COVID Lungs 8wks plus

[baroqueandblue]

Saw the previous thread is almost full. Hope I've not duplicated a new thread! And I might not be the best person to be custodian of this one, so feel free someone else to start a replacement and I'll get this deleted. Otherwise -

Here we all are, at least 56 days plus 😕

Hi
Cant remember what day I am on but counting fromm16 th March when I got really ill. Today I did my first so called full day back at work as I arrived home at 4pm . My god do I feel exhausted and my back underneath my shoulder blades really hurt tonight, My colleagues at first said you look better as I now have a light tan from being out in the garden so much to boost my vit d levels and I have lost weight ( 1 stone). But once I started working they realised how I was still not well as I had to stop rearranging my classroom due to breathlessness and quickly saw how tired I got. I left early as they could see I was exhausted. One said you have really been unwell then to which I replied I would not wish this on anyone. She said was it like flu and I replied no way much ,much worse. Oh she replied but that what we have been told and you recover in 7 days . I told look at me and think of the person you saw in Feb and now what I can't do She was really shocked. This shows the total unawareness of this illness in the people.
I also discovered that I thought I was the only one in my school with symptoms but it seems every adult who had been in my class or I had been near in the staff room including the lovely lady who cleans my classroom has had some form of the symptoms and a number of my children and their families. My cleaning lady and myself plus one or two or my childrens families have had it like us on this thread where others have had it more mildly but with similar symptoms. I work in a commuter town near London with access to two airports in 50 miles. I live in a commuter town to London 16 miles away. I am now sure I have had it. My head at school thinks I have had it and so do my doctor and my husbands doctor ( he is in a different practice) I don't think it was anxiety nor do both our doctors and I am certain now it was not another virus.

@Meercatmama I can’t begin to imagine doing a full day at work like that. I hope you are OK tomorrow. Sounds like your school was a complete hotbed

@Meercatmama wow that just goes to show how it has spread I have been thinking a lot about this in the last day or so. I hope you managed to get lots of sleep and are well rested for tomorrow. I am due to return to work on the 15th and am not sure I will be ready by then and I got sick on the 8th of March!

meercatmama wow, it sounds like you did a lot. I did almost a full day of work but at home yesterday (supposed to be doing mornings just now) and I am exhausted today, everything aches, so I hope that you are well rested and okay today.
I am going to have to do better at putting boundaries around my work and realising I need to rest, so as not to trigger a relapse. I found my chest and shoulder blade area aching a lot so goodness knows what it was like working out of the house. Good that you were able to leave a bit early.

Someone upthread mentioned feeling worse around week 8 - yes, my worst weeks were the second week, week five and then weeks 8 and 9. I am now ten and a half weeks and curious to know from others further along if you had any later big relapses. I am guessing my next period will bring a bit of a relapse with it.

@KatySun I had a relapse last week wk 10. Had been feeling great and started walking everyday. Lungs felt great so pushed myself and boom. Chest pain sob and feeling exhausted for the last 4 days 😩

Good morning
After yesterday I am working from home for next few days. I am very tired again and my back under my shoulder blades really hurts. Cough has come back again but it is on and off. Glad to be working from home. I also felt hot at times during the night not a full blown temperature but just very warm so that it woke me up. Will now see what the day will bring,

@KatySun lots of 11-12 weeks in slack saying they start to feel better. Fingers crossed 🤞

Hey @godhelpusall thanks for that, needed!

Sorry to those suffering.

Please don’t go back to work too soon, it’s not worth the risk. All the advice says rest rest rest and stop before you get pain / tired.

Oh I seem to have calculated it wrong and have actually been week 11/12. I'm still feeling very fatigued but other symptoms have faded mostly to non existent or if I exert myself too much.
I'm still unable to do more than 2/3 wfh hours a day though just as I cannot concentrate.

@millstone Good luck today!

Everyone else, hope you have a good day...

@AndsLee thanks! 6 pages of printed notes

Even with my negative result I feel dreadful still. I’m better than I was, but body still feels destroyed. I had plans to walk for 5 minutes today but don’t think I will manage it. I have this feeling that comes and goes like someone is squeezing my brain.
DH and I are talking about getting me an antibody test.

@millstone
You go! Hell yes! Can I be cheeky, will you ask about how infectious we are please? I think we all would love an answer from someone clued up? Xx

I am glad you are working at home now @Meercatmama. I hope you recover soon.

Day 73/74 for me. Just on my first trip out since 11th March (apart from A&E visits) for an IgG blood draw. I am sure it will be negative. Shouldn’t waste my money really. No social distancing going on round here.

@MillStone, hope your appointment goes well!

@Egghead68, good luck with the antibody test - when will you get the results?

Day 64, woke very early. Searing back pain as usual and slightly nauseous today. Tight ribs. Will attempt a short walk in about an hour and after some ibuprofen gel.

@AndsLee sure! I actually noted that yesterday after I saw your comment. Will let you know.

Thanks @Lightsabre

@Lightsabre so sorry to see your back is still causing so much trouble. Hope it improves.

I went out for the first time in a while today. Just a brief walk in a small park around the corner. It felt fine initially but I feel shattered now and the hoarse voice I've had on and off made a reappearance.

@Egghead68 Good luck!

@Millstone. Awh thank you so much. Xxx

Agh, I think I have overdone it a bit - after working through almost all day yesterday, I started work after my post earlier as had a phone meeting at 10 and then did the follow-up emails and now literally everything aches. I am back in bed with a cup of green tea. Not a full relapse just sore legs, sore chest and upper back, raw windpipe (that was my first phone meeting and I had to explain a lot) and beginnings of a sore head. A reminder that I need to put some boundaries around my ‘gradual’ return to work!! And that you are right about rest, rest, rest Millstone; dear me this is going to take a while...

Good luck egghead

Yes, on the infectious question if possible I asked my doctor last week and she gave me a bit of a non-answer and said to wear a mask when out anywhere like a shop (have not been out shopping yet)

Hello everyone
I am mainly feeling very fatigued today and spent it lying down.
Someone posted this on the slack group and I thought it very interesting.

Hi everyone, a quiet day on the thread today! Hope everyone is resting and enjoying the sunshine.

@Meercatmama I hope you're recovering well from your exhausting day yesterday.

@KatySun I'm sorry you've overdone it, and hope you recover well too.

@MillStone and @Egghead68 I hope your appointments go okay.

My heart rate/ jitteriness have fortunately improved today but the numb tingling sensation in my face has really upped a notch, which is causing me anxiety. I'm also getting a horrible feeling that there's something stuck in my throat/oesophagus along with SOB in the background. @Moodgie are you still getting this?

I spoke with my GP and he's now fortunately more clued up on the situation we're in, and he has other similar patients. I don't feel like I have to go to great lengths to explain/justify my more outlandish symptoms. He was aware of numb tingling sensations as a symptom and didn't particularly see it as a red flag. If it's still persistent by the end of the week I'll have some repeat bloods done as it's been a month since my last full tests.

@fedupofbed Yes, I do. Did you get emu feedback on this?

@Moodgie no I was so focused on the numbness at the time, and also talking about my antibody test, I stupidly forgot to ask... too many symptoms!! Unless I make a miraculous recovery (ha!) I'm planning on getting in touch again Thursday and will ask then.

Well week 10 is drawing to a close, sorry some have overdone it. I’m making the most of the window between periods to get some organization in place and going to stay with relatives so I can be looked after for a bit.
As I’ve said I’ve been revisiting ME/CFS info as I’d guess that how I’m past the virus and in CFS territory. I found this interesting diagram in the ME association, which I thought might be useful in showing the types of post viral symptoms and how they come about.