My Covid Experience
My Mom Did In 5 Minutes What NYC Couldn’t Do with 8 Million People!
I expected to get Covid from a weekend trip to NYC on October 7th. I took many a subway, hither and thither. I entered many an enclosed space, where no one wore masks, or bothered to take down the signs commanding all who enter to do so.
On Tuesday, the day after I returned, I visited my Mother at Sancta Maria Nursing Home. I knew her roommate had tested positive for Covid but both looked fine. I figured they were over it. Anyway, I had a N95 mask on (except when I took it off to talk because my Mom complains she can’t hear me).
Thursday felt phlegmy. I thought I just had a cold; My wife has one (she had Covid in September). My Covid test was positive. Was I surprised! That changed soon enough!
That night, Friday, massive headache, no sore throat or much chest stuff, just same phlegmy feeling with a fever topper. Felt super horrible. Fortunately, slept 30 hours, getting up every 2 hours to drink water, pee, wonder if I’m going to die, then fall back asleep. Worst day by far.
Saturday, headaches, but felt if I took Tylenol I could be functional, but my philosophy is to let your body maximize its energy to fight the infection. Headache got really bad and I was about to succumb and take some Tylenol or aspirin but drank more water instead. Pain subsided. Was able to sleep through the night. Ate very light dinner of stir fry and eggs; that is, I only had one bowl instead of 3 or 4 ;)
Sunday, I didn’t feel Covid sick, just very weak. Had soup for dinner. Didn’t sleep well, backache.
Monday. I sounded horrible but only felt tired. A bit congested, hoarse voice, etc. Slept a bit during the day.
Tested positive, though the line is a bit fainter.
Tuesday. Lower back pain in afternoon. Legs achy. Drank a bunch of water, felt better. Then ate eggs. Pain came back. More water, then some aspirin. A bit light-headed. For dinner chicken soup, some cereal, lots of water. Energy not coming back as fast as I hoped. Back pain moved up my back during the day. Entering a nuisance phase of the virus.
Wednesday. Working. Feel fine, but not bursting with energy. Still not much of an appetite. At chicken soup for lunch. Back and leg pain persisting. Took a Tylenol to get to sleep.
Eleven AM. Tested positive. Different test type, line seems strong.
Thursday. Some back pain. Some sigh stomach discomfort. Didn’t need to take a Tylenol to get to sleep. Appetite completely back. More or less, felt fine.
Friday. Symptoms almost completely gone. Feel very alert. Lots of energy. Just feel good!
Saturday until today (Monday). Boy do I feel good! Tons of energy. Symptoms seem a distant memory.
Some weird observations.
I felt like Covid gave me a small concussion. It was hard for me to remember what I had done days or weeks before I got it. I believe I was infected with Covid by visiting my Mother in the nursing home because if I had been infected in NYC I’m fairly certain my cousin would have too from our 4-hour ride back home.
I had strange visual effects on Friday. When I wasn’t sleeping I’d see these Instagram, squarish, type images that seemed to repeat. Mostly abstract. An experience not far from the film The Ipcress Files. One image almost looked like a Chinese stamp/seal and I wondered if the Chinese could code that into the virus as a TM ;) (just joking)
I should note I’ve been taking vitamin D supplements for a couple of years.
All in all, IF I don’t have any long-Covid symptoms, and if it reduces the severity of future infections, I feel fortunate. Even happy that I worry less that I’ll be one of the few people who have a really bad reaction to the virus.
A friend of mine, who had similar symptoms to mine had an episode, a few weeks after he got it (late Jan 2022), where he couldn’t speak the words he wanted in a meeting. Scared the crap out of him. He had another much shorter episode a week later, but has been fine since then. So I’m on the lookout for future cognitive surprises.
Another friend has had it three times. She said each time had different symptoms and the last time was the worst. One of her infections she got from a visit to her Dad in the hospital. So maybe the revenge of Mom or Dad is a thing!
Well, that’s it so far! I’m hoping this is the last of it! If there had been no Covid I would have found my week-long experience a strange 1-day flu with a few days of a cold, or a cold with a 1-day flu experience. As many have said, the sickness wasn’t like anything else I’ve had.
PS. I had the two original mRNA shots from Pfizer. Then the first booster. And a month before I came down with Covid, the new booster from Moderna.
