Covid Chronicles: My journey through the wringer (Page 11/12)
solotwo NOV 27, 09:24 PM

quote
Originally posted by Boondawg:


I enjoy your writing.
I think it helps us, as much as it helps you.
And isn't that what writing is all about?

Maybe even what LIFE is all about! Get Well Soon!



I agree with Boondawg. Your writing is very interesting, helpful and a taste of reality. Keep writing it is helping us all.

Peace be with you.
Rickady88GT NOV 27, 10:00 PM
I want to thank everyone for their contribution and opinions.
Even if they differ from my beliefs, I recognize that to get through these troubling times we need to hear each other's concerns and inputs.
Synthesis NOV 27, 10:33 PM
Chris’ Covid Chronicles - Epilogue

I’m six weeks out from my release from the hospital, and I’m doing pretty darned good.

It’s been several days since the headaches faded, I haven’t had any nerve pain in the hands or feet for a couple of weeks now, and I’m feeling better overall.

It’s super easy to overdo it, and sometimes I’ll find myself gasping for air pretty hard while working through something that involves physical exertion. I attribute most of that to the lungs, but I believe it’s finally starting to lean back over the “I’m just fat and haven’t been to the gym in 2 years” side of the gauge… My trip to Hy-Vee on Thursday to pick up our pre-cooked meal was definitely lungs more than anything else when I finally got back to the car and had to sit there for five minutes to catch my breath, but for the most part I’m able to get around now.

My current issues are brain fog and just being exhausted all the time. Most days I want to get out of bed, use the restroom, and then crawl back into bed immediately and continue sleeping. Instead, I force myself to get up and “go to work” in the home office with a can of Monster, and that helps me perk up for a couple of hours.

The brain fog is not getting any better, but I do have some good days and some not good at all days. Several times over the last four or five weeks I have had to go looking for my cell phone, usually some time after lunch. It’s gotten to the point where I check the fridge or freezer first, cause that’s usually where I find it, next to something I pulled out for lunch. I washed my water bottle the other day with hot soapy water, and then set it down on the counter and squirted some Mio into it… While it was full of hot soapy water. I didn’t realize what I had done until I was back at my desk with a bottle of water that smelled suspiciously like soap.

I’m hesitant to complete some of the home projects I need to get done sooner, rather than later. I have two light switches that have failed and I need to replace them and get them linked back into the automation system, but I don’t think it is a good idea for me to start playing with electricity when I can’t even remember putting my cell phone in the freezer with the vegetables.

I keep doing stupid things because of it, and it’s beyond frustrating… But it’s a part of life right now, so I have to learn to live with it. Cindy has been a saint through all of this, only threatening to euthanize me once if I didn't get my **** together. The dangers of being sick and living with a veterinarian while you have a sizeable life insurance policy.

Anyway, I’m doing OK now, so this will be my last “about my Covid journey” post unless something happens to cause a set back.

Please stay safe. Wear your mask, wash your hands, socially distance, and if you can avoid going out at all, do so.

[This message has been edited by Synthesis (edited 11-27-2020).]

Rickady88GT NOV 27, 10:44 PM

quote
Originally posted by Synthesis:

Chris’ Covid Chronicles - Epilogue

I’m six weeks out from my release from the hospital, and I’m doing pretty darned good.

It’s been several days since the headaches faded, I haven’t had any nerve pain in the hands or feet for a couple of weeks now, and I’m feeling better overall.

It’s super easy to overdo it, and sometimes I’ll find myself gasping for air pretty hard while working through something that involves physical exertion. I attribute most of that to the lungs, but I believe it’s finally starting to lean back over the “I’m just fat and haven’t been to the gym in 2 years” side of the gauge… My trip to Hy-Vee on Thursday to pick up our pre-cooked meal was definitely lungs more than anything else when I finally got back to the car and had to sit there for five minutes to catch my breath, but for the most part I’m able to get around now.

My current issues are brain fog and just being exhausted all the time. Most days I want to get out of bed, use the restroom, and then crawl back into bed immediately and continue sleeping. Instead, I force myself to get up and “go to work” in the home office with a can of Monster, and that helps me perk up for a couple of hours.

The brain fog is not getting any better, but I do have some good days and some not good at all days. Several times over the last four or five weeks I have had to go looking for my cell phone, usually some time after lunch. It’s gotten to the point where I check the fridge or freezer first, cause that’s usually where I find it, next to something I pulled out for lunch. I washed my water bottle the other day with hot soapy water, and then set it down on the counter and squirted some Mio into it… While it was full of hot soapy water. I didn’t realize what I had done until I was back at my desk with a bottle of water that smelled suspiciously like soap.

I’m hesitant to complete some of the home projects I need to get done sooner, rather than later. I have two light switches that have failed and I need to replace them and get them linked back into the automation system, but I don’t think it is a good idea for me to start playing with electricity when I can’t even remember putting my cell phone in the freezer with the vegetables.

I keep doing stupid things because of it, and it’s beyond frustrating… But it’s a part of life right now, so I have to learn to live with it. Cindy has been a saint through all of this, only threatening to euthanize me once if I didn't get my **** together. The dangers of being sick and living with a veterinarian while you have a sizeable life insurance policy.

