I’ve been battling what I believed was ‘Long COVID’ for about 8 weeks, now. My family physician concurs. But now I have all the worst symptoms at once, and am planning short-term drastic measures to try to knock it out of my system…
What I’m supposed to do
The doctor says I’m supposed to clear my calendar, and hunker down in my bedroom lots of hot tea, painkillers and reading material. I also have a television in my room, but I find I just fall asleep in front of it within a few minutes of tuning in something that looks interesting. I can stay awake for up to an hour at a time watching CNN – but only for about an hour in the morning and another in the evening. It’s so damned repetitive!
The general order of the day is to get as much rest as possible. Sounds simple. Hah!
What I am managing to get done
Is much less ambitious than the above official line prescribes. All I can reliably expect to achieve in a day is to keep up with my mail and write one post for this blog.
Thank the powers that be that Erin is able to help with the aid and comfort obligations I’ve taken on with respect to my elderly mother. On the other hand, the housework has faded into the mists of legend – maybe even myth – and none of us can hope to keep up.
Even though the thermostat is set to heat the house a firm, reasonable (in the circumstances) 24 F, it feels cooler. I have a big, fluffy comforter and several additional blankets at hand, but sometimes they still don’t seem like enough to fend off chills and shivering.
In short, 40 years ago I caught a particularly bad strain of regular, annual influenza. I collapsed at work and woke up a few hours later at home, on the living room couch. I was weak as the proverbial kitten, cross-eyed, dizzy and nauseated. A work colleague come in one or two times a day to make sure I stayed hydrated and didn’t get worse. I don’t see how I could have. That whole episode was the single worst 5 days of severe illness I’d ever suffered. Until now.
What I want to get done
I hope I can continue to stay warm enough in my blanket-heaped bed to allow sleep. I also how I can manage to fend off the wracking coughs and phlegm expulsions I experienced all last night at about 45 minute intervals. I am still having them during my waking times, about every hour and 15 minutes. That’s a lot of phlegm.
I also want to avoid at least some of the chest-burning coughing. It’s occurring in lock-step with the phlegm episodes. After two or three violent coughs in a row, I am dizzy, on the verge of passing out and so disoriented that I sometimes can’ remember what room I’m in or why I’m there.
I know you think I’m being an awful whimp about this, but I more concerned now than I was when I was when I younger. Now, I have mother’s welfare to consider and the bills. And the strength I have in me to resist the symptoms of this bloody, creeping, sucking disease is much less than I had 30 years ago.
I will go to bed now, heap on the blankets, and try to get some much-needed sleep.
Did I mention the headaches?
What I think I will get done
At the max, I think I can hope to approach absolute minimum levels of performance on the tasks I have set myself.
The question is begged: What will I want to eat, and what will I be able to stomach? The answer to both questions is probably tea and toast.
Will I try to continue to prepare food for other members of my family during my illness? No. That would be inconsiderate; risking passing it on to them.
And how long will it take me to kick this disease? I’m already fed up to my fevered gills with the bother, the frustration of the incapacity, the pain, and the boredom.
I’ll be checking in with you about this ugly situation from time to time. All you should notice is posts delayed by an hour or so some days.
Be well…
Do anything you can to avoid getting this COVID thing, whatever version is current where you live!
~ Maggie J.