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Covid

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Original poster

Looking for some positive stories about Covid recovery.

48 replies

Bookridden · 14/10/2021 10:40

I'm on about day 10 of Covid. I've been very unwell, but I'm now beginning to feel better. However, I've been left tired, anxious and generally depleted. I'm also really missing my sense of smell. I'd love to hear some positive stories of people who were unwell and then got better, as I'm thinking it could cheer me and other sufferers up. In particular, when did your smell return? What helped you? What was a realistic recovery timeline? Thank you.

OP posts:

einekleinenachtarbeit · 14/10/2021 23:55

Only 80% recovery and still tired, personally I wouldn't be doing 17,000 steps a day.

BoomChicka · 15/10/2021 00:17

I was still knackered on day 10. Went to a festival on day 11 and powered through, then to a couple of big work events through the week. Felt very tired that weekend but then it lifted. I think some of the tiredness was lethargy from 10 days cooped up. My taste took about 6 weeks to return and I'm still 'off' some food I used to enjoy, but I managed an endurance event about 9 weeks after covid so I would say I'm fully recovered.

AvoidDairy · 15/10/2021 07:14

@einekleinenachtarbeit

Only 80% recovery and still tired, personally I wouldn't be doing 17,000 steps a day.

Thing is everyone has a different normal to get back to. If you normally run marathons then just walking 17,000 steps a day is 80% of normal. For me it would be more than usual but not outside the bounds of normal. My husband is a sloth who works at a desk all day so 1,000 is probably his normal!

einekleinenachtarbeit · 15/10/2021 07:55

Agree to a certain extent. I’ve got long covid, was pretty fit before, pushed myself to be up and about and in the end scuppered my recovery. I was so worried about losing ‘form’. In the end I lost it because I failed to listen to my body. There are lots of stories like mine. So the advice I would give is rest, rest and rest.

FakeFruitShoot · 15/10/2021 13:20

Thanks @einekleinenachtarbeit

I am having a nap every day and resting as much as possible but I need to get the kids to school (and home again)... 20-25k steps is perfectly normal for me.

I have cut down on social walking and "for fun" exercise. I agree covid has a long tail on it. 80% recovery is subjective, it's the mental tiredness and low mood that's a struggle. It's just such a broad ranging virus, isn't it?

EmmaMaya · 15/10/2021 13:42

I am very glad to find this thread and keen to read positive recovery stories too! Glad to see so many have positive experiences to share.

I am on day 23 and still struggling mainly with breathlessness and exhaustion. I am waiting for an xray back from the hospital and the doctor is telling me to rest. Hopefully I start to feel better soon!

Did anyone else struggle with breathlessness? The doctor has told me to keep checking oxygen stats and as long as they are ok I am ok but this is really giving me anxiety.

einekleinenachtarbeit · 15/10/2021 14:35

Not breathlessness as such but a tight chest, like my lungs had no room to expand. It’s an awful feeling isn’t it ? Hope you are feeling better soon x

EmmaMaya · 15/10/2021 16:44

@einekleinenachtarbeit

Not breathlessness as such but a tight chest, like my lungs had no room to expand. It’s an awful feeling isn’t it ? Hope you are feeling better soon x

It really is an awful feeling - what day are you on @einekleinenachtarbeit?

einekleinenachtarbeit · 15/10/2021 21:24

@EmmaMaya month 10 but I have LC. I don't really have that symptom now. It went after about 6 weeks but was my main symptom in the acute phase.

savagebaggagemaster · 15/10/2021 21:39

I had Covid and came out of isolation two weeks ago. I'm still quite tired but my taste/smell came back after day 6 and the breathlessness stopped this week. Dh still has a persistent cough in the evenings though this has improved. DC (teens) were poorly for a couple of day each then back to normal. I hope you feel better fast OP.

Lessofallthisunpleasantness · 15/10/2021 21:41

You guys that were so ill, had you been vaccinated? My boy has it and I am keeping well away from him as don't want it. Even the vaccinated are getting it aren't they!

CatAlice · 15/10/2021 23:05

[quote Bookridden]@CatAlice - I'm so pleased you are feeling better. Do you mind me asking what treatment you had? Also, how have you coped mentally ith the trauma of being so ill? This is a big problem for me.[/quote]
I had oxygen, dexamethasone, IV antibiotics and tocilzumab.
Mentally I'm fine. Glad to be alive. I was mentally ok throughout which I put down to having had 3 years of pretty awful health issues.
@Lessofallthisunpleasantness - yes double vaxxed but I'm one of those for whom it doesn't work so well due to the drugs I take.

