My Covid experience (so far)

Just a slight heads up, I'm suffering with brain fog. Writing can be ok most of the time as long as I don't try to think too much. Reading is probably the hardest task for me to do so I won't be reading back through this to see how things make sense and there may well be more spelling mistakes than usual. I'll be writing without too much planning so not sure how it will come out.

TL;DR

I'm fine. Serious things were ruled out after a visit to the hospital. Now I'm in a 'long recovery' with no idea how long that will last.

Pre-Covid

Mid May I had my first vaccine. Around a week later I had what I described at the time as the worst cold I could remember. Was really rough for a couple of days and had lasting effects for at least a few weeks, mainly lower energy and some chest issues but nothing too serious and I was testing negative throughout.

Symptoms start

Saturday 19th June. I was feeling quite rough and sluggish. I often get tired towards the end of the work week so thought it was down to that and the previous bad cold I hadn't shook off properly. I was due to see my daughters so took another test to be safe and still negative so went to see them. Was quite tired and light headed at times but not overly concerned. Next day was similar, with a bit of added wheezing when I was walking quickly to try and keep up with my daughter on her bike.

Monday I was knackered but ok. Managed about 6.5 hours of work. Tuesday it felt like flu had hit, I didn't get out of bed and just wanted to rest and recover to get back to full health. I felt so bad I didn't even think about testing myself.

Wednesday I was still feeling bad but better than Tuesday. Decided to do another test to play it safe as I was sneezing a fair bit and had a bit of a temperature. I had a slight cough but figured that was just from dry/sore throat and was a bit tickly. Expected a negative test and was quite suprised that it almost instantly turned positive.

How did I catch it

We'll never know but in the window they gave me the only times I went out was the school run (a walk of a few hundred yards each way, all outdoors) and a shopping trip to Asda. Asda is the most likely but no way to tell for sure. I wore my mask and used hand sanitiser on the way in and out. This is one of the most annoying bits. I've been avoiding going out and being as safe as I can, I've hardly been out running with people and turned down the chance for an outdoor party for a good friends 40th as I just didn't feel comfortable in groups of people. I had been really safe but it still wasn't enough.

The next 10 days

The next 10 days are a bit more of a blur to be honest. I tried to keep working since I'm self emplyed I can't really afford much time off. Some days I couldn't work but most days I managed 1-2 hours although it wasn't the most productive I've ever worked. It doesn't sound like a lot and it wasn't but was still worth more than not working at all and claiming sick pay.

Symptom wise my chest got worse but not too bad. Breathing was hard and my blood Oxygen was down but nothing too serious or worrying, it mostly just felt horrible. Brain fog and concentration was a problem plus if I sat down to work I would usually have a pounding headache within 5 minutes. By the end of this period I could usually manage about 1.5 hours in the morning and 1 or 2 15-30 minute sessions in the afternoon when I tend to struggle a bit more. Cough was never a huge thing. Sneezing was bad for a couple of days and then eased off. I had a funny smell which I put down to a sinus type infection as that's what it reminded me of but rather than smell like something rotting it reminded me of when your nose gets filled with swimming pool water (it took me about 2 days to decide that's what it was, it was oddly familiar but hard to place).

Temperature was up but not a fever. My eyes get sore but that had been a thing for a few weeks so not quite sure if that's Covid related or not. Getting to sleep usually took longer than usual but once asleep it was good. Drinking was never a problem. My appetite was low/nothing but I could eat ok, was just a bit slower/harder than usual.

A bit of a change

About 12 days or so after my first symptoms I actually felt a bit better. I still felt awful but I told people I just felt like normal ill rather than Covid ill. I can't entirely remember the change but think it was my chest issues easing. I manage over 2 hours of work for the first time in a while but still felt pretty rough. Later that evening I had immense burning pains in my chest that were completely different to what I had experienced before. I had pain in my arm too but now it's all a bit of a blur so can't describe it too well. At the time I was more worried about a stroke than a heart attack as the left side of my face felt strange. No drooping and talking was fine, just felt tight/slighty swollen (but couldn't see any swelling) and the muscles would twitch a bit when tense. A week later and that's mostly gone, just feels tight near my jaw. Nothing to really worry about but just random stuff that can be another little worry on top of other things.

The chest pain would come and go but remained as the new burning sensation. Sometimes it would last for hours and sometimes just a minute. Usually the pain wouldn't get higher than 6 or 7. One time I just cried silently in bed not wanting to worry anyone. As horrible as this new pain was at times I wasn't too worried about it. I was more concerned with my circulation getting worse. I was starting to have trouble digesting meals and getting quite bad pains after eating. One of these times I was massaging my stomach and when I took my hand off I noticed it took ages (10 seconds or more) for my finger impressions to disappear. I tested on a few other places and it was the same so I figured the digestion problems may well be a consequence of poor circulation (something I knew could be a problem from running). This got worse over the next couple of days, my hands and feet were pretty cold (my wife said freezing) and if I held a cold drink it would take 20 minutes for my hand not to feel freezing and if I help a cup of tea I would have red patches where the skin touched the cup for over 15 minutes. My temperature was ok now but I would often have sweaty palms and soles of my feet.

