Covid Lungs week 8 plus plus

[AndsLee]

Hope this has worked... Welcome all.

Hi @weaselwomble I'm sorry that you're having such an anxious time. Unfortunately twingy sharp pain is one of the few symptoms I haven't had so not much help I'm afraid. I think I'm in the minority though so hopefully someone will be able to give you some help/ reassurance.

@Whatnext2018 sorry you're so anxious too. I'm the same, and have also had widely fluctuating heart rate and big veins. Not much help for you either, but rightly or wrongly I've decided to ignore those symptoms, mainly because of my mental health. I only use my oximeter if I feel ill/ light headed etc and therefore now don't know if my heart rate is low! I'm not sure if this is the right approach, and maybe you should ask your doctor, but for me I think my anxiety/ over monitoring is not helping my progress. I actually did have a D-dimer at the end of April and it was fine. They did it in A&E. I think there'd be no harm in requesting one, as it certainly eased my mind.

@fedupofbed You’re so right, but its become almost addictive now to keep checking it and I really know you shouldn’t 😬🙈I have to stop.

I had a blood clotting type test a month ago and all clear but it wasn’t D-dimer and I’m thinking anything could happen in a month.

My dp is gonna think I’m nuts if I say I want a test just for the sake of it 😬

How are you feeling now @fedupofbed? Are you seeing any improvements at all?

Oops, sorry for cross posting @Lightsabre!

Great advice there, and I remember you posting (seems like ages ago now!) about calling the BLF and the potential recovery time from pneumonia.

I hope you're having one of your better days. Like you I wake up most days feeling like I've been in a pile up. And then even days when I wake up feeling a bit lighter it can quickly wear off. The last few days have been particularly bad with shortness of breath, I'm so fed up with feeling like this. Yes, we will get there, we must, but it'll probably be a while longer yet. But oh, the awful drained feeling that descends. It's like all the energy runs out of my face and there's a pressure pushing down on my head and shoulders and squashing me up like I'm in a car crusher 🤕

@fedupofbed thanks for asking after me. I'm sorry to see you're still struggling with this. The fracture pain improves a little some days and then I'll get a setback and have a period of more intense pain for a few days. Two steps forward and one step back, but I'll get there. Fractured vertebrae are always a long job, unfortunately.

I agree this can feel like having been poisoned though, and that's disconcerting and anxiety provoking at times.

@Whatnext2018 I had to stop checking, it was sending me crazy. Even the act of putting on the oximeter raises my heartbeat now. We've all been so ill, it's bound to have had an effect on our mental health. I used to go to bed at night thinking I wouldn't wake up in the morning.

Re the D-dimer, I don't think there's any harm in having it for peace of mind. I just had some repeat bloods done (but not D-dimer) just to make sure everything's still okay.

@Whatnext2018 thank you for asking.

I'm taking each day as it comes. I had a few days of horrible swollen oesophagus problems and these have now subsided. My sleep is a bit better - reckon I'm getting about 6-7 hours now with less interruptions.

Today though I've gone back into jittery 'fight or flight' mode, like I've drunk 10 cups of coffee! So I'm working on my inner calm and have just made a healing music playlist. Think I will have to give in and go on the anti depressants though (if you were to read back all my posts over the last 6 weeks this is a recurring theme!).

@Whatnext2018 how is all your tingling/numbness? Has that improved? Mine's gone for the moment, just pops up sporadically.

Hi all, new to the thread. Sorry if this comes across as a rant.
I am a HCP working in the local hospital.
For the past few months, like many Care workers etc , we have been looking after covid patients.
We were fighting this before it had a name.
So .
I am self isolating due to symptoms, I've been swabbed. Awaiting results.
Apparently according to some folk I know on sm, it's my own fault for working on a covid ward!
Our ward is an elderly ward and one of the worse hit in the hospital. We used ppe. I washed my hands until they blistered. I did everything possible to keep not just myself but other safe. And this is the response.
Sorry just need to get it out of my system ☹️
I feel rotten

Has anyone had a negative test and then a positive antibody test? I’m thinking of getting one after my negative test as I feel so dreadful, not normal for me after a bug.

@fedupofbed It ‘Seems’ to have calmed a little (god, I feel so reluctant to say that I’m case it comes back!)

Last had it properly on Saturday when we went for a little picnic with our Dd
(so can’t be anxiety as was a lovely time, it’s definitely better though so far, touch wood)

Today is all about constant sneezing and runny nose, not sure if hay fever or what, but have taken an anti-histamine, it does sod all, but in terms of symptoms, it’s one that isn’t a problem!

I’ve also had the worried I won’t wake up in the morning, last night I was literally sat with the oximeter on me, I have to put it away and make a rule to only check twice a day for example and that’s it.

It’s so hard to know what’s anxiety and what isn’t, I hate that awful fight or flight feeling. Have you tried Valerian? I’m currently taking three per day for a while now instead of the prescribed benzos, they help a little and before last night, I was falling asleep normally again, so they may be with a try?

I haven’t had the oesophagus problems, but I’m expecting them as we all seem to be following a similar pattern more or less 🙄

drinking I think social media is best avoided anyway (I don’t include support threads on MN in this!) but I am sorry that people are being so unsupportive. You have been doing a wonderful and very undervalued job and I think it must be very difficult emotionally and physically. I do hope that you recover soon. It is a rotten virus but the main message from these threads would be rest as much as possible.
I appreciate this is not the point of your post, but have you got a good cream for your hands? I personally find diprobase good.

