Last day of isolation today. I am feeling better but not recovered.
Yesterday I had some alarming swelling , hive like rash on my feet and pins and needles in my hands. I had to take off my rings as my hands were air swollen. In the afternoon my lips started swelling (doubled in size). I phoned 111 (took an hour to get through), and after I gave my symptom info a clinician phoned me back 30m later. During this time I sent OH to the shop for some piriton.
111 advised I went to the walk in centre, gave me an appointment and then called me 20 m later when I was about to leave. The walk in has no facilities to separate covid positive patients so I couldn't go there. So it had to be A&E. By this time my swelling was vastly reduced, the antihistamine having done its trick. I waited in A&E for 2.5h. I was seem by a triage nurse who was obviously not alarmed as I looked ok by this point (although I had photos showing the extent of the earlier swelling). I was on the Red corridor in A&E and was closed into a freezing cold room (I get i needed to be isolated, not complaining, but lord it was cold).
I felt totally fraudulent wasting time in A&E and also knew I could be there for hours more. The nurse came along to stop a machine that had been beeping for two hours. I must have looked miserable as he raised the subject of me discharging. Given I'd obviously taken the appropriate course of action and my symptoms had improved. He told me it could be another two hours til the doctor could see me. So I agreed and left under strict instructions to return if the swelling started again.
It may have been different if I had seen the consultant but none of the staff I saw/spoke to had any inclination to link the swelling to covid. They were treating more like an allergic reaction that had settled. I have since read up on the covid zoe page re skin symptoms including urticaria and swelling and cant see how this could be NOT related. Either way there will be no linking of this set of new symptoms to my covid experience within my medical records. It was very odd, and I am pleased to say I've had no further face swelling today, although I cant check my hands as I appear to have lost my rings since I took them off yesterday.
I continue to feel like covid is the kind of illness where you are still very much on your own until your lips turn blue. The development of the illness is so varied between individuals and there are so many symptoms that we are probably not capturing information on, as all of the evidence re treatments is based on the most serious cases who require hospital admission.
I understand that my illness will be categorised as 'mild' in that I dont require an admission, but it is nothing like the mild illness my OH had.
Today's new symptom is pain in the soles if my feet when I walk. Like, the type of tearing feeling if you've ever had plantar fasciitis.
So weird.
Hoping for a better day today, for me and you.