If you’ve had COVID what gifts did you appreciate?

[Couchto5ktowine]

If there’s a thread on this I cannot find it... So I have a single friend with COVID. I’d like to send something but have no idea what. So if you had it (especially if you lost smell and taste) what did you really appreciate?

A friend sent me a good book, a lip balm and some cookies. All gratefully received but in all honesty it was the thought that was so touching - I was feeling so low.

Wouldnt bother with cookies if your friend has lost her sense of taste.

My friend dropped flowers, and biscuits and lots of junk round for me. I was so touched.

The offer of shopping. Which, when dropped off, was accompanied by a bunch of flowers.

Daynurse! I could order anything else myself but Daynurse has to be ok'd by a pharmacist, and with four of us taking it a bottle didn't last long!

But other than that, I just wanted to sleep and be warm, so maybe something like a blanket, soft socks, a hot water bottle type thing?

I was too unwell to appreciate any food or drink items but I was really touched when a friend sent flowers. I just appreciated regular contact to be honest, it was the most lonely and terrifying experience of my life so it was lovely to know people cared. I couldn't always reply right away but it was nice seeing the messages when I felt up to it.

Pain killers.

Friends have said soup was all they could face and that those cool sheets for headaches were good. Lucozade and day / night nurse. It’s the thought that really counts x

My neighbor brought flowers - I couldn't find the energy to put them in a vase & they stayed in their wrapping in the utility room. It was a lovely thought though. A friend brought a gift bag of all sorts including a lovely jar of lemon curd - for a few days when I lost my appetite it was all I managed to eat - just what I needed!
Also agree that someone standing on the doorstep was the best possible gift ever - whilst I only had mild symptoms the fear of getting more ill was terrifying & having that link with the "outside world" was so helpful.

+1 for Daynurse, shopping and regular contact. I got some bubble bath which was nice too!

Friends who offered to do some shopping and my sons friend who drove 10 miles on Boxing Day evening to pick up a prescription from a chemist...yes my poor son had shingles ! Any act of kindness was so appreciated.

Regular texts to check in (but not asking if they are better yet, I was properly ill for about ten weeks and then had post-viral symptoms), shopping (that was a godsend as I was on my own with two DC, so yes, another one saying just contact and any shopping which might help.

Yes. To regular contact. The self isolation for me was far far worse than the Covid. I'm so glad I decided against shielding.

I had a thread last weekend about my friend with covid and got some good ideas.
Along with some requested shopping I left a bag for my friend on doorstep of.....
Migraine cool sheets
Paracetamol and ibuprofen
Vicks vapo rub
Lucozade
Strepsils and cough sweets
Jelly sweets
Berroca

When I had It friends sent me pamper packages for when I felt better that included hair and face mask , hand and foot treatments and my fave chocolate and wine and another friend sent me her Netflix password 😂

I'm not sure I would have wanted someone to make a shopping trip solely to buy me something. Food/pain killers/prescriptions are essential yes but maybe just staying in touch by phone or video calls is better than an extra trip to the shops or to spend too much time browsing

Someone will be along to call me a spoil sport or lockdown fanatic soon, I know

Well, no Flax my friend got shopping for me when she was doing her own shopping, obviously.

I was so touched by everyone’s kindness - things I appreciated were gifts for DS to keep him occupied, also they got their kids to FaceTime him and sneakily checked he was okay at the same time.

For me, flowers that came in a vase ready (bloom and wilde were so appreciated but I was too knackered to chop stems and put them in vases) smoothie drinks so I could feel I was getting nutrients even if I couldn’t taste. Trying to think what else? Ready meals that Ds would eat and I could prepare quickly for him.

Really I just needed to sleep and my worry was for my son, so anything that made that easier for me was such a welcome help. People checking in abs saying “no need to reply, just thinking of you” also very very appreciated.

Please don't ask everyday how the person is, I found that especially stressful as it took a long time to recover. Just check in and chat

Well, no Flax my friend got shopping for me when she was doing her own shopping, obviously.

That's why I said not "solely"

McDonald's

Vick inhaler stick
Black currant lemsips
Ice cream or lollies
A flowering plant that can be thrown on the side with no effort!!!
A ready meal.

Hmm, some interesting thoughts here. I am doing daily text checks (without asking how she is) mainly because she lives alone and I’m worried about her. She’s insisted she doesn’t need food or anything delivering. I may wait a bit longer and then aim to send lovely beauty/food gifts. No idea where from but I’ll update if I find anywhere good that can deliver as one package!

I live alone so the isolation was the worst part, as luckily I only had a headache and the loss of smell. Got flowers and chocs off friends and family, which was lovely but as I didn’t feel ill felt a bit weird!

When I was isolating because husband and 2 DS were positive (My Dh was really poorly) my friends were great- it was the regular calls, the offers to pick things up from the shop (genuinely wanting to help) and offers to walk my dog. A couple of really good friends bought round a home baked cake and bottle of wine - for me no the sick DH though !

Some ready meals, breakfast bars, anything that can be kept by the bed