Come for the politics, stay for the snark.

Stop using mental illness to avoid talking about armed white supremacy.

This has so much WTF written all over it that it is hard to comprehend.

So it was an October Surprise A Day, like an Advent calendar but for crime.

Dear media: perhaps we ought to let Donald Trump speak for himself!

It’s easy to sit in safety and prescribe what other people should be doing.

Something needs to be done about our bogus SCOTUS.

Polls are now a reliable indicator of what corporate Republicans want us to think.

Republicans: slavery is when you own me. freedom is when I own you.

“Everybody’s entitled to be an idiot.”

The arc of the moral universe doesn’t bend itself. it’s up to us.

The worst democrat is better than the best republican.

How any woman could possibly vote for this smug smarmy piece of misogynistic crap is beyond understanding.

There is no right way to do the wrong thing.

Fight them, without becoming them!

This blog will pay for itself.

It’s a good piece. click on over. but then come back!!

SCOTUS: It’s not “bribery” unless it comes from the Bribery region of France. Otherwise, it’s merely “sparkling malfeasance”.

You cannot love your country only when you win.

How stupid are these people?

Peak wingnut was a lie.

Dear elected officials: Trump is temporary, dishonor is forever.

Tide comes in. Tide goes out. You can’t explain that.

Technically true, but collectively nonsense

When you’re in more danger from the IDF than from Russian shelling, that’s really bad.

You are here: Home / Healthcare / COVID-19 / Covid-19 and Me

Covid-19 and Me

by | 126 Comments

This post is in: ,

When I first posted this video on FB, I was thinking of family members. My brother and SIL both work in healthcare and I worry. I did not think I would be the first member of my family to need it. Everything he says has helped. Stay off your back and deep breathing are the best recommendations in my experience.

Sweet side note: this video was made for his mom, who was not doing well with Covid-19 and her doctor son wanted to send what help he could since he couldn’t be with her.

I thought I would share my experience in case it helps anyone else.

I am presumptive for Covid-19. More on why presumptive below. I’m on day 8 being symptomatic. I am concerned about how many days I was asymptomatic, but since I’ve literally only been out of the house for grocery shopping every 10-ish days, I at least know where and when I’ve been out. And also know where, unfortunately, despite taking great care, I was exposed.

My symptoms are mild- I’ve been sicker – but this is not the flu, cold or anything else I’ve experienced (and as an adult, I’ve had pneumonia, bronchitis, chickenpox and West Nile, in addition to colds and flu*). This is fierce, fast and troubling how hard it hit my lungs. I can easily imagine what it must be like for those who develop more and severer symptoms. And how they end up in the hospital.

Covid-19 and Me

My main focus for the past week has been remembering to breathe. It has been an effort since Monday night, when I walked into the house after putting the ducks to bed and suddenly could not catch my breath. I’m on 8 days of not being able to catch my breath. It’s a little exhausting. But, again, I am thankful my symptoms are as mild as they are. Breathing exercises, moving around, steam and sleeping propped up helped immensely.

When flatlanders come to visit Colorado and we go hiking at altitude, we always give them this warning: watch your breathing, we stop and take a break BEFORE you have trouble breathing, because you lose your breath at altitude and you’re not getting it back. That’s what it’s like for me, I lost my breath and can’t get it back.

Day 5 was the worst – imagine being underwater and realizing you’ve stayed too long, rushing to the surface to get air, lungs burning, as you try to get your breath back on the surface. Glad that was just a day.

Okay, I don’t want to bore you more with any more of this,  but I know the first question out of the box is going to be, have I been tested? According to the criteria, I do not qualify for a required doctor’s note to be tested. I’m not sick enough, I’m not a first responder, nor have I been in contact with someone specifically diagnosed with Covid.

But somehow Von Miller, who developed the exact same symptoms at the same time, had no problem getting a test. I think we all know the testing system sucks right now.

My phone call to the doctor’s office was basically, “yup, that sounds like Covid-19, stay away from here, stay isolated, call us if your symptoms get worse.”

That’s it. Which is why I say I have a presumptive case…

Now in fairness, if we were not in a pandemic situation, this would not have even warranted a call to my doctor.  I’m not that sick. I think mostly because I don’t have that awful fever. I don’t know how anyone handles what I’m going through WITH that fever, it has to be so very scary.

I have registered with the state for symptom tracking. I’m also hoping, as the governor talks about the stages of testing for opening the state back up, they’ll want to test more of us for the anti-bodies. So they have my contact information.

Covid-19 and Me 1

The critters and I are doing fine. Lots of people looking after us. The dogs are stir crazy without their daily walks and I have to fend off the friends who want to do it for me – but I can’t imagine, if I am positive, that their oily fur and leashes are not covered in germs. If I’m feeling well enough today, I may try and go   Felt pretty good and we went for a short walk. One block today…maybe two tomorrow, since I’m not gasping for breath.