Bubbublish · 16/10/2021 00:10

Yes, I was double jabbed.

I was on CPAP oxygen for the first 6 days then weaned onto a normal oxygen mask, IV fluids, IV antibiotics, remdesivir, dexamethasone, tocilzumab, tummy injections for blood clots twice daily, anti sickness drugs, ECG, CAT scan with contrast, chest x-ray.

It was a horrible and scary time but I got through it!

Flidina · 16/10/2021 00:28

@Bubbublish

I was very ill in hospital for 10 nights with covid and pneumonia in August. I was on oxygen for most of the time and thankfully didn't need to go to ICU. Taste is pretty much back to normal now but although i can smell most things I can also smell smoke alot of the time, weird! I survived and thankful to be here

I smell smoke too! It's weird. Ive been very ill for 2 weeks, literally couldn't get out of bed, still very fatigued and breathless and coughing, feeling faint and dizzy, still no sense of taste or smell, apart from the smoke smell, can't wait to start feeling better.

HumunaHey · 16/10/2021 11:35

Just following for the positive stories.

I'm a week in and just can't help feeling frustrated that I don't feel just a little bit better yet.

I have such intense fatigue, I can barely do anything. Doesn't help that I am also breastfeeding.😑

LauraJinass · 16/10/2021 12:15

@HumunaHey when I was breastfeeding I felt wiped out all the time without covid. I would say eating and drinking lots is more important than ever for you. I’m forcing myself to see more than usual (was dieting so keeping a food diary) and despite this I’m losing weight.

LauraJinass · 16/10/2021 12:15

Eat, eat more than usual, seeing food wouldn’t help!

CatAlice · 16/10/2021 13:19

@HumunaHey

Just following for the positive stories.

I'm a week in and just can't help feeling frustrated that I don't feel just a little bit better yet.

I have such intense fatigue, I can barely do anything. Doesn't help that I am also breastfeeding.😑

I think that the severity of covid takes many people by surprise. It seems many people barely notice it the symptoms are so mild, the media promotes the idea that in "most" people it's a mild illness and so many people who say they've had worse colds lead us to believe that unless you are vulnerable and elderly you won't be too bad.

So if you are unlucky enough to get more than trivial symptoms it's quite a shock.

Most of us are used to colds which are miserable but short lived and not debilitating. Proper flu that puts you in bed is worse but most people haven't experienced real flu. Covid in my opinion is far worse than flu.

Medically I think it's classed as mild if you don't need hospital treatment but really in a healthy adult you have to be pretty poorly to be admitted to hospital.

LauraJinass · 16/10/2021 13:43

I’ve had flu and covid, flu was worse.

HumunaHey · 16/10/2021 16:14

@Laurajinass Oh absolutely. It's just that I'm finding it so incredibly hard to eat. I can barely muster the energy and it's a horrible cycle - I manage to eat a little something so build up a tiny bit of calories/energy but then I have to feed DS and lose all the calories I just consumed. It's just horrible. I'm hoping i suddenly take a turn for the better in the next couple days.

LauraJinass · 16/10/2021 16:26

It will take you longer to recover if you are feeding a baby, some of it will be normal mum tiredness. If you’re not feeling better soon it would be ok to reduce feeding as a happy healthy mum is very important to your baby.

QueenofLouisiana · 16/10/2021 17:58

I tested positive 4 weeks ago. I returned to work (teaching) 15 days after testing positive.
Being honest, last weekend I went for a 20 minute walk and then slept for an hour. Today, I’ve done a gentle amble around a National Trust place for two hours and I’m feeling pretty good. Still not quite there, but about 200% better than 7 days ago. I struggle to wear a mask and exert myself though.

Redruby2020 · 16/10/2021 18:37

Just had Covid in the last couple of weeks. First week was hell, not going to lie. But by the end of that week, and because I had no choice, I had to get up and do things, which may have lifted me a bit. But I also know it's because I was feeling better, so the two went hand in hand.
The second week was better, but just felt quite tired, a bit low, things still taste funny or different to me a bit. I have a cough still but a lot less and had higher anxiety from isolating so long, ended up doing a second isolation because of the date the NHS logged me as doing the PCR test from, so I did feel strange when I first went out.

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