Anyway, I’m doing OK now, so this will be my last “about my Covid journey” post unless something happens to cause a set back.

Please stay safe. Wear your mask, wash your hands, socially distance, and if you can avoid going out at all, do so.



When do you start your heavy weight lifting training again?
Stay safe man.
solotwo NOV 28, 08:03 PM
Our Priest came down with the virus back in April. He almost didst make it. He said several times they though he wasn't going to survive. He still gets tired and has to rest. In mass today he said "I did the sign of the cross didn't I?" Then he said yes I think I did." "Covid brain makes it hard sometimes to remember. " So Chris hang in there and take it easy. You will gradually improve.

My ex wife came down with it but her experience was completely different. My adult children told me she was having extreme head aches and to her credit she wrote down everything, date, time, what was going on for several weeks and what she took. I guess the headaches went away but then she was acting goofy and I think the final straw was when she called one of the son in laws at 3:00 am not wanting to talk to our daughter and saying goofy strange stuff. One of my other daughters is a surgeon and they all had noticed their mother was real loony some times. They finally got her into a hospital, one of them that my surgeon daughter does surgery at. They were trying to get her into the psych ward. My daughter knew a lot of people at the hospital and had the head of he psych department evaluate her. He said she wasn't psycho, it was something else. Long story short now after being readmitted several times she is out and they now figure that the virus rather than attach her breathing and lungs went to her brain and caused the problems. She is getting a shot once a month I believe to help her improve and she can not be left alone at her home, so she is being rotated between my 3 daughters homes. She is slowly improving.

This is scary.

Chris take care and take it easy!

Peace be with you

[This message has been edited by solotwo (edited 11-28-2020).]

Raydar NOV 28, 08:13 PM
I'm happy that you are doing better. I hope you continue to improve.
It's a strange disease. My supervisor (and her husband) and my team lead (and his wife) have both had it. It has proven to be relatively minor for them, in the grand scheme of things.
OTOH, a friend of ours has been on a ventilator for a couple of weeks now. I keep checking her FB profile, looking for news of an improvement.

Personally, I'm still trying to not do anything stupid.
maryjane NOV 28, 08:44 PM

quote
Originally posted by Raydar:

I'm happy that you are doing better. I hope you continue to improve.
It's a strange disease. My supervisor (and her husband) and my team lead (and his wife) have both had it. It has proven to be relatively minor for them, in the grand scheme of things.
OTOH, a friend of ours has been on a ventilator for a couple of weeks now. I keep checking her FB profile, looking for news of an improvement.

Personally, I'm still trying to not do anything stupid.



That's one of the unknowns of any new affliction; how bad any given individual may be affected by it. From a 2 day old post on one of the military discussion boards I frequent:

quote
I'm sure you haven't heard but my wife and I both got the coronavirus and I've been really really sick for the past few weeks my wife almost died from it in fortunately the doctor pulled her through we were actually told he didn't know if she would make it or not she was listed as critical for three days and fortunately did a good turn around and is back home a ways to go but thank God she's still here.



He and his wife are about my age but were in better health before this setback than I am in regards to pre-existing risk factors.
Patrick NOV 28, 08:45 PM

quote
Originally posted by Synthesis:

Cindy has been a saint through all of this, only threatening to euthanize me once if I didn't get my **** together. The dangers of being sick and living with a veterinarian while you have a sizeable life insurance policy.



...

Your sense of humor has survived intact. I think you're going to be fine.
Raydar NOV 29, 10:32 AM

quote
Originally posted by Synthesis:
The dangers of ... living with a veterinarian while you have a sizeable life insurance policy.
...



My wife was a chemistry instructor. I get it.

Synthesis JAN 13, 11:22 AM

I posted this on my FB on Monday.


quote
Chris' Covid Chronicles - Coughing Up the Good Stuff

I'll have you know, my body only tried to kill me once today, and I won!

One of my issues while hospitalized for COVID in October was blood in my spit towards the more serious part of my infection. It went away after a couple of days and the Dexamethasone and Remdesivir treatments when I started feeling better, but I have had a lot of fatigue and breathlessness ever since.

For the last few days, I've been getting pressure and a deep-seated itch in the left side of my chest, down behind the rib cage, and have had some pretty bad coughing sessions which would aggravate the itch.

Today, I sneezed, and felt something twitch in my chest at the itch, which immediately sent me into violent coughing fit. My ribs and stomach hurt pretty badly right now because of how bad it was.

But, and here's where the graphic part starts...

I coughed up an inch and a half long blood clot that looked like a miniature tree. It was super dark, not fresh blood, but almost a purple color mixed with some mucus.

The good news is, I feel like I can take a deep breath for the first time in three months and I don't feel tired all of a sudden. The itch/pressure is gone, and I don't have a need to cough anymore.

The bad news is the psychological damage of seeing that thing come out of me will leave me emotionally scarred for life...



Where I'm at today:

Still feeling fatigued with general achiness that ibuprofen won't touch. Went into the ER the night after the clot came up due to pain in the chest again. Coughed up another clot, smaller in size... Breathing got better. Still old blood in the clot, back on blood thinners. Yay me.