Scary as it all is, 80+% of people recover. Many with mild symptoms like I’ve had.

Can I tell you how surreal it is, having these symptoms, and listening to asshats talking about reopening the country and “acceptable death toll?”

Nurse stands down RAM truck protesters
Meanwhile, in Denver, real heroes take to the street.

I’ve been too tired to read many posts or comments lately, so I don’t know how many of our commenters have been hit by the virus, but if anyone has had experience and has tips, take this opportunity to share. I know that the info I got from my healthcare worker friends was so very helpful and made it less scary as I waited to see if I was going to get worse before I got better.

Stay safe. Stay at home if you can. Wash your hands.

 

 

*five or six years ago, I had a bad flu and was in bed. My sweet little calico, Emma, was on the pillow above my head and started doing the thing cats do when something is dead or smelly, she’s started scraping and digging around me to “bury” me. So I must’ve been pretty sick. LOL She has attempted no such actions this week.

Reader Interactions

126Comments

  1. 1.

    Yutsano

    Oh no. Please do look after yourself. And here’s hoping the cytokine storm won’t hit you.

    On a lighter note: am I the only one noticing the buff nurse?

  2. 2.

    zhena gogolia

    OMG, this is terrible. I hope you keep feeling better.

    I have two young friends who “presumptively” had it, one in Spain and one in Russia. They are both fully recovered now. But they had mostly fever, fatigue, and no smell — not the breathing problems.

  3. 3.

    Brachiator

    Please take care. I hope that everything turns out well.

    In my family, we have a pair of cousins by marriage, two sisters, who have been diagnosed with the virus. So far, they are doing well.

  5. 5.

    West of the Cascades

    I’m so sorry for you and hope you heal soon – and happy to hear that your case seems to be running its course without threatening your life, but furious that you can’t get a test and confirmation of that in this country at this time. I just spoke with clients this morning who have three elderly relatives in and near NYC who have contracted it and who also have been told they are “not sick enough” to be admitted to the hospital. It’s really helpful to have posts like yours to drive home how dangerous this virus is despite our best efforts — I need to redouble my care when I have to venture out to the grocery store, or maybe look into a delivery or pick-up next week (the local stores’ pick up slots are running from four to seven days out).

  6. 6.

    J R in WV

     

    Best wishes for you and your pack, TaMara ~!!~

    If you are already getting better, able to walk outside and look at the Front Range, that’s good news.

    Please keep us posted on how you progress each day, we want to know you’re OK.

  8. 8.

    Lyrebird

    All good thoughts for your swift recovery!

    Thank you for lifting us up so many times and in so many ways!

  16. 16.

    SWMBO

    I had respiratory therapy last summer/fall.  One of the things he does in the video is inhale through the mouth.  I was taught (and you have to deliberately think about it at first) is to inhale through the nose and exhale through the mouth.  Sit straight up if you can and don’t slump.  They set up our exercises then checked our oxygen after each exercise. If you have an oximeter, check your oxygen level after doing what the doctor in this video recommended.  Document the pulse/oxygen.  If it goes below a certain amount, call your doctor.  This number varies for each person.  If my pulse was above a certain number and my oxygen was below a certain number, they wouldn’t let me stand up.  Others who were on tank oxygen had different numbers to meet the criteria for their problems.

    I have a cpap machine and they tell you to sleep on your back if you can. I have had pneumonia from having bronchitis then sleeping on my back.  If you can’t sleep face down, sleep on your side. If you have a cpap, USE IT!

    They make pillows for reading, watching tv, etc  in bed.  They can help with breathing issues if you have to sleep on your back.

    Also, wash your hands.

  19. 19.

    prostratedragon

    Sorry to hear, TaMara!

    Do you have a pulse oximeter device? For those who don’t know, they’re like an alligator clip or clothespin that’s worn on a finger for a few moments, and reads out pulse rate and estimate of oxygen level, at least at the point of attachment. (Edit: available through the usual sorts of places, including Walgreens or CVS generally, for about $20.) A resting person should be at least at 95 percent. Persistently below that, or if you don’t recover to that level after moving around, and the doctor should know. (I don’t, chronically, which is why I use supplemental oxygen.)

    Here are some respiratory therapy tips. The post specifies COPD patients, but I went through the same program and don’t have it. The pursed-lip breathing and diaphragmatic exercises are good for anyone.

    @Yutsano:
    am I the only one noticing the buff nurse?
    You are not.

  20. 20.

    Josie

    Sorry you are having to go through this, but glad that you are recovering.  Please keep us posted and hug those sweet pets.

  22. 22.

    sgrAstar

    Dear Tamara, so sorry to hear that you’ve caught this blasted thing. One of our nieces had it- be careful, because it can come roaring back if you do too much, too soon. In her case, doing too much meant going for a walk. Ugh!

    Easy does it.

     

    ?

  23. 23.

