out of joint by this virus.

I've just worked out I'm on day 83 yikes. As some of you know I've been bed bound for much of this time. I've been showing a very gentle recovery for the last 5 days, and have been sitting in the garden for a bit each day. I also had a stab at helping with DD's maths without my heart rate rising too much! Taking it VERY slowly though. There will inevitably be relapses but trying to stay calm and take each day as it comes.

I'm envious of you guys being able to do antibody tests. There are absolutely none of them available in Ireland. I'll be first in the queue if they do become available here. And if I get a positive, I've decided to get one for my 7yo too. As it stands I'm assuming the 2 of us have had the virus and are immune for the next while at least. So if that's not the case I really need to know because no matter how much I tell myself to act as if we're not immune, it's really hard to take it as seriously as I should.

I've just looked back through my fitness tracker for the last few days and I've had over 12,000 steps every day this week and I'm still experiencing a reduction in chest symptoms. If I don't set myself back I'm hoping to be able to stop taking the ibuprofen soon. Sore throat and mouth ulcers are bad though (I suspect the ibuprofen may be at least partly causing those though). If I can manage a few days without ibuprofen, I'm going to start investigating if I can manage short bursts of higher intensity cardio on my exercise bike. I reckon, it's something I can do while putting absolutely no pressure on my chest or jarring it like I would with jogging/dancing. And I can stop immediately and lie on my bed if I have a sudden bad reaction. Also I don't especially enjoy using an exercise bike, so I won't be tempted to push myself for extra time because I'm having fun.

It's funny but I do think that if I had gotten sick at a point where I wasn't fit, I would have 100% recovered much quicker, for 3 reasons. 1. I would never have tried to push myself and cause repeated setbacks when I needed rest. 2. Trying stupid shit like push ups or yoga/pilates sessions that involved planks, downward dogs/cobras/etc wouldn't have been on my radar. And 3. I wouldn't have such a high bar to get back to. Being able to walk 12,000 steps a day would have been my normal and my only goal at this stage would be to stop the ibuprofen completely. Instead, in order to be better I now have to be able to get back to activities that were essentially ultra endurance HIIT.

So GP has sent me to A&E for bloods and chest X-ray. It's a bit scary here....

@moodgie thanks for posting the petition. @godhelpusall yes we won't be infectious, and it says "nearly all" those tested had antibodies. 82 days was the longest anyone was positive for.. also interesting that SARS survivors had antibodies 9-17 years later, good news if this virus follows a similar pattern.

Good luck in A&E @Norugratsatall. Let us know how you get on.

@alittleprivacy can you get a postal test sent to Ireland? I agree with you about the fitness thing.

@alittleprivacy, you're doing amazingly well - 12,000 steps a day with no repercussions is great. Although you can't do your whole fitness programme yet, I'm sure it's stood you in good stead for a faster recovery.

@Norugratsatall, hope everything goes okay...

@Norugratsatall virtual hand hold, it’s unusual to even be out let alone surrounded by HCPs in PPE
@Mittens030869 sorry you’re in both gangs, this and CFS
@emoojoo thanks for posting that video I think it’s great, very accessible but also well researched and positive

You have to be in the UK to be in this but there’s a research study looking for volunteers that will ask about at why and how people react differently to COVID www.genomicsengland.co.uk/covid-19/

@Egghead68 can you get a postal test sent to Ireland?

Possibly through a parcel service but it would take days to get my blood back to England because none of the courier services are guaranteeing a 24 hour service anymore. I'm not sure how well antibodies would last if they were sitting in a vial of blood in a warehouse somewhere for several days. The state is saying we should have antibody tests here from the beginning of next month but they will be for a randomly selected portion of the population and even if I was selected, I'm not sure they will tell you your own result.

My best hope is if a private clinic starts offering them here but none of them even offered the PCR test privately because the government did a deal here that essentially nationalised all our private hospitals for the duration of the crises. It was a good way to increase our ICU capacity and ensure that medical equipment in short supply went to those with most need rather than the most money. (Though the hospital owners made a fortune off the deal!) So I guess it will depend on how much supply there is of the equipment needed for antibody testing. If it's in short supply it will all be for state hospital use. It's 100% the right thing but very frustrating for me and people like me.

Thank you @Lightsabre and @LetsBeSensible . Tbh I'm finding that , similar to lots of you, that they don't believe all my symptoms are connected to Covid. They're going to do a swap test but it won't be positive at day 60! They did say I have pleurisy. ECG ok thank you. Waiting for results of X-ray and bloods. Doc is going to give me sleeping pills - thank the Lord!! As GP wouldn't.

Oh and thank you to @Egghead68 !! Sorry I missed your post.

I've just watched the video @emoojoo , thank you, really useful. I hope the hospital goes okay @Norugratsatall and that the results are reassuring.

@alittleprivacy

Due to RM not collecting from post office, I posted my test back on Saturday and it didn't get to lab until Tuesday. So a few days was fine

Good luck to you @Norugratsatall and hope everyone else is having a tolerable day!

I do feel post viral in some ways but that doesn't really seem to account for my main symptoms now - palpitations, sore heart feeling, slight breathlessness and the weird neurological symptoms - numbness in arms and hands, circulation problems, fizzy veins, chillblane type feelings in fingers on occasion, and recently, intermittent blurred vision in one eye...

All of which come and go as they please. Perhaps inflammation working alongside the more common post viral symptoms?

@mumlurker That’s what I’m wondering. Was just going to post when I saw what you wrote. It’s not panting / quick breathing breathlessness I have - it’s more of a tight throat or chest feeling that’s there and it varies all the time. Plus roughly the fifth week of nausea and diarrhoea in the mornings. I’m week 11 now.

@LetsBeSensible Thank you. I'm really struggling today with the exhaustion I'm feeling. I've just been for a walk around the block, and my chest pain has been bad today.

On the plus side, my temperature hasn't spiked today, for the second day in a row. But I've been there before with 'false dawns'.