alright so i finally tested positive for covid tonight. i’m not terribly surprised. it was bound to happen eventually. to the best of my recollection, here’s the progression:
Sunday, 12/25 - started to feel ill. It started as a mild sore throat. Like I thought I had just talked too much that day. It didn’t feel like a sick sore throat, just over-used.
Monday, 12/26 - definitely sickish. Throat wasn’t aching anymore. I described it as ‘it's gone from that sharp pain that arcs up with every swallow and into a dull, damp, tightness where it feels full of phlegm’. Sniffly by afternoon. VERY difficult to moderate my temperature.
In the morning, I felt far too hot, despite the very cool weather---- I ended up taking two ibuprofen to get my temperature down. By afternoon, I felt freezing, but was sweating through layers of clothing at the same time. I was having trouble walking from place to place without chattering my teeth. By this point, I was pretty sure it was covid because it felt very similar to my booster responses.
Brain fog was moderate, but noticeable.
SEVERE difficulty sleeping. I was waking up every hour soaked through with sweat.
Tuesday, 12/27 - Very tired :( Pretty severe brain fog throughout the day too. I was very sniffly and coughing severely. I couldn’t even play with Truffle--- thankfully, he’s a good dog and can deal with a day of boredom as long as he gets some snackie toys.
Lack of appetite was noticeable by this point. I’m unsure when it started because I don’t have a proper appetite to begin with.
I had severe problems keeping track of events. I wanted to take a shower, right? In order to do that, I have to turn on the hot water and then walk to my bathroom. It takes about fifteen seconds to get from the hot water to the bathroom. In that fifteen seconds, I’ll have forgotten whether or not I turned on the hot water. i relied pretty heavily on Truffle to keep track of things. I frequently forgot what I had just said to friends or assumed I’d said something already.
Continued to wake up every 1-3 hours soaked with sweat.
Medication: Ibuprofen, Nyquil
Wednesday, 12/28 - Probably the worst day of it physically. My cough was the most severe by this point. I was also sneezing a lot more. The shivering continued throughout the day. I still couldn’t really get from room to room without shaking.
But I was able to keep track of events slightly better, at least. My sore throat was mostly better and I didn’t have a fever for the most part. I continued to sleep poorly and woke every few hours, still covered in sweat.
I called into work to let them know I’d be out sick on thursday.
Medication: Ibuprofen, Nyquil
Thursday, 12/29 - Felt a bit better! I was able to play with Truffle again for about thirty minutes in the morning. I no longer felt as shivery or Off all the time. I was still very tired since I couldn’t really sleep the night before.
Still very sneezy throughout the day and my cough was pretty bad.
I tried to nap throughout the day but wasn’t able to fall asleep. It was just kind of one of those weird half-awake/half-asleep deals. Still, I felt well enough to feel like I could go into work on Friday as long as I masked up, disinfected everything I touched, and stayed on heavy cleaning projects without human or cat interaction.
Medication: Ibuprofen, Nyquil
Friday, 12/30 - (started log here) Slowly lost sense of taste and smell throughout the day, which was why I took another covid test. My nose is still stuffy, but I’m not sneezing or coughing as much.
Throat still feels weirdly tight. It doesn’t hurt anymore. It just feels like there’s something in the way.
Still a severe lack of appetite. I’m sure the lack of taste/smell isn’t helping with that :/
I did NOT end up going into work, btw. Some heavy trees in the road saw to that. So uh. Thanks, trees.
Was able to sleep soundly through the night without waking up in sweats.
Saturday, 12/31 - Have SOME sense of taste back in morning. It’s very faint, but I can distinguish sweetness a little bit. No smell, though, which is unfortunate. Had enough energy to play fetch with the dog for about forty minutes.
By late afternoon, I could distinguish a few more tastes. I wouldn’t say I can taste flavors. It’s more like I can taste flavor PROFILES. I can taste salty, sweet, and fat. I can’t really break down a flavor more than that. Still no sense of smell.
Brain fog was pretty severe, but less memory-based. It’s more like I just couldn’t focus on any one thing throughout the day. I’d find myself trying to watch a video, listen to a podcast/audiobook, AND read a post all at the same time, without really realizing what was going on. It was like I was trying to do something--- literally anything--- to get my mind’s attention.
Coughing and sniffles are mostly gone, but still happens occasionally. My breath capacity feels very limited. I can’t stand for long periods without feeling tired. My feet feel ‘absent’ when i sit down. I know they’re there. It’s not like they’re tingling or anything. It’s just that, after a while, they stop registering. Like I can’t really feel things pushing against my toes or something. That’s the best way I can put it.
Temperature seems well under control with the exception of my fingers getting very cold and stiff very quickly.
Sunday, 1/1/23 - very tired :( Played with Truffle for forty minutes, but I still don’t have the energy to brush him out or groom him. When this is all over, I’ll have to give him a 7 all over, and that sucks because I’ve been growing out his fluff.
Still no sense of smell, and my sense of taste is still pretty faint. It seems stronger, but flavors still fade away pretty quickly.
My appetite was still fairly poor throughout the day. It’s strange. I don’t have a very strong hunger drive when I’m healthy, but I suffer the affects if I don’t eat. Like I get hangry, blood sugar crashes, etc. Except right now, none of that happens. I still feel the exact same. Thankfully, Truffle is still doing his job and monitoring my blood sugar.
My circulation seems better. My fingers no longer get icy cold.
My breathing is still constrained. I thought it would feel like I can’t get enough air in my lungs on each breath. Instead, it feels like there’s just something around my throat. It constantly feels like my shirtcollar is too tight.
Truffle is going to run out of his favorite food tomorrow morning. He’ll have to make due with kibble for a few days, I guess.
Monday, 1/2/23 - still very tired :( But my sense of smell is trying to make a come-back. It just kinda came and went. Like I’d open a can of cat food and THAT definitely smelled, but suddenly it was gone. My sense of taste is recovering a bit too. It’s still definitely fainter than it should be and certain things taste Off.
Coughing more today than yesterday, and my nose is runnier.
Severe insomnia :( not helped by the fact that i’ve run out of melatonin. I’m almost out of nyquil too. I’ve got one more dose left, so I’m saving it.
Tuesday, 1/3/23 - I took a 15 minute walk today with Truffle and felt like I walked three miles. Breathing is still difficult. Again, it’s not like my lungs aren’t filling or something. It’s just this constant pressure on my throat. My sense of taste is still faint, sense of smell is even fainter. My nose is still runny and phlegmy. I should have some more cough drops and nyquil in the mail right now. It’s just a matter of getting down to the box and grabbing it.
Truffle ran out of his lamb food today but he’s taken to his kibble well enough. Good thing too. >> Most of the town is flooded right now, and a lot of people are evacuated. So uh even if I wasn’t sick, a trip to town would be out of the question right now.
I shaved Truffle’s paws today so now he’s got clean feet again.
Wednesday, 1/4/23 - More or less the same. Truffle is still convinced I’m secretly hiding all the REALLY good food from him. My sense of smell is still pretty much gone. I can smell things if they’re RIGHT up against my nose, otherwise there’s nothing.
Thursday, 1/5/23 - Took a covid test today and it was negative, so I should be good to work again soon. The plan is to go back on Saturday and mostly just stick to non-human/animal tasks.
