How was I exposed?
Well, it finally happened, after years of negative COVID tests, I got the surprise positive COVID test. And it actually really was a surprise. Even though I was feeling like death, I thought kanti (my husband) was joking when he said it was positive.
Back story - I had been wearing KN95 masks for about 4 days before the positive test, and either surgical masks or cloth masks before that. We were not seeing anyone inside without masks, seriously limiting indoor things (no restaurants or coffee shops, ordering groceries etc.), and seeing friends outside.
So, I was either exposed outside, or in a local shop through a cloth mask the weekend before I tested positive. CRAZY to me.
I can't be sure, but I think I was exposed on the Friday, tested negative on the Sunday, and tested positive on the Thursday
What were my COVID 19 Symptoms?
I tested negative on the Sunday night (we tested before the kids went back to school on the Monday), I started to feel a bit tired on Monday, was *exhausted* on Tuesday, even more tired on Wednesday, started to get a sore throat and chills Wednesday night, slept for 12 hours, woke up feeling worse, and then tested positive on Thursday morning.
Over the next 4 days, I went on to have:
Sore throat
Chills
Headache
EXHAUSTION
Loss of appetite
Shortness of breath
Tightness in chest
No fever, no nausea, no loss of smell or taste, no cough
What helps if you have COVID:
Sleeping. This is what helped the most I think. It gave my body time to heal, and all energy went to getting better
Lots and lots and lots of fluids - hot water & lemon, flavored seltzer water, herbal teas, kombucha, juices, smoothies, soups
10 minutes of gentle yoga a couple of times a day, to keep the blood flowing, lungs working, muscles moving
Intentional breath exercises throughout the day (inhaling for 4, exhaling for 4)
Watching lots of British TV shows from my bed. Kept me happy :)
Facetiming with the fam.
Deliveries of home cooked meals from the best of friends
Weighted blanket. Gave me so much comfort.
Squishmallow. Just unbelievably comfortable, and my head never got sore from laying on it 24/7
Gel ice pack for epic headaches
How I’m recovering gently, and how long does it take to recover from COVID 19?
I came out of isolation on the Sunday, and the kids and I all wore KN95 masks around the house until I tested negative on Wednesday
I went for a little walk on the Sunday (with a mask), just to get some fresh air really, which was soooo nice. But when I got home, I had to take a 2 hour nap. Total exhaustion.
Added a little bit more each day, and taught my first yoga class again on Wednesday
I am forcing myself to nap every day, even if I don’t feel super tired.
I'm continuing with lots of fluids, smoothies, soups & gentle yoga
I did a 2 mile run on Thursday, and I think I will ramp this up slowly
Bottom line - Omicron is no joke for a lot of people. Kicked my butt! An incredible friend group made it much more doable, and made me feel so loved. An incredible husband took care of the kids, deposit a hectic work schedule.
If you get it, go easy on yourself, give yourself grace and REST
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