    CatFacts

    Oh, no! I’m glad you’re on the mend. I think I may have had it in March. One week feeling like I had a slight cold, one week of feeling mildly short of breath, followed by two weeks of intermittent nausea, fatigue, and a mild dry cough. Never got tested because I never had a fever above 99.3, but it was the weirdest illness. Fair warning: if what I had was covid-19, it takes for-fucking-ever to go away, and you may have a week or two of fatigue to get through after the main symptoms leave.

  25. 25.

    R-Jud

    I had presumptive COVID starting March 18th. 10 days of fever, coughing, sore throat and loss of taste, followed by 10 days of sudden dives into exhaustion and breathlessness. Never deteriorated to the point where I needed the hospital, and frankly I have had far worse coughs in the past (pertussis, about four or five years ago–tore cartilage in my ribcage I was coughing so hard). The fatigue is real, though.

    I’m much improved over the past 7-10 days. I’ve even been running a little, and can now taste things other than “salty” and “spicy”.

    One thing I will say is: do NOT do what I did and try to steam the breathless feeling out with a hot bath. In my experience you will just make yourself feel sharply worse.

    Your approach to gentle exercise sounds about right. Take it easy on yourself.

  26. 26.

    JPL

    Take care and from reading others accounts, you think you’re over the hump and you’re not.   There’s also a big mental component to it, so remember you are not alone.   Take care and share whatever thoughts you want with us.

  27. 27.

    Jim, Foolish Literalist

    take care of yourself, and best wishes for a full and speedy recovery

  28. 28.

    Elizabelle

    Scary!  Hope you continue on the mend, and JPL is right about the sudden downturn that is possible after apparent improvement.

    Hope you had lots of delicious homemade soup and goodies in the freezer.

  29. 29.

    Another Scott

    Yikes!  Thanks for the report.

    I’m glad you’re on the mend!  Take it slow and easy, watch your symptoms, and keep us informed on your progress when you can.

    Take care!!

    Best wishes,
    Scott.

  30. 30.

    ?BillinGlendaleCA

    @Josie:

    Stuck inside these four walls,
    Sent inside forever,
    Never seeing no one
    Nice again like you,
    Mama you, mama you.

    If I ever get out of here,
    Thought of giving it all away
    To a registered charity.
    All I need is a pint a day
    If I ever get outta here
    If we ever get outta of here

  31. 31.

    Odie Hugh Manatee

    I wish you the best and for a quick recovery!! I think I may have been hit with this in early February but I didn’t realize what it might have been until mid March. I had all of the symptoms; dry cough that produced nothing and left me winded after each bout of coughing, fever of 100-101 for five days, no sense of smell or taste and a feeling of being absolutely wiped out. The thing that threw me off was that I thought the shortness of breath was my asthma being triggered and while my albuterol inhaler helped it just didn’t last and the breathing problem would be right back. I’ve had the flu before (many times) but this one knocked me flat on my ass like no other and my lungs are still recovering from it. The thing that sticks most in my mind was the days of problems breathing and nothing seeming to be happening, that scared the shit out of me. I just about headed to emergency at a couple of points but chose to ride it out with my wife keeping a close eye on me. I would have gone to emergency if I hadn’t had that inhaler to hit on to give me some breathing room, that’s for sure.

    I’m hoping to be tested eventually but I’m still treating it as if I haven’t had it just to be safe. Please take care of yourself!!

  32. 32.

    PJ

    Good luck, and please call 911 if your breathing gets worse.  A friend’s cousin had presumptive Covid (not tested, of course), was instructed to stay at home and ride it out, and did, then started feeling better, and then was found dead two days later with his phone in his hand.

  33. 33.

    Tony Jay

    Yikes! Look after yourself, take things easy and binge watch zombie-comedies. Always works for me.

  39. 39.

    Sister Rail Gun of Warm Humanitarianism

    Samsung smart phones have an oximeter function hiding in the Samsung Fit app.

    Newer fitness watches are also supposed to have SpO2 sensors.

  40. 40.

    CatFacts

    Since you asked us to give tips and I may have had it last month, here’s a few more that I thought of. A pulse oximeter really helped my peace of mind. A humidifier at night helped. I also quit drinking caffeine while I was sick, since even one mug seemed to make my heart race. Feel better soon, and like everyone else says, don’t rush the recovery period!

  41. 41.

    trollhattan

    Get well, pronto! Your family here needs you!

    Also, ducks.

    Damnit, you’re exactly the person for whom our drive-through test station is intended. No such resource there, I take it.

  43. 43.

    Joy in FL

    I’m glad you’re doing ok. Sorry you had to be sick at all.Thank you for sharing your experience.

    Sending you kind and healthful energy : )

  46. 46.

    Wag

    In the past couple of days testing restrictions through my health care system in Colorado have been lifted. I can order tests on anyone who is a patient in our system. Reach out to your provider and see if their restrictions have been lifted, as well. I have sent 2 patients to a drive-through testing center since I came to work today.

