My COVID-19 Timeline

March 27, Friday:  First symptom, coughing up yellow.

March 28, Saturday:  Noticed a little more of the same that afternoon.

March 29, Sunday:  Woke to headache, bodyaches, and likely fever.  Much worse than should be expected for the drinks I had the night before.  I had my first thoughts that I might have this.

March 30 to April 3:  First full week working from home.  Thought I felt normal, coughing up less though shortness of breath worsened day by day.  I grew more concerned as the week went on.

April 4, Saturday:  Like a ton of bricks.  Everything.  All doubt was removed from my mind that I had this terrible virus.

April 6, Monday:  Informed work, said I would work normally as nothing else to do.  Put in a full day and it was apparent I overdid it.  Contacted my doctor's office, they had advice but it was pretty clear I was not going to be tested unless I got much worse.

April 7, Tuesday:  Relinquished all work duties but one.  Let them know I was very sick, would continue to do what I could.  Put in part time hours through Thursday but looking back it was still too much.

April 9, Thursday:  Contacted my doctor again, let them know I felt the same and requested a note for the hours missed at work.  Received note and comments, more on this later.

April 10, Good Friday:  Holiday from work.  My first real appetite since the Friday before and all symptoms, even breathing, seemed to be getting better.  I finally felt I was getting over the hump.

April 12, Today, Sunday:  Day 17 since my first symptom.  Feeling much better, I am surely on the mend.  Coughing less and breathing better, but still tired.  I have to build up my strength and stamina again.  If I had to say, I'm probably about 80%.


If you missed it, I also wrote in more detail on April 5; I Have It, and April 8; Virus Update.

There are a few things I haven't mentioned yet.  Working from home I've been wearing my Fitbit all the time rather than just for sleep, and it shows my resting heart rate went from 59/60 when I was healthy to 70/71 while I was so sick.  And the dreams I had were just outrageous.  Maybe during or caused by fever spikes while I slept, but I've never had such vivid and off-the wall dreams.  This is definitely not a normal 'flu,' and while my symptoms would be considered moderate, I can certainly see how this kills people.

My doctor's office seemed to agree that I had all the signs, and mostly they wanted me to monitor my symptoms and if my breathing got too bad to go to the hospital right away.  Thankfully, it never came to that.  On Thursday my doctor responded:  "Sorry you are not feeling better yet, but from what we are seeing, this typically starts out mild, gets more prominent, and then will calm down over another week.  Typically, people are 2-3 weeks before they feel back to baseline."  This made a lot of sense to me as that first week I mostly was fine, then it really got bad and lasted almost another week like that, and now I'm slowly getting better.

I would like to again thank everyone for their well-wishes and offers of assistance.  I hope this is my last post on my personal experience with this virus.  Stay well, everyone.  Please.

Spring Around The Yard

Krokus

As much as I looked forward to spring this year, it seems to have sprung while I've been sick recently (although it did snow on Thursday a bit.)  We don't have a whole lot in early spring, and we've done zero work outside so far, but here's a bit of what we do have.

All pictures were taken yesterday but the first, the Krokus' that pop up in the back of the yard are always our first sign.  That picture was taken when I had a fire 2 weeks ago.  Google likes to filter my pictures to vibrant colors, but I think I prefer natural.

Strawberry plants

Bleeding Hearts, red and white

Early Vinca flower

Peony, not sure about the green one

Hyacinth, if I remember right

Daffodils

Virus Update, Blogday

Tested positive, not an actual count.

It's been a week and a half since I started showing symptoms, and when this posts it will be 5 days since all doubt was erased from my mind that this is what I have.  I'm writing this on Tuesday night to post tomorrow, on my 11th blogday.  Happy Blogday to me.  Yay.

I contacted my doctor's office first thing Monday morning and they got back to me later with advice.  Fluids, rest, continue to monitor my symptoms and go to the hospital if necessary.  I did let them know that my wife is caretaker to her elderly father and saw him on Wednesday, they advised the same; keep monitoring their health.  My wife shows no symptoms though she has been cooped up with me this whole time, and thankfully her father shows no symptoms as well.  Testing was not mentioned, and I believe I will not be tested unless I get worse and have to go to the hospital.  From what I hear, only those that go and health care workers are being tested, which means you can throw all the numbers you see right out the window.  Real counts of those infected are probably much, much higher.  And my wife is no longer seeing her father, there are others who can fill in for a couple weeks.

Second thing Monday, after messaging my doctor, I messaged those I work with.  I let them know I was ill and that I believed it was this virus, but since I had nothing else to do I intended to continue to work as normal.  I put in a full day's work Monday, even signing off for an hour to take a nap at one point, but that still turned out to be too much.  Tuesday morning I messaged those I work with again.  Except for one part of my job that no one else can do at the moment, I relinquished all my daily duties.  I let them know the day before was way too much for me and I needed a lot more rest.  They do seem to understand and wish me well, and I know they will shuffle things around a bit and manage without me.  I wound up working less than half a day Tuesday and got some good rest.

I'm still getting headaches though not quite as bad (and I'm taking Menstrual Pain Relief pills because that's all we have that has acetaminophen).  I'm not coughing quite as much, and while I'm still expectorating yellow/green sputum it does not seem to be as much as a few days ago.  Even the shortness of breath seems a little better, or maybe I'm getting used to it.  The fever spikes and malaise continue and my appetite is not good.  I have to make myself eat, and it isn't much.

So, overall, I'm in no worse shape than when I wrote about it the other day.  Thank you to everyone who sent their well-wishes and offers of assistance.  We're otherwise still in pretty good shape at the moment, thankfully.  I just need to get better, and I think that will just take time.

Make no bones about it, this is a nasty, nasty virus.  My only solace is that when I get over this I (hopefully) will be immune.

Stay safe, stay in, and stay well, everyone.

What A Hoot!

I bought an owl.  A plastic, solar-powered owl to keep rabbits away, and maybe squirrels out of the garden.  Every few minutes, depending on the solar charge, it moves its head around.  Kinda creepy, at least I hope the rabbits think so, too.  Directions say to move it around the yard and only put it out when the pests are being destructive.  I think the main spot will be on the post for the old, pull-out clothesline, seen outside right above the owl here.

This is right after I unboxed it and place it in the porch for the sun.  The cats were alarmed at first, and after only a few minutes the owl moved its head, but they soon dismissed it.  Let's hope the rabbits are a lot dumber.

Virus update coming in the morning.