Update on my Covid19 Infection
Getting better short term but long term unknown.
Just want to pass on an update on my Covid19 status.
Recap: I noticed my first symptoms on Sunday, Jun 26, 2022. Early in the afternoon, I felt a jolt in my upper front chest, both shoulders and neck muscles. A constant soreness like being hit by a truck and left on the side of the road. The next morning a low-grade fever overcame me and in a few hours, the sweating sent my body into a sudden chill. This went on for 3 days along with fatigue and taking frequent naps. I still retained my sense of smell and taste. My throat felt raw and burning whenever I swallowed. I tested myself on Wednesday with a Covid19 test kit I had received from the government a couple of months earlier and it was strongly positive. One is supposed to wait 20 minutes to get a reading of the red line and mine showed up immediately. I emailed a note to my primary care provider on the same day and the next day later I received instructions to stay hydrated. On Thursday the fevers and chills stopped but the fatigue remained. I thought I had turned the corner when on Sunday, July 3rd, the low-grade fever returned. I call the hospital Covid19 hotline and a triage nurse took my information and had a doctor call me back within the hour with more instructions. I got the callback and was informed it was a natural outcome and not to worry. After 10 days I wouldn’t need to wear a mask and I wouldn’t be considered infectious.
The low-grade fever and the other symptoms except for the raw throat and a productive cough subsided by the 10th day. On the next Friday, Saturday, and Sunday I felt well enough to volunteer for the Cleveland Tall Ship Festival. Overall I felt well with just mild to moderate fatigue. I certainly slept well on those nights and I continued to keep myself hydrated.
The rest of the following week went well physically but the mental fatigue persists making it difficult to fully concentrate for any long period of time. I continue to feel the damage to my upper trachea leading into my lungs. I felt like the virus destroyed the initial layer or 2 of tissue on my trachea and will take several weeks to rebuild that layer. I often wonder what would I have suffered had I not taken the 2 vaccines and booster that was available.
One thing I refrained from doing was pushing myself to the point of exertion, which jeopardizes my decision to race in this weekend’s Blazing Paddle Paddlefest. I went out paddling in my kayak Sunday, Jul 17 and it felt like I was on day one of a year-long training schedule. My only recourse is to treat this race as just another training session which is what I might do.
The question still remains, will Covid19 affect me down the road? For that, we will have to wait to get a definitive answer.
Addendum:
I have been vaccinated with 2 Moderna vaccines and had the Pfizer booster shot back in November. I will be getting my second booster when the symptoms subside in the next week.
If you have hesitated on getting the vaccines be warned this may not send you to the intensive care unit but it will certainly kick your ass.
To this day I do not know where I contacted this Covid as all the people I had contact with prior to my symptoms denied they had any whatsoever.
Has anyone else suffered from Covid19 that had made them change their plans? Let me know.