  47. 47.

    Bluegirlfromwyo

    I’m so sorry you’re going through this. I’m also so angry that you and millions of others may never know what you have because of our failed leadership. Thank you for letting us know. Take care.

  48. 48.

    Timurid

    One of the scariest things about this story is those damned groceries. The ones that won’t buy themselves and will likely be the things that get many of us sick at some point. I’m thinking about that a lot because I’ve finally gone through all the supplies I’ve stocked up, and it will be time to go to the store this week…

  51. 51.

    raven

    Georgia is going for a partial opening.

    The governor’s order will allow gyms, bowling alleys, salons and some other indoor facilities closed under his shelter in place order to resume operations by Friday if they comply with social distancing requirements and meet other safety standards. And restaurants, which were banned from in-person dining, will be allowed to reopen on April 27 if they meet guidelines his office will release later this week. Theaters will also be covered by those new standards. Bars and nightclubs will stay shuttered.

  54. 54.

    Sister Rail Gun of Warm Humanitarianism

    @trollhattan: The flash, actually. The feature is hiding under the Stress section. I’ve found it very reassuring, since I have shortness of breath and headaches as part of my annual allergy season.

    There are apps that are supposed to do the same for other phones, but I’ve never tried them.

    It’s hard to get a finger oximeter right now. Not as impossible as a thermometer, but hard enough that a quick alternative is good.

  55. 55.

    Nicole

    TaMara, I’m so sorry, and glad that you seem to be on the upswing back to full health.

    My downstairs neighbor/good friend is also presumptive- she had a houseguest who got sick right after leaving and tested positive (works for Memorial Sloan-Kettering, so she was able to get a test), and then a few days behind the houseguest showing symptoms, my friend got sick.  She didn’t have much of a cough, other than one day, but had gastrointestinal issues (she lost 16 pounds over 2 weeks), and terrible body aches and fatigue.

  56. 56.

    Redshift

    Hope you feel better soon!

    Lung illnesses in general seem to linger. I’ve never had anything bad, but the Ms had pneumonia a few years ago and it took months before she was up to her usual energy level.

  57. 57.

    eachother

    Thank you for sharing TaMara.  My breath is short reading about you.

    I have shared the video with many.  And practiced it too.

    Be well.  I know our critters will forgive and forget.  And that your immunity will give and never forget.

  58. 58.

    SiubhanDuinne

    My governor is a fucking idiot. Although that’s really mean to fucking idiots.

  59. 59.

    cain

    Thanks for the report, and I’m glad that you are on the mend. It is a horrific disease from what everyone has described. I dont’ think people have any idea how badly it will hit you. It’s good to get these reminders to remember whey we are staying away.

    These asshats who are going around, they have no idea what they are bringing into their bodies. If they went through that 8-9 days of hell, I would think they would have some humanity in them to want to spare it for the rest of us.

  61. 61.

    Sure Lurkalot

    I sincerely hope your symptoms remain mild and your regimen continues to aid you recovery.

    Unless it’s too intrusive, TaMara, can you share the information as to how you believe you were infected?

  66. 66.

    banditqueen

    It’s great that you’re feeling better, but continue to monitor your symptoms and take things easy and slow–some people report feeling better for a while then troubling symptoms restart. The animals can help care for you, too, so if they whine a bit they want you to take it slow, right?

  69. 69.

    japa21

    I cane down with the flu beginning of February. Felt lousy enough to hit the ER. First thing they asked is if I had been to China or been around anyone who had. Then they stuck the swab up my nose and came back with the verdict. That was bad enough for me. From what you are describing your case is much worse which means if that is the mild version keep it away from me.

  70. 70.

    LeftCoastYankee

    Feel Better TaMara!

    I am a life long asthmatic, with a dread of any respiratory issues from colds/flus.

    I had it a few weeks back, and the thing which struck me most was the low oxygen symptoms without any major congestion or coughing in my case.  This could be because I started doing sinus rinses like a madman, and taking heavy duty expectorants right away, although now I’m not so sure.

    My head felt like a hazy pinada.  I remember getting up and moving around helped.  At one point I got on the floor do to some yoga “stretches” and it was like the light went back on in my head.  I assume it was an increase of oxygen levels, and then just acted like I always did when I had asthma attacks.

    The video and the folks above mention a lot of the breathing exercises, and sitting up.  Also, do something relaxing when your breathing feels stressed.

    And don’t go out for a few weeks, that’s almost as important as getting better.  Grocery delivery can be fun (not really).

  72. 72.

    Mary G

    Yikes, TaMara. Here’s to a fast recovery. And yes, Yutsy, that is one foine looking nurse. So brave and ballsy.

  74. 74.

    randy khan

    No personal experience, but someone I know had a bad case – and you really don’t want a bad case – despite being generally healthy and with excellent health care.  The key thing that I can pass on from his experience was that he was hospitalized twice: They discharged him because he had improved a lot and a few days later he got much worse.  (He’s been back home for a couple of weeks now and seems to be in good shape, at least based on what I see on Zoom.)  So, I think, the moral of his story is that you should be careful about any setbacks and respond accordingly.  And if a cat tries to bury you, call the doctor immediately!