Thank you for all you do *@drinkingwineoutofamug and start planning a gift for yourself with all the money you will save now you have to drop idiots who blame you for your getting ill.

@Egghead68 Thanks so much for sharing the yoga video, i did it today and really enjoyed it. Planning to do it daily this week. I'm not on Facebook so i'd be very grateful if you could share any other ones. It feels so good to be doing something healing, even if its just a baby step

@KatySun & @SunshineCake . I feel pretty rotten atm.
I'm treating myself to some more plants for my garden for when I recover. My garden has been my much needed down time.
Hope everyone here starts to feel better soon. X

Week 11.5, I have spent most of the day dozing in bed. My head has been buzzing and I’ve felt very tired and nauseous. I’ve also felt far too hot and sunburned, even though I’m not. I also feel as though I’m full of concrete, I hope the fatigue means I’m actually getting better.
5mg of proprananol twice a day is keeping my HR in check, for that I’m grateful at least.
I often feel better in the early evening for some reason.

Nice to see you @baroqueandblue. I am sorry you are still suffering. I hope your fracture is healing.

@Lightsabre fingers crossed you can spring out of bed soon and the sob goes. I am glad you plan to push for a further assessment rather than being fobbed off with anxiety.

@fedupofbed you are very good with your diet. I need to take a leaf out of your book. I also need to learn from you and stop measuring my heart rate several times a day. It doesn’t help really. I’m glad your sleep is better. I am sorry your anxiety is bad at the moment.I like the idea of your playlist.

@applesnapple27 I think we’ve all felt it is never going to end. Some of the longtime posters are nearly recovered though now.

@weaselwomble how awful to be going though this after significant bereavements. I’m not surprised you are very anxious. If you need to go to hospital you need to go.

@whatnext2018 sorry about your anxiety too. I haven’t had a low heart rate but I had a week of very low blood pressure. It’s very frightening. I hope your sneezing stops and turns out to be hay fever.

Hello @drinkingwineoutofamug. Sorry people are blaming you (!) and thank you for the work you do. Hope you get well soon.

@hollieberrie I am glad you found the yoga helpful. I haven’t tried it yet (I can walk 3-5K steps OR do yoga but not both atm) I will try to post the next ones as they come up.

@crayfishforyou I’m sorry you are feeling so gritty. Early evening is my best time too.

I’ve got this burning (?) bottom of throat / oesophagus today again. It just baffles me - is it like an actual sore/scratchy throat or is it from reflux (I don’t really have it as such in the regurgitation sense). Anyone similar?

@fedupofbed I too have ditched the oximeter, it really wasn’t helping my mental health. My sats haven’t been below 96 this whole time, I doubt it will start 3 months in.
The slack group is talking about how many people improve after 12 weeks. Seeing as I’m more bed bound than ever I don’t think I will be in this group

drinking I love buying plants. My garden has been a bit neglected as I have been ill for so long now but one of the garden centres near me does deliveries so I can look at the lovely offerings online. I hope you will be back outside in your garden soon

I am in a lot of pain this evening. I walked two miles yesterday to go to the doctor and today I convened a meeting online and then attended another, which was too much sitting. My chest feels as bad as it did in the early weeks and I am in bed already. The DC are downstairs playing Monopoly. At what point does chest pain become a cause for concern? I am going to lie on my front and see if it helps.

For those with the strange menthol sensation... I read today this is possibly GERD/LPR related. The theory is you're tasting regurgitation of toothpaste... Seems feasible...

Hi all, hope you're all holding up!

Positive tail - day 11 of feeling relatively ok! Lingering symptoms are rash/sunburn sensation and strange dusty throat for short bursts. Famous last words...

I have a chest X-ray on Friday, hopefully I'll have some answers for the reasons for all the mucus that I'm still producing. There will be blood tests as well, I've been told, though probably not then.

I'm still having a temperature going up most days as well.

@Whatnext2018 I have some herbal tea before bed with some valerian in, but probably not enough. I also have a bit of CBD oil. Glad the numbness has calmed down, let's hope we're through it (though I have found things do come back but more intermittently). Hope you escape the oesaphagus and I escape the sneezing!

@drinkingwineoutofamug 💐

@KatySun I'm sorry that your chest is bad again. I really hope you can rest tomorrow so that you can recover properly?

@Crayfishforyou maybe not at 12 weeks but in small steps we will get there. We will throw away our oximeters, wear proper bras again and drink wine!!

@AndsLee whoop whoop, 11 days of recovery is very encouraging.

@Egghead68 I hope you've had a good day too.

Wishing everyone a productive sleep. Xx

@fedupofbed
Thank you for the shout out. I'm omitting the random aches and pains, but these I can get up and about with. We're going to get there... I'm almost certain of this now.

Evening all, 13 weeks today.
Feeling pretty fatigued but have a good couple of days, little in the way of chest pain and temperature has not been getting high like it was 1-2 weeks ago.
For me my temperature often seemed to spike with heart rate, since I've been (mostly) successful at keeping this under 110 I'm seeing less of certain symptoms.
Or it could just be time that is helping...
I think I'd want to get to 2 weeks of feeling reliably good/better before I could start hoping I was even approaching the other side of this.

Only a week or so to go until my period, hasn’t been too problematic so far (keeping everything crossed) the last two were bloody awful.
TMI warning, I had not particularly suffered toilet probs until the last few days. Hard to know whether it’s related or just some other issue. I’ve been going 2-3x more than usual. Telling myself that my body is purging the virus!!!! Heart rate continues to reduce which is great.