To make a thread for those who have just tested positive

[ContemplatingLife435]

Thought I'd make a thread for those of us who just tested positive within the last week to help each other through our covid journeys

I seem to feel at worst between 5pm and 5am - I can feel semi human lazing around in bed during the day - sometimes I can even watch something or type a post on MN - but as evening comes the sweating, struggling for breath and feeling like I might die seems to re-emerge.

I had diarrhoea all day yesterday which was miserable, but last night I really crashed. My skin was bright red and burning like I had sunburn, I couldn't speak or move without getting breathless, my heart was racing and I had an aching weakness in my upper arms. DH wanted to call 111, I grudgingly agreed but he's a goof and called "911" instead - which put him through to emergency services. Yes, he called me an ambulance.

I was mortified but hadn't the energy to argue so they came and did my obs anyway. They said with my results (high temp, increased heart rate, and reduced sounds in my lower left lung) they could take me in for further tests, but I declined - my sat's were OK and if they weren't worried then I didn't want to waste any more of anyone's time (an ambulance, for goodness sake - don't, I feel bad enough). But I did ask them if there was anything available at hospital that was better than paracetamol - if they'd have said yes, I might have let them put me on the truck.

But they gave me quite an enlightening lecture on how the paracetamol wasn't working because I hadn't eaten anything for 3 days - you really need to be taking food on board. I didn't know that. And that if I could manage to eat, I could intersperse with ibuprofen. And that was the only way I would realistically start feeling better, and in hospital they would simply insist that I eat anyway.

After 3 days of eating nothing, my stomach felt contracted and queasy and the very idea of putting any food in my mouth made me heave and panic. It was hours until I managed to choke something down, but they were right - the effect of the paracetamol on bringing the temperature down was far more significant once I had even a tiny bit of food in there.

I'm feeling loads better at the moment, I've eaten a banana and a slice of toast this morning and taken all the drugs (DH has even got me on the rehydration sachets now) but I'm dreading that early evening slide. How can I stop it? I was ready to give up last night, I couldn't cope any more. Technically I'm on day 9 since symptoms first started, but only day 4 if I'm counting from when it actually floored me. How long were you all in bed?

How is everyone else feeling?

BillyDaveysDaughter - you sound like you're really suffering. I hope things start to improve for you. I didn't know that about paracetamol and food. Sending

Had a test last a Tuesday and received a positive result Wednesday evening. I was really shocked and DD's test was negative.
I've not had a temperature or a cough and no breathing difficulties as yet
I do have a very bad headache. Scratchy throat and feel like I've been kicked round the block a few times. Also very weird itching under my arms and strange taste in my mouth.
I was amazed to find that I dont have to test again after isolating to get a Negative result!

@BillyDaveysDaughter, if you can look up the My Lungs threads on here from earlier in the year. There were lots of us suffering the same as you and it might help you to see what others did. Try to eat small amounts, regular paracetamol, lots of us ended up on Amoxicillin for secondary throat infection. Armpit/shoulder pain was common - glandular and pleuritic. Ask for a chest X-ray from your GP. Take high strength Vit C, Vit D and Zinc.

Today has been a good day. Temp has been kept at bay with religious drug imbibing, headache just about bearable except when coughing, and I haven't felt anywhere near as ill. I've been laying watching endless re-runs of Gogglebox, eating a slice of toast for every ibuprofen dose. It's nearly 7pm and I haven't hit the downward slope yet - fingers crossed, maybe I'm over the worst.

I did attempt to have a shower earlier but had to abort mission and collapse back into bed, I was too faint. I changed my pants though, that's a good thing right?

Still no smell or taste. Cough is on every out breath but is just an annoyance.

Get well soon everyone!

Hi unfortunately joining you all. Started with symptoms on Saturday, High temp, splitting headache, body aches.....positive test yesterday. Today temp and headache seems to have went, still full body aches, coughing more and diarrhoea. Think my taste is starting to disappear too ☹️.

BillyDaveysDaughter I hope you have a better night tonight. My brother spent several weeks sleeping in a recliner chair as when he lay in bed he felt like his throat was clogging up. When I had pneumonia a while ago, I found a v-shaped pillows helped prop me up.
Get well all.

Morning all. Just had my positive results through. DH just getting the cough now. I have 2 DS and one has asthma and autism so he’s really anxious about getting COvid... he started backing out if room when I said I’d been tested yesterday 😌... really not sure how this will pan out with ya all in same house..

Us all🙄

@LavenderBee same, two boys here with Autism and I'm feeling really quite poorly. H convinced we carry on as usual.. thing is I can't because I'm so sick! Boys are a little freaked out 😐

Joining too :( positive test yesterday. Secondary school teacher. Ache all over, headache won't shift, bit of a cough, knackered. But was knackered anyway to be fair!

I'm on day 7 of symptoms, 6 since positive test. The head cold really set in yesterday to add to the aches, headache, sore throat and cough. Have been completely isolating in bedroom and ensuite for a week now - it's the right thing to do to protect rest of household but slumped here watching TV all day is not helping me feel better.

Day 11 of symptoms, day 6 since positive test (the same 6 days I've spent laid up in bed).