  75. 75.

    Zelma

    So sorry to hear you were hit with it and I’m glad you’re feeling better.  My cousin had something dreadful at the end of February and she wonders if it was COVID.  Took her two weeks to feel human again.  We haven’t had too much around here in very South Jersey.  About 210 confirmed cases.  But only folks with serious symptoms have been tested.  I sure hope they develop a good antibodies test.

    Please take care and don’t overdo it.

  77. 77.

    MP

    @raven: Not only is he going for a partial reopening, but he’s forbidding municipalities with good governance (like Decatur, where I live) from being more restrictive. Assuming this blows up like most epidemiologists think it will, I don’t see how this benefits the Rs politically come November. D’s will crawl over broken glass while wearing N95s to vote them out.

  78. 78.

    satby

    Feel better TaMara! Glad that so far it’s been one of the “mild” cases, but take it slow and easy for longer than you think you have to.

  79. 79.

    Tenar Arha

    I’m sorry to hear this. Wishing you a very safe recovery, and wishing extra patience  for your cat(s), dogs, & ducks.

  80. 80.

    Whereaway

    I’m sorry you were that sick.

    Being in Colorado, I’m a bit surprised you couldn’t get a test.   I live south of you, in Colorado Springs.   Four weeks ago, all three of us in the household got sick.   My son spiked a temperature of 103.5, and had flu-like symptoms, but no major cough.  My wife had the same symptoms, but with a severe dry cough.   I had an elevated temperature, a mild dry cough, and mild congestion.   None of us had problems breathing.  At the time, we could not get testing as it was limited to hospitalizations and healthcare professionals.

    I was fully recovered within 10 days.  My son was fully recovered within 2 weeks.  At 3 weeks, my wife was still very fatigued, and her cough was bad.  We called our provider, they routed us to urgent care, and even though the doctor thought COVID unlikely, they tested her (she was negative).  I took my son to the same urgent care today for what’s pretty clearly a sinus infection (he’s prone to those), and they tested him for COVID as well, given his illness earlier in the month (no results yet).  I figured testing was starting to open up in Colorado.

    Despite getting flu shots this year, I suspect we had a flu.  However, I’ve read that 30% of tests produce a false negative.  In our case, I’ve started calling this Schrodinger’s virus.

    Reading Wag’s response and my experience, I think testing may have opened up here in Colorado – I would recommend calling your provider again.

    In the meantime rest and feel better.

  82. 82.

    Miss Bianca

    @Wag: Yes, I have been told my county (Custer) now has tests, and that’s a BFD, so I am betting some of the more populous counties have more now, as well.

    @TaMara: Yow! Take care! Sounds scary AF, don’t get cocky if you’re feeling better, kid – keep us posted. And thanks for the video and the Viking meme – I may have to post both!

  83. 83.

    Odie Hugh Manatee

    @TaMara (HFG):

    That’s what I thought about my inhaler (not working). I infrequently use them and they frequently expire, as was the case this time. I got a replacement and the problem was still the same so it wasn’t the inhaler, it was the flu. Scary shit and I was glad once I was able to beat it back, though my lungs are still in recovery.

  84. 84.

    Odie Hugh Manatee

    @trollhattan:

    The rest of my family are disgustingly healthy and were able to avoid it. :) A large part of that was that I pretty much self-isolated out in my shop while I was sick as I didn’t want to get my family sick. The person I think I got it from is a young and healthy friend from San Francisco who passed through town and stopped by for a visit. Five days later I was sick as a dog.

  85. 85.

    frosty

    Yikes, if you’ve got mild symptoms I’d hate to have serious ones. I echo everyone else’s concerns as well. Take care of yourself.

  86. 86.

    The Pale Scot

    I’m leaning forward sending out good Vibes Tara.

    Traditional Irish therapy: a dollop of Jameson’s in a bellowed glass, pour in some boiling water. Inhale vapor deeply until it cools.

     

    And it could be it’s not myth this time (maybe). There’s a paper out of a group in Tokyo(?) pointing out the lipid surface of the C-19 virus is more vulnerable to alcohol then typical flu virus. And a reaction on the lung tissue surface increases the ratio of alcohol to water initially.

    Couldn’t hurt.

  87. 87.

    Emma

    So sorry that you got it, despite taking all reasonable caution. Your case sounds very similar to what the author Courtney Milan has been detailing on Twitter for over a MONTH. Inability to do more than heating up soup before running out of breath, constant extreme fatigue, some funky heart stuff thrown in just this past weekend for her. (Edit: I think she also mentioned fevers that would come and go.) Also considered a very mild case, because at no point did she require hospitalization! And her husband is an ER doctor, so imagine the cases he DOES see…

  88. 88.

