COVID long-termers 14 weeks+

[isitorisntit]

Welcome all. I'm sad that many of us are still here but at least we have each other. The other thread is full, hence this new one.

Welcome anyone else who is struggling with a long recovery from COVID. They're a supportive lot, here.

@Egghead68 fantastic news, you give us hope! Thanks for updating and hope you continue to feel better and better.
Feeling sleepy today and enjoying being able to rest a lot. Not had much of the other symptoms over the past week, so hopefully the fatigue will dissipate with rest and pacing

@Egghead68 Great news, is your breathing all ok now?

Thanks everyone! Hi @Moodgie my breathing is fine now (despite my severe asthma - my GP thinks the huge amount of meds I take for it largely protected my lungs). My heart rate is still a bit high but coming down and I get the odd chest pain. Otherwise (touch wood and everything else) I seem to be fine. Hope you are doing OK.

Oh brilliant news @Egghead68 It gives hope that maybe we can all get through this. I’m possibly a similar amount of time but not there yet. What would you say were your final main symptoms and did you take/eat/do anything that you think helped?

Glad to hear @Egghead68 and thanks for popping in to tell us too. Gives us all some hope that one day, we may be where you are.

And yes.... I'm a little jealous too! 😂😉

@Moodgie how is your breathing?

@Kitcat122 It’s up and down, good days and not so good days when it feels like my eosophagus is constricted / the air I’m breathing feels not clear. But I have been doing a lot, 2 days in school last week, lots of walking. How are you?

@Moodgie sounds the same as you. I'm back at school full time and coping with that fine. It's just my breathing seems stuck at the the same place. I still couldn't do any exercise.

@Egghead68 noticed you hadn’t posted for a short while. Great you’re in such a good place

@Kitcat122 I still have the morning rush and some finger joint pain in the mornings but I can handle these. The breathing is the main thing - and it does feel stuck, I just feel Like it’s been the same for ages and I just got used to it. I am 4 months tomorrow. How about you?

@Moodgie I am 4 months next week. Like you I can't decide if I am very very slowly getting better or just getting used to living like this 😕

@Kitcat122 have you had any input from doctors?

I have spoken to my doctor twice and told probably Covid and they are seeing people take a long time. Spoke to a different doc about 3 weeks ago who ordered blood tests and chest xray which I am still waiting for. But none seem overly interested which is annoying as I never use the doctor so hardly a hypochondriac. Will feel better when I hopefully get a clear xray.

@Kitcat122 I had one a few weeks ago, clear - I am sure yours will be too. Keep me posted please!

@alittleprivacy don't blame yourself.

I'm a veteran of post viral fatigue turning into ME and I knew by the third day this virus had the same make up that would potentially trigger ME for me.

I have instigated an almost perfect recovery phase of rest and support and yet here I am; still buggered!

I blamed myself in the same way 17 years ago and wasn't risking that again.

Some days I feel I'm recovering and then I dip badly for little reason.

Heading to week 16.

Oh @stayathomegardener I'm so sorry 💐. I thought you may have been getting better as we hadn't heard from you for a while. What are your ongoing symptoms?

@Moodgie thanks will do x

@fedupofbed I'm improving as in I'm certainly doing more, cooking meals and up most of the day but then consequently I'm too foggy brained to go on line and communicate in a reasonable way much in recovery downtime.

My chest and rib pains have almost gone, back pains are kept at bay with The Back Pod.

Acid indigestion has returned which gives me sob symptoms not o2 related now, sweating and chills, dizzy after eating, mild neuro stuff, stiff neck, pains in limbs and obviously the ever present fatigue.

Starting to see some interesting blood results now, my rheumatoid factor is very high so that's being investigated further this week, and a referral offered. Cholesterol is also unusually high, thoughts behind this is cholesterol is flooded into the bloodstream to repair arterial damage.
Testing next week to look at adrenal function with a saliva test kit.

Hopefully should be a little clearer once I have all collated.

Hi all, still here, still not quite right day 119, beginning of week 17 I think. Either way I fell sick at the start of March. I have returned to work though I am still not right I am better than I was. I am very tired and have been sleeping a lot when I can which helps.

Finally something!
www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-53291925

Ha @Moodgie I just came on to post that! At last!

@stayathomegardener I hope you continue to improve slowly, but sorry you still have all those horrible symptoms. I was interested by your blood tests - I don't think I've had any of those.

@pinkoneblueone good to hear from you too, and glad you're going in the right direction,

I read that BBC article too but I thought the service described is aimed at people who were in hospital with COVID-19, isn’t it? That’s not a complaint, it is really important for them to have one place to access ongoing support.

But it didn’t feel like it is a service for the objectively milder (but still very detrimental) long term symptomatic patients. Sorry if I missed something though. I’m just relapsing into exhaustion and headaches, earaches and nerve prickles again and the feeling of dread after doing a normal stressful full time working week and looking after children. I am just so fed up with this virus now.

Looks like it’s for everyone:

“ It will only be accessible via a personal log-in and will be available to virus patients who had to be treated in hospital, as well as to those who managed their illness at home.”

@Fishflakes it's definitely for people who've managed at home as well. 2 phases - the first rolling out this month is an online portal, the second, later in the summer, involves tailored rehabilitation. Way too late for us but at least things are moving now.

I'm so sorry you're having such a relapse. Must be so difficult working full time with all this.

Morning all, Glad the NHS are finally introducing support for long term sufferers. Symptoms for me started mid March and I'm now feeling 95% and don't seem to be getting any relapses, which is positive. The ENT clinic checked my throat, but couldn't see any serious issues and said the sore throat was probably post viral and GERD. Been taking lansoprazole for two months, but it still doesn't seem to be working, as I still have a sore swollen throat, so going to speak to the GP again this week. Pleased to see some of you are getting better and I hope others will start improving soon.