Covid finally got me - Advice to Others

[VaTom]

My wife and I are both over 65 and retired. We have followed all the precautions and been Vaccinated and Boosted. She has a compromised immune system due to bouts with cancer a number of years ago.

Last Wednesday she woke up feeling bad - thought it was allergies but took a home Covid test and was positive. She called her PCP and was prescribed Pfizer PAXLOVID - a 5 day regimen of pills. Immediately started feeling better. I tested negative each day for 4 days afterwards and then after returning from trout fishing on Saturday, I started feeling bad. Muscle aches, fatigue, etc. By Sunday morning I could not get out of bed I felt so bad. Felt like I had been run over by a train. Severe headache, muscle soreness, cough, low fever. Tested positive (home test). Called Doctor yesterday and I am now on PAXLOVID. Feel much better but a little weak. My advice:

1. Even if you are vaccinated and boosted and wear masks / social distance you can still catch it.
2. Symptoms come on fast. Within hours of testing negative and feeling good.
3. Use the home test kits to test yourself if any symptoms appear and/or family members get sick.
4. If you are over 65 or otherwise high risk and test positive contact your doctor as soon as possible. Ask him/her about starting the PAXLOVID.

Be careful out there. This latest variant is the real deal.

VaTom

 

[demkofour]

Thanks for the post, and hang in there!
Like you two, my wife and I are over 65, and she too had a bout with cancer some years ago…
We've been fortunate over the span of the China Virus but cannot let our guard down.
Be safe everyone.

 

[03hemi]

That really sucks, hope y'all feel better soon.

 

[ZGrand]

Hope you both have a quick recovery.

 

[TIMETRIPPER]

It's also best not to lay up in bed for extended periods, no matter how bad you feel. Covid induced pneumonia is the killer, which is why the invalid and bedridden have been hit the hardest.
One of my coworkers recently lost her 50 year old father to covid pneumonia. both he and his wife came down with it and the family was more worried about her as she had several commodities:diabetes, obesity and heart conditions. He was and ex-smoker and a welder but was otherwise in good health.
when stricken he stayed in bed not doing much of anything while his wife insisted on taking care of the house work and etc, and so kept moving around regularly. He eventually when into the ICU and was intubated because his lungs became overwhelmed with pneumonia and never recovered. She recovered from her bout within a week or so.

John

 

[bigwheelzip]

Glad you both are getting relief from those meds, and hope it leads to a full recovery.



Sent from my motorola one 5G using Tapatalk

 

[lkabug]

Tom, I'm glad you both are getting the proper meds and feeling better.
Hang in there. That virus can be a butt kicker.

 

[Onomea]

Best wishes, Tom, for your wife and your quick recovery. Appreciate the advice.

 

[Huskerguy]

This is interesting, and timely. Last Monday, after walking a total of 7 miles, doing yard work and a project in the garage, about mid afternoon I started to get tired with an incredible runny nose. Not like one you have to blow, but it jut ran everywhere and I had to let it run. That night I had no clue what was going on. The next day, same thing and now sneezing constantly and feeling tired.

I am 68, have had two lung diseases and one just came out of remission a few months ago. I got the J&J vac when it came out but I refuse to get the booster. I have done my best to avoid crowds but apparently, attending graduations finally caught up with me. I am even more convinced that if it is around and you are open to receiving it, it won't matter if there were 1 or 100 people present.

On Tuesday I took a home test (not the first time I have used them) and it buried the needle to positive. I had contacted a doctor well ahead of this and have kept HCQ and Doxycycline on hand for such an occasion as this. I began that regimen along with plenty of fluids and lots of rest. By Friday, I was feeling very good, on Saturday I sighted in a 204, on Sunday I went to Church and hosted Growth Group with my 5 day quarantine done.

I take lots of vitamins to keep my system up, I exercise regularly and for 68, I am in pretty good shape aside from the lung disease. So what saved me? I believe the virus is weakening and the cocktail of drugs that were prescribed must have worked and well.

My wife, 67, hasn't even sneezed through all of this but has her own brew ready should she need it. I should say the doc I used would have prescribed Ivermectin but I was on an antibiotic for my lungs that could interact with it so they went the HCQ route.

 

[VaTom]

Covid Up Date - VaTom

Tom, I'm glad you both are getting the proper meds and feeling better.
Hang in there. That virus can be a butt kicker.

Thanks for all the well wishes.

Feel much better today. Day three of the PAXLOVID therapy. 3 Pills twice a day for five days. It is a PFIZER drug. My wife is back to normal as she finished her drug therapy on Monday and I am close. Can feel the difference after 2 days. The only side effect is an awful metallic taste in your mouth while taking the drug. The upside is that during the current Covid situation the Federal Government is paying for the drug. No charge to the patient for a normally $500+ prescription. The drug is under emergency use authorization (EUA) by the FDA.

You must start the drug within 5 days of symptoms so don't wait to contact your doctor if you have symptoms or test positive.

Stay well!

 

[pawncop]

Prayer from Texas for your healing and recovery.

 

[Cdog2016]

VaTom.....I had a similar experience, felt bad, tested positive....and went on Paxlovid that afternoon...spiked a fever of 103 the next day but by day 3 of the Paxlovid I felt much better and by day 5 I felt great except for that metallic taste...which went away quickly after my last dose. My suggestion is talk to your doctor ahead of time and have a game plan in place so you can get what need right away. The sooner you take the medicine the more effective it is from what I've read. I've had no ill effects since. My wife couldn't take Paxlovid, but was able to take the Merck's COVID-19 oral antiviral, molnupiravir, which had no interaction with the medicine she is on and she recovered quickly.

 

[wood714]

My daughter thought she had a sinus infection, did a home test and it was positive.

She said the worst part is drinking coffee is the same as drinking hot water due to not being able to taste it.

 

[SMSgt]

I'm a bit surprised the home tests came up positive as they have a high false negative rate. When I had covid in 12/2020, the quick test said negative while the lab test taken at the same time said positive. That was just as the vaccines were being approved. I started the vaccine routine as soon as I recovered but have no illusions that I cannot catch it again. Still, I refuse to stop life because of it. I have fully resumed life as I enjoy it, crowds and all, and if I get it again, so be it.