    Camcow

    That definitely sounds like COVID-19. You can tell by the difficulty breathing. To me it felt a bit like I was having an anxiety attack that wouldn’t go away.

    I’m on the tail end of a case we caught from my mother-in-law’s health aide. The aide didn’t show up for 2 days in a row, then called and said she was in the hospital getting tested for COVID. 4 days later, after we all started showing symptoms, she confirmed she had COVID. My wife and I both showed slightly different symptoms, got tested (in MA the standard is pretty relaxed for testing), and were confirmed positive.

    She had more classic flu-like symptoms that went away after a few days, except for the slightly greater effort breathing and she lost her sense of taste for almost 2 weeks.

    I had the dry cough, a tightness in my chest that didn’t go away for basically 2 weeks, general fatigue, a day of diarrhea, and 1 day when I was basically flat on my back all day. Other than that, I’ve had colds that were way worse.

    Our 13-year old daughter showed no symptoms whatsoever, though we assume she has it as we fix all her meals and she uses the same bathroom as we do.

    The interesting case is my mother-in-law, who is stage 4 COPD. We thought for sure that first weekend that this was it. Compromised lungs + COVID = we were all freaking out. She spent 2 days totally out of it, coughing, groaning, or asleep. Then she rebounded for a day, then was down for a couple more days and we were braced. THIS IS IT…and then it wasn’t. She rebounded again, was up and down a bit, and is now almost fully recovered. She is on hospice care so we had comfort drugs at the ready and couldn’t take her to the hospital, which was probably a good thing given how chaotic our local ER is. The hospice nurses didn’t come in while the house was in isolation, so it was all on us, taking care of her while sick ourselves. Luckily it stayed fairly mild for both of us.

    The biggest issue with COVID is you don’t know how you’ll react to it until you’ve got it. Likely you’ll be OK, but you just. don’t. know.

  92. 92.

    otmar

    A speedy and full recovery to you, TaMara.

    I also might have gotten it: body-ache, feeling cold, cough, temperature. Took me two weeks to get over it.

  93. 93.

    TaMara (HFG)

    @Camcow: Wow, that’s amazing.

    I was talking to a friend in MA this weekend and she was just appalled I couldn’t get a test.

    And yes, really don’t know until you get it … the first few days were the worst for worrying because I wasn’t sure what direction I was going.

  94. 94.

    debbie

    God, TaMara, I hope this passes quickly and as uneventfully as possible. Your calmness is remarkable.

    A member of my team at work (6 strong) died from Covid-19 last Thursday. I’m not sure I buy into this two-week incubation period, but there’s not much else to be done.

    Is it wrong to be crushing on that Denver nurse?

  95. 95.

    MomSense

    Tamara, I’m so sorry.  I will be keeping you very close in my thoughts.  Can we do anything to help?

  96. 96.

    Luciamia

    Tamara, all the best.  I think I may have had it second week of March. Like a lot of others, fever, aches and had fatigue. Also a weird brain fog that lasted for three days.

  97. 97.

    FelonyGovt

    TaMara, I’m so sorry you’ve been sick. Please take it VERY easy and take care of yourself.

  99. 99.

    WaterGirl

    TaMara, I’m not sure what to say. You’re young and strong, so that’s half the battle, but I’m half in a panic just knowing that you have it.  It would be so much better if COVID would play by the normal rules.  Take care of yourself.

  100. 100.

    Goku (aka Amerikan Baka)

    Sorry you’re going through this : (

    Be sure to take care of yourself and stay healthy. Keep us posted

  101. 101.

    AnotherBruce

    Keep in touch TaMara. I think the altitude warning was smart. Don’t do too much too soon.

  102. 102.

    CaseyL

    Oh, no!

    I’m equal parts scared for you and outraged that you can’t get tested.  I’m also very VERY relieved that thus far you’re pulling though OK, and have many people, human and non-, around to take care of you.

    If you know when you were exposed, do you mind sharing?  I’ve scarcely been out of the house for lo these many weeks and took precautions every time.  If you were that careful and still caught it, it would be good to know where and how (only if you don’t mind sharing).

    Pleeeeeaaaase get better soon.  {{HUGS}}

    PS – I sent that video along to a bunch of people – thanks for posting it!

  103. 103.

    TEL

    I’m also a presumptive positive for COVID, but not confirmed/tested. I caught it traveling to and from Washington state late January – very early on so I didn’t make the connection until later, after reading typical symptoms of mild cases. It is the weirdest illness I’ve ever had, nothing like a cold or flu. Because of the strangeness of the disease, I self-isolated almost for almost 3 weeks. Fortunately, I mostly work from home anyway, so self-isolation wasn’t too difficult. The symptoms didn’t seem all that bad, but it completely knocked me flat for 2-3 weeks – I tired out really easily and slept a lot. My specific symptoms included: (1) constant headache for over a week; (2) no taste or smell for 2 weeks; (3) I felt like I was only getting air through half a nostril at most – which was weird because I wasn’t stuffed up and had almost no mucus. I think the symptoms mostly stayed in my sinuses and didn’t reach my lungs, so I was very lucky; (4) Constant tiredness; (5) Mild fever for a few days. I had a light cough, but nothing too bad.