Medical advice

It had now been 2 weeks since my first symptoms (this time around, I don't think the first cold was related but may have made things worse, no idea) and 2 days of the new symptoms. I started off rining 111 and it became obvious they were a bit worried about my new chest pains as it was a very different call to the one I had the previous weekend about breathing trouble and low oxygen levels. They never mentioned heart attack but it was obvious from their questions and not taking me through the normal questions and keep disappearing to talk to somebody else that they were a little worried. After being called back twice they arranged for me to go in and see an out of hours GP on Saturday night. Similar thing, he wasn't worried about my circulation (basically aslong as my feet/fingers had a pulse and nothing turned blue there's nothing to worry about) and was more worried about my chest. He done what tests he could and wanted me to go to A&E for some more tests. He wanted me to go that night but it was 10pm, I was knackered and my 9 year old daughter was waiting in the car. There was no emergency and he said things were probably just related to the chest infection. I decided to go home to bed and go to A&E in the morning.

A&E

I went to A&E this past Sunday with my letter from the GP. I waited for triage for about 30 minutes, was in there for about 2 minutes and the blood pressure cuff cause probably 100 blood vessels in my arm to burst. She didn't seem too worried and just told me to wait to be seen by a doctor. It was a bit of a rush/blur but I figured it was so quick because I was totally fine and she didn't want to hear too many details or was a bit more urgent. I was called through about 2 minutes later before any of the other people that had been seen before me and were waiting. I then had more obs done, blood taken and had a room assigned to me in Ambulatory care which I was lying in less than 10 minutes after going in to triage. Then 2 more nurses came in to do an ECG. Somewhere in there I had one of the hospital braceltes put on me but didn't notice until later, I was quite dizzy/spaced out that day and it was quite a blur. I still can't remember being told anything about what was going on so it was a bit scary to be honest. The doctor came in a little while later to take a pretty thorough history but again it was a bit of a blur and mostly talked about my chest and circulation. I don't think we ever talked about any head/eye struggles. She explained we were just ruling stuff out and I also needed a chest x-ray. I was told where to go for that but had to make my own way, I was feeling spaced out and not even walking totally ok so was quite a strange experience wandering the halls and trying to find my way back to my room after. About an hour later we had all the results and could rule out heart muscle damage, blood clots and pnemonia. I was told I'm probably going to have a long recovery from Covid (that was expanded on apart from the Dr saying she had it and it took 5 weeks), if I get any worse (again not really explained) to talk to my GP/111/999 and then if I had any questions. Like I say I was pretty spaced out so didn't think of anything right then and was left to just leave when I wanted.

Home

To be honest that was the worst I felt. I spent the rest of the day in bed (I was at the hospital for about 4 hours and spent about 3 just lying down with my eyes closed) and can mostly feel ok if I'm just in bed. Something as simple as making a drink will take it out of me but that just usually makes me tired and unwell rather than totally sick or exhausted so that's good. This week I've been managing around 2:45 of work a day which is an improvement. I'm still getting tired/exhausted and my head can feel funny but I don't get the really bad headaches I've had over the past 2 weeks so that's definitely nicer. I've never felt spaced out like I did in the hospital so I half wonder if that was also anxiety related. I do struggle with thinking and making decisions and definitely have brain fog issues. Chest pains are a lot less now. Coughing fits have been up the past couple of mornings but I think that's a good sign and just phlegm loosening off from the chest infection improving. Temperature is mostly fine. Palms and feet still sweaty but not as bad. Heart palpitations can be pretty strong but having the all clear from the hospital is re-assuring with that. I sometimes walk funny when I get up, a bit of a waddle as if I'm sore from riding a horse and/or leading slightly backwards. Not sure what that is about, probably a slightly strange thing that doesn't mean anything and will soon go away. Digestion is still an issue but probably slightly improved. Trying to do things to help with that. Circulation is similar, still not what it should be but not as bad as it was. Probably some other bits I can't think of at the moment but felling exhausted and wanting to get away for my afternoon nap. I have one nearly every day. Technically not a nap as I don't sleep but eyes are closed and just get to rest everything.

Moving forward

No real plans. If I'm still the same the end of this week or beginning of next I'll ring to talk to my GP not sure when I'm meant to do that to be honest as what I've read on long covid is basically just get on with things. I may wake up fine tomorrow or be no better in 6 months wheich is quite hard to wrap my head around. I've loved runnning but not too fussed about getting back to that and not too worried about my chest aslong as it's not dangerous. I want to be able to think properly again though. Get back to being able to work close to properly and feel like it's safe for me to drive.

I'll probably write a bit about my recover in the future. Mainly as a record for me in case I need to let any medical people know as it can be pretty hard to keep track of things.

Anyone still reading thank you I guess. I wanted to try to explain what's been going on a little but no real goal to it. No sympathy is required though, it's been tough but I've been very lucky compared to a lot of people. And I do feel lucky and grateful for the health I do have.