DH called the 111 covid19 helpline again yesterday, as I'd been curled up in a ball for hours and when he attempted to rouse me, my top half was red and burning like sunburn, bottom half was mottled like a dead body, and my lips were blue. I couldn't move without coughing and getting breathless and I couldn't speak easily. After the usual rounds of all the same bloody questions (have I choked on anything in the last 24 hours? Have I consumed anything poisonous? Have I been to Denmark?) it was decided that I needed a clinical assessment to check my oxygen levels. They email my GP to say I'm going to be calling them, instruct me to wait 10 minutes then ring them myself and ask for an assessment. They'll either arrange a home visit or send me to a "hub". A hub? I can't even take myself for a piss, I ain't getting in no car.

Somewhat doubtful about my GPs willing participation in this arrangement, I follow the instructions. Sure enough, I get through to be told that I have to go to their website and fill out one of their complicated forms to submit my case. I just hung up.

So I didn't get an assessment, but fortunately I didn't stop breathing and die in the night either, so I guess that's OK then.

I still feel hideous, although on a scale of 1 to the night the ambulance came, I'd say I'm at about a 5. I've managed to force a digestive biscuit down with some tea, hopefully it'll stay down.

And it's just struck me that my employer changed our sick policy just as the pandemic broke - I need to check to see how long I've got before they cut my pay.

How much longer can this go on? I really want my mum.

Hello to you all.. I’ve been reading the thread and sending you all love and hope for healing. I tested positive 2 days ago. My symptoms are cough, kidney/back pains, metallic taste now lost taste, aching limbs and hands, bad stomach, wheezing, lethargy, nose feels like does when got too much chlorinated water up it 🙃...chills/sweats..headache
I was sure I had covid in March.. no tests then but felt the same. My parents both have it.. we think dad got it in hospital appointments for cancer diagnosis. He’s had an important test delayed now as COvid positive and has now been told he has to test negative before the procedure can be tried again. Really worrying as I have read that you can keep testing positive for COvid once you’ve had it, as some of viral trace lingers. I hope not... time is so important here.
It’s hard to self isolate with children at home isn’t it! My boys back out if room like I’m the great unclean unless they’re hungry🙄😂

My boys back out if room like I’m the great unclean unless they’re hungry🙄😂

Haha, that properly made me laugh! I caught DH hiding behind something when he was sorting out stuff on my bedside table last night. I don't blame him!

My cousin has offered to buy us essentials and drop at front door whilst spray painting it with a black cross 😂
@notroundthebend how are your two dc with you now? My ds with autism has started buying into conspiracy theories and I’m erring on the side oh temporarily letting him think that this may all be in my head 🤯🤯🤯as opposed to the fear he had when I confirmed I had Covid.
Reading all this makes me want to get out a mega phone (when I don’t sound like I’m on 80 rothmans a day) and shout about how many symptoms there really are... agree so much with pp that there’s no wonder cases are still increasing when everyone’s been told there are only 3 or 4 main symptoms. Utter codswallop!😂

I know @LavenderBee it's madness isn't it. I mean I know they have to be cautious but I think mild cold symptoms should be there.

For me it was crippling hip and back pain, and skin pain like shingles.

Well I have to go and have the test again as inconclusive from Monday! Pretty evident to me as my body has been battered quite frankly. Icing on the cake.. my morning coffee tastes vile. So here I am looking like a proper horror movie minus coffee having to drive with the boys in the car to get another test at 12.30. H gone to London (don't get me started) ... claiming he's better!!!

Yes to back pain.. Sunday/Monday am I lay awake wondering why my back hurt. Very sore still and the headache is just not shifting at all.

Got a positive result this morning less than 24 hours after taking the test. I think I had it last week but nothing but mild body aches, headache and fuzzy head. Symptoms worse Monday night, aching all over and shivering and woke with a cough Tuesday, hence went for a test. Feeling a lot better today apart from a slight cough and heavy head, but that’s mainly due to not being able to sleep well at night. Up every two hours and feeling generally restless. Can’t stomach much food but that’s not a bad thing. Could do with definitely shifting a few stones.

Hope everybody is recovering ok. It’s more the exhaustion that I’m struggling with probably not helped by the fact that I can’t eat much or get a good nights sleep.

I am in this never ending argument with DH over eating. His view of eating is that food is of the Gods and the cure for all ills (broken leg, eat, sickness bug, eat, coronavirus, eat) and that NOT eating is also the cause of all ills. So the fact that I am incredibly weak and exhausted is because I haven't eaten much for 6 days, and nothing to do with the fact that my body is being systematically taken apart by this virus.

Unless I start eating immediately, I am not going to get better. Oh tell my body that then. I had half a cup of tea and a digestive earlier, and that just came exploding out of me (so diarrhoea on day 8 and day 11).

I was always taught that your body tells you what it needs, so as long as you were still drinking it did no harm not to be taking solid food on board until your body tells you it can cope. I just have no appetite, but I have a BMI of 36 so I have plenty of reserves. He gets really huffy and annoyed about it and withdraws all help - he just had to help me back to bed after a bath because I felt like I was going to faint, so he had a go at me about not eating, threw the towel on me as I collapsed on the bed and said "I'll leave you to it." And flounced off downstairs.

Why can't he be a little bit kinder?

Morning all,
DD and I got a positive over the weekend, both have loss of taste (her more than me) and general patheticness.
DH is feeling crappy and so we’re testing him later.

I’m getting more and more snotty which I wasn’t expecting. Also I have a bit of a cough and my legs are like absolute jelly. Trying not to constantly predict where I’m going with it.

Oh and l also had back pain the couple of days before and after my positive. It’s mostly better now.

@BillyDaveysDaughtersorry you haven’t got your DH being a bit gentler there.. some people aren’t so good with the bedside manner are they🙃.. I had a shower and went all dizzy as I was drying off too.