  104. 104.

    Amir Khalid

    Sorry to hear you’ve been sick. It’s a shame you can’t get tested when you should be. I hope you fet better.

  106. 106.

    MoxieM

    I hope you keep getting better!  Murphy’s walker is on hiatus and I can’t really walk, so she is stir crazy–although I take out to the yard a lot. (Total side isse my next door neighbor on one side is a complete jackass. After apologizing (again) for my dog who barks (because she cannot sing arias, and she is so very Pyr-ish), I suggested that the small bird/squirrel feeder he had placed directly in front of the wire portion of the fence, about 5 feet away, was an incitement to the dog’s noise. His response? “Are you trying to tell me what to do on my property?”  [no asshole, I’m just politely and calmly pointing out with common sense that another location would be, uh, smarter given his concerns. Like breeze through trees this guy.]

    So but my real actual question is abou5 lying on your front. Anyone with a bad lower back can tell you that lying on your front is somewhere between painful and agonizing.  So–since mine is bad enough that I have the aforementioned walking problems, what would any medicos, infected people, or others with relevant knowledge suggest. (And if the choice is dying, I’ll take that option please. Nobody should have to go through life in constant unremitting pain. It’s not worth it, not at all.)

  108. 108.

    CarolPW

    @MoxieM: Get a jet spray nozzle for your hose and use it on her when she barks. I was having the same issue here with Bisket – I am cabin crazy and she is spring fever crazy. And the neighbors are similarly unreasonably provocative, installing mylar spinning flower thingingies right along the fence. All I have to do now is pick up the hose and she shuts up.

    TaMara – not being able to catch your breath is one of the worst feelings. Very happy your health is improving!

  109. 109.

    cbear

    Coming out of the lurkosphere to wish you all the best and a speedy recovery, Tamara. Your dog and duck posts always brighten my day and you will be in my prayers.

  110. 110.

    Sandia Blanca

    @MoxieM:  I think the doctor on the video posted above said lie on your front or on your side. I also can’t sleep on my front, so side sleeping would be the option I would need to choose.

    There are bed pillows made that have a hole for your face–maybe something like that would help?

  111. 111.

    Emma from FL

    All the best to you and yours. My sister’s MIL is in the hospital again; she has severe lung issues due to a lifetime of heavy smoking. she was tested and it came back negative but this time around the doctor seems convinced it is COVID. They have been pretty much inside their home for seven weeks and neither my sister or her husband have had any symptoms at all. Now we wait. Again.

  112. 112.

    WaterGirl

    @Emma from FL:

    They have been pretty much inside their home for seven weeks and neither my sister or her husband have had any symptoms at all. Now we wait. Again.

    I wonder if this bastard COVID isn’t like that… we can’t let our guard down for a minute.  It only takes once, maybe?

  113. 113.

    TaMara (HFG)

    @MoxieM: I have a hip injury that means i cannot lie on my stomach, but I prop myself up on the couch with pillows and do a kind of side/stomach position that’s comfortable. I have a friend who gets pneumonia frequently and uses a recliner to sleep in that keeps her upright enough.

  115. 115.

    Ruckus

    I hope that every thing works out, that you at most have a mild case.

    Please take care of yourself as best as you can and get help if necessary.

  116. 116.

    Betty

    This disease is so weird. Every story you read details a somewhat different experience. Please get as much rest as you can and hydtate, hydrate, hydrate. Sending wishes that you keep seeing progress. As others have said, you can feel better, try to exert yourself a bit too much and get hit even harder. Requires lots of patience.

  117. 117.

    Emma from FL

    @WaterGirl: My sister is currently undergoing aromatase-inhibitor treatment for breast cancer and has a long existing but not life-threatening  heart condition. She is the queen of careful. But things happen and all you can do is cope and wait.

  119. 119.

    YY_Sima Qian

    I wish you continued and speedy recovery to full health!

    I am bewildered by the criteria for testing and treatment at hospital around the US, based on you account, other commentators here, as well as accounts I have read on-line. Your symptoms would probably be classified as “moderate” in China. So short of breath as to feel like drowning, presents real dangers of hypoxia, and for the elderly or those with co-morbidities, such conditions could progress to severe or critical very quickly (sometimes within 12 hours).

