A Health Update

Mornings are when I have the most energy, so I thought now would be the best time to write a health update regarding my experience with flu or Covid-19. (Updated on April 8)

I’m currently on Day 3 of being sick. However, if I take my sore throat and fatigue into consideration from Sunday, it’s actually Day 5.

My entire body hurts. I have a low grade fever, only going up to 100.5, on and off throughout the day. And if I talk or get out of bed I start coughing pretty badly.

Two days ago my primary care doctor diagnosed me with the flu via a Teledoc appointment. I started Tamiflu and a cough medication. When I woke up yesterday morning feeling worse, she put in an order to have me tested for Covid-19. The earliest appointment I can get is Monday.

Why can’t I get tested until Monday if there are drive-up testing stations? You HAVE to have a doctor’s paper order OR make an appointment over the phone to go to a Covid-19 drive-up testing station. There are multiple assessments a person must go through to be tested – such as virtual appointments to confirm your symptoms.

COVID-19 TESTING UPDATE

I have secured an appointment for testing on SUNDAY March 29 at a Drive Up Testing Station. I will drive myself there since there isn’t anyone who can bring me. My PCP says that it can take anywhere from 4-10 days to receive my results. (See bottom of post for Testing Recap)

Update of Symptoms

• Day 1: Sore throat, headache & fatigue
• Day 2: Mild headache, but felt fine overall
• Day 3: Sudden body aches, fever, headache, chills, fatigue
• Day 4: Severe body aches, low grade fever, headache, fatigue
• Day 5: Congestion, headache, body aches, sporadic cough, fatigue
• Day 6: More consistent cough, dizziness, headache, congestion, lack of energy
• Day 7: Loss of sense of smell and partial loss of taste, cough, congestion, feel like I have a head cold
• Day 8: GI troubles, no smell or taste, fatigue, cough, chest feels heavy
• Day 9: Cough as become consistent, chest feels heavy, out of breathe easily, GI troubles, no smell or taste
• Day 10: Cough, shortness of breathe, no smell or taste, GI discomfort, sinus pressure
• Day 11: Cough, shortness of breathe, no smell, sinus pressure, fatigue
• Day 12: Deep cough, sinus pressure, congestion
• Day 13: Deep cough, sinus pressure, fatigue
• Day 14: Deep cough, sinus pressure
• Day 15: Deep cough, sinus pressure
• Day 16: Deep cough, headache, oxygen dropped to 93, wheezing at night
• Day 17: Deep cough, horrible headache, skin irritation, visit ER and sent home with a good looking X-ray
• Day 18: Deep cough, diagnosed with a Sinus Infection + Shingles

This is definitely the worst I’ve ever felt in terms of an illness. Well, that’s aside from the time I had Shingles and Mastitis – but this is totally different. Everyone keeps asking me to describe my symptoms, but they’re all over the place.

My symptoms are all over the place, changing daily. Mornings are usually my most energetic part of the day and then everything seems to decline. My body hurts inside and out, especially my stomach and lower back from coughing.

I don’t know what I have. What I do know is that I can’t see a doctor because they WON’T see me. Instead I have to be scheduled for a Covid-19 test and a flu test isn’t an option.

In my opinion, it doesn’t matter what I have because nothing is treatable. Both the flu and Covid-19 are a wait it out type of illness, unless you worsen to a particular point. Whatever it is, we have been taking precautions to keep my virus contained in our home.

My family is staying quarantined for 14 days or more, just like everyone around us. We have a lot of family who can bring us supplies as needed. My husband has amazing with the girls – taking charge with homeschool and keeping them entertained. He’s kept me fed and hydrated as well.

Treatment

I have been taking Tylenol as needed for the aches and pains. Tylenol never took away pain, only dulled it enough to allow me to sleep. The skin sensitivity and muscle aches from Days 3-5 were worse than I’ve ever experienced.

On Days 7 and 9 I took Mucinex Flu to help with cough, congestion, and headache. The medicine gives me energy, but Day 8 I was completely wiped from over-exerting myself on Day 7.

The Covid-19 Test

On Sunday March 30th I was tested at a drive-thru center in New Haven, CT through Yale Hospital. The test took almost 4 minutes from the time I drove into the parking lot until I drove out of the parking lot. There were three stops – the first was check-in with a woman taking names and appointment time. She didn’t have any protective gear on at first. Once I gave her my name she put on a mask, handed me a packet of information, and sent me to the second stop.

At the second stop I was to hold my license up to the window. A man in protective gear with a clipboard approached the car to ask if I was an employee at Yale and check my ID. I never opened my car window. He informed me I would drive to the third stop, roll down my window, and lay my head back on my seat.

The third stop had four nurses in protective gear from head to toe sitting behind a table. There was another table behind them where a Doctor in a lab coat, goggles, and mask brought out the testing swabs and test tube. A nurse approached my car and kindly introduced herself. She had me check my name on the test tube and asked for my birthdate.

She first performed the nose swab test, which seemed to go farther into my head than I ever thought possible. It hurt… making my eyes water and burn. It was over quickly and I saw blood on the swab. She inserted the swab into the test tube and retrieved a new swab for my throat. This test was more like a strep test and quicker. The nurse told me to wait a minute while she packaged up my test results and handed them back to the Doctor in the lab coat.

I was informed the test results would be back in about 7 days and told they hope I feel better. I teared up as I thanked them for their service and for taking care of all of us. Then I drove away.

What’s Next…

See CORONAVIRUS TEST RESULTS here.