BY DENISE WAINFORD
On Christmas Eve, I started to feel a cold coming on. I dosed myself up & continued as normal.
By Christmas Night, I suspected it could be COVID-19, I was feeling very tired, with a lack of energy, headache, nausea, my face was beaming red. I knew I had a temperature without even taking it.
I have the home flow tests, but it read negative – odd as I felt so bad. Boxing day I knew what it was my symptoms increased, I was cold but sweating, loss of appetite, sore joints, sore eye sockets, weird dreams unable to stay awake. I had an unsatisfiable thirst; I could not drink enough water even through the night. I used tiger balm on my aching neck & joints, & paracetamol for all the other symptoms.
I managed to get a test arranged at the local test site, however I did do another flow test which came out positive this time.
I should add my 15-year-old had come down with it, as had my two grown up daughters (as we are all in the same bubble) My son fortunately only had the severe fever & feeling of a cold. My two daughters had the same as me, we had all gone down with it at the same time. Then the grandchildren had symptoms, the 13-month-old & the 6year old, their symptoms were of a bad cold & feeling unwell & miserable. Off they went to their local test site. Their results took a week to return, positive.
To no one’s surprise, my test came back positive: self-isolation for 10 days. That was a not a problem as I had not been out of bed. A friend had had it before me, so she gave me recommendations like, try cup a soups, keep drinking, try a ginger shot for energy. I was literally counting each day away, hoping the next day would be better. By around day 3 or 4, my taste had run away, not wanting to stay with me anymore. The breathlessness after trying to move around was unimaginable, I felt weak & vulnerable.
How long was this awful virus taking, the grandchildren seemed to recover quicker than the adults did, thank heaven.
By day 9, I felt stronger I started to be more active although brief due to the breathlessness, up & down the stairs was as much as I could manage. I could not say for sure how long it took me to recover completely as it seemed a slow process. I have since found out that I have COVID-19 markers on my lungs, we are not sure what the implications of this are long-term as this is all so new to the medical field.
I feel I must say, I was dubious about the vaccine, & refused this first time around. How I wish I had not done that. I was surely paying the price as was my family, thanks to me.
I have just had my first vaccine. I know there are concerns for long term side effects of a new vaccine. Truth is I do not wish this virus on anyone, if I can play a small part in decreasing the spread I will.