    I understand testing only severe cases, due to lack of tests. I understand hospitals taking only severe and critical patients, due to being overwhelmed. However, I thought Colorado’s hospitals are not yet overwhelmed? If there are still beds and staff available, why aren’t people with moderate symptoms being admitted and treated?! That is why Wuhan built the makeshift medical facilities, converted from arenas and convention centers, for mild cases. However, it seems such facilities in the US are not being used for the same purpose? Treatment guidelines in China would have placed anyone with difficulty breathing out of the makeshift hospitals and into regular hospital, on some degree of oxygen support, to prevent the patient from developing hypoxia in the first place. Keeping such patients at home, especially alone, is… taking chances…

    I am very glad you are through the worst of it. How will you know you have recovered and no longer contagious without testing, and the status of pneumonia without a series of chest CT scans?

  121. 121.

    Elizabelle

    Two words:  pulse oximeter.  Buy one, for maybe $14 to 20 at a drugstore or through Amazon.  Attaches to a fingertip and will monitor your blood oxygen level, painlessly.

    NY Times article.   I hope this is a free click for you, because it’s coronavirus-related.

    This physician is worried about silent hypoxia.  As YY_Sima Qian mentioned above.  

     A person with covid-caused pneumonia will naturally breathe more deeply and faster, possibly without a lot of pain, not realizing how the virus is invading both lungs until too late.  Monitor your blood oxygen levels.  Get help before the disease progresses too dangerously.

    The Infection That’s Silently Killing Coronavirus Patients
    This is what I learned during 10 days of treating Covid pneumonia at Bellevue Hospital.

    Author:  Dr. Richard Levitan, an Emergency physician.

    … We are just beginning to recognize that Covid pneumonia initially causes a form of oxygen deprivation we call “silent hypoxia” — “silent” because of its insidious, hard-to-detect nature.

    Pneumonia is an infection of the lungs in which the air sacs fill with fluid or pus. Normally, patients develop chest discomfort, pain with breathing and other breathing problems. But when Covid pneumonia first strikes, patients don’t feel short of breath, even as their oxygen levels fall. And by the time they do, they have alarmingly low oxygen levels and moderate-to-severe pneumonia (as seen on chest X-rays). Normal oxygen saturation for most persons at sea level is 94 percent to 100 percent; Covid pneumonia patients I saw had oxygen saturations as low as 50 percent.

    To my amazement, most patients I saw said they had been sick for a week or so with fever, cough, upset stomach and fatigue, but they only became short of breath the day they came to the hospital. Their pneumonia had clearly been going on for days, but by the time they felt they had to go to the hospital, they were often already in critical condition.

    … A vast majority of Covid pneumonia patients I met had remarkably low oxygen saturations at triage — seemingly incompatible with life — but they were using their cellphones as we put them on monitors.

    … [you can detect] silent hypoxia early through a common medical device that can be purchased without a prescription at most pharmacies: a pulse oximeter.

    Pulse oximetry is no more complicated than using a thermometer. These small devices turn on with one button and are placed on a fingertip. In a few seconds, two numbers are displayed: oxygen saturation and pulse rate. Pulse oximeters are extremely reliable in detecting oxygenation problems and elevated heart rates.

    Pulse oximeters helped save the lives of two emergency physicians I know, alerting them early on to the need for treatment. When they noticed their oxygen levels declining, both went to the hospital and recovered (though one waited longer and required more treatment). Detection of hypoxia, early treatment and close monitoring apparently also worked for Boris Johnson, the British prime minister.

    Widespread pulse oximetry screening for Covid pneumonia — whether people check themselves on home devices or go to clinics or doctors’ offices — could provide an early warning system for the kinds of breathing problems associated with Covid pneumonia.

  122. 122.

    YY_Sima Qian

    @Elizabelle: The NYT article is a perfect explanation for the “Early Treatment” prong of China’s “Four Earlies” strategy against COVID-19. I am also dismayed by the fact that medical communities around the world continue to rediscover what doctors in China have already learned by mid-February. I know hundreds of conferences calls have been arranged among healthcare professionals around the world to share information, but most of it appears to be happening at the grass root level, organized by individual doctors and institutions. There has to be a more efficient method. Where are the WHO, the national/regional governments and the NGOs in this? China’s National COVID-19 Treatment Guidelines, as well as handbooks prepared by several of the top hospitals in China, are freely available online, in multiple languages. I believe South Korea has a similar national guideline. Do Italy, Spain, Germany have similar documents?

  123. 123.

    grandmaBear

    I’m sorry you’re going through this, but glad to hear you’re feeling a bit better. Please take it easy and don’t push it.

  125. 125.

    WaterGirl

    @Emma from FL: I think what I wrote came out badly.  Even when we are being so careful, I’m not sure our brains are built to be vigilant every second of every day.

    I was in my car in the driveway a few weeks ago when the f-ing amazon delivery guy walked up to my car and handed me my package.  Without thinking, my hand went out to take what was being handed to me.  I was appalled – at his disregard and at my momentary lapse.

    Such a scary time.

  126. 126.

    MoxieM

    @TaMara (HFG): great–thank you. I can do the side thing.  I hope it helps you, and you and large lovely dogs are frolicking soon.  thank you thank you.

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