Misadventures in Plague

[DonRobbie]

Well crap.

Our youngest daughter was notified by her work at the end of July that she was exposed to Coronavirus and had to stay home. We were tested on August 3rd (earliest we could get in) and she came back positive and I came back negative. But since she lives with us we all had to quarantine.
The quarantine was scheduled to end on August 19th, just to be safe I got another test on the 17th. I'd noticed I lost my sense of smell about the 12th and I've had headaches and chest congestion all summer long (I think from allergies).
Well on the 19th my test came back positive. Which meant the household didn't get to leave quarantine and we're all locked down until September 1st. My poor wife is going to have been locked down for a month (assuming we don't infect her).
I was supposed to go back to work at 6 PM, got the test results at 11:00 AM, called the boss at 11:15. He was not happy to hear from me. I've burned all my sick time at this point so I'm going to have go on short term disability.
So far the disease has been relatively mild in the house. Youngest daughter still has a cough. I have a chronic headache, chest congestion, low level fatigue, and a mild cough. Haven't felt too bad until today. Right now I feel like I've been run over. Very achy and run down. Blood oxygen levels are fine (bought a pulse oximeter early on in case we did get infected).
Been pretty busy talking to the County and the State Health departments as well as work (Boss, HR, Company that administers our Disability claims).

 

[Larra]

I'm so sorry you and your family are going through this! I hope your case will continue to be mild and you'll all get out of quarantine as scheduled.

 

[Spiky Bugger]

Our daughter and her boyfriend, who live together, were both positive and symptomatic...starting with loss of gustatory ability. He has every-other-week custody of his 10 year-old. She was asymptomatic and tested negative… so they called her mom to come get her and were unable to see her up close, hug her, etc for TWO months, because it took him forever to test clean.

Our kid still has a bit of a cough. Not good, but nothing like some of the Long Haul people are dealing with. I’ll try to steal some info my kid posted earlier.

MEANWHILE, and unfortunately this example did NOT have a happy ending, but when the lockdown seems too much, remember: Anne Frank lived in an attic, in absolute silence all day, for two years and 35 days…and she was 14 when it started. We can do far more than we think we can.

Be well.

~~~~~~~~

Found it:

Day 14.

Quarantine is over. He feels great. I feel good, but I have a lingering cough and low fever that still comes and goes. The little one has completed her quarantine and woke up at 6:30 this morning to crawl in bed with her mom for some long awaited cuddles. We are looking forward to getting ours someday soon.

We are now wandering into the murky waters of having had COVID-19. I've heard that once you've passed 14 days, even if you have symptoms, you can't spread it. I've also been told that the tests check for proteins and can't tell whether the virus in your system is dead or alive...so we could be testing positive for a while....but the general protocol considers you recovered once you've gone three days with no symptoms (without medication). Also, do we have antibodies? For how long? No one knows.

I do want to share with you all the recommendations that we've gotten from medical professionals and friends who have reached out because they also had/have it:

MEDICATIONS AND STUFF

• Vitamin C
• Vitamin D
• Zinc
• Acetaminophen (Tylenol)
• NSAIDS (Advil, Aleve)
• Imodium
• Mucinex
• Flonase
• Thermometer
• Pulse oximeter/blood pressure cuff/fitbit (if you have access to them)
• His allergist and my PCP also recommended using inhalers and a nebulizer we had in the house as needed.

THINGS TO REMEMBER

• Do not try to "power through" symptoms. If you have a fever, take Tylenol...or Advil...or both. These meds don't interact, you can take both (try alternating every two or three hours). This isn't food poisoning...you don't need to get anything out of your system. If you get diarrhea, take Imodium. If you get nauseous, talk to your doctor about anti-nausea medications. Not treating these symptoms can/will cause dehydration...and that is the devil.
• Hydrate, hydrate, HYDRATE. Water, tea, gatorade, pedialyte, juice, soup, etc. Dehydration affects your mucous membranes and the drier the goo is in your lungs, the harder it is to clear out. This is also why Mucinex was universally recommended.
• Eat. It's hard when you have a fever, or stomach issues, or when you can't taste or smell anything...but eat something anyway. I stocked up on wheat thins, minute rice, white bread, etc. to snack on and ordered in when we wanted more.
• Move. Stretch. Take deeeep breaths that you feel in your back...and do it often. Lay on your stomach. I've been doing vocal exercises and deep breathing like I did before a (swim) race...but there are also great videos by respiratory therapists online. I do those, too.

- EDITED TO ADD: keep a journal. Take notes about your symptoms and medications...when you may have been exposed...etc. The whole thing becomes a blur and if you need to seek help from a doctor (or, God forbid, a paramedic) it will be very valuable. ALSO, if you live in LA, you will be contacted by the LA County Department of Public Health and it will help you answer their questions.

I really hope none of you need this...but it's here if you do.

 

[JackieOnLine]

I've burned all my sick time at this point so I'm going to have go on short term disability.

I'm so sorry! I hope you all continue to be not too sick. and I'm glad you have ST disability.

and thank you for the post SB, very good info

 

[southernlady]

DonRobbie, I’m so sorry y’all are sick. Good you have STD to fall back on.
Thank you, Spiky Bugger for that list. It is helpful.

We are trying to stay healthy. Charles has to have a kidney stone removed surgically on either the 14th or 21st (not sure of exact date yet). When they did the scan of his VP shunt (which includes his abdomen), it was discovered in his right kidney. A huge monster called a staghorn calcui https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6014528/

The only real way to remove it is surgically to be sure and get all of it. It’s almost an inch long. His only Pain has been a bit of back ache, which he thought was arthritis.

 

[Spiky Bugger]

DonRobbie, I’m so sorry y’all are sick. Good you have STD to fall back on.
Thank you, Spiky Bugger for that list. It is helpful.

We are trying to stay healthy. Charles has to have a kidney stone removed surgically on either the 14th or 21st (not sure of exact date yet). When they did the scan of his VP shunt (which includes his abdomen), it was discovered in his right kidney. A huge monster called a staghorn calcui https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6014528/

The only real way to remove it is surgically to be sure and get all of it. It’s almost an inch long. His only Pain has been a bit of back ache, which he thought was arthritis.

Wow!

THAT’S the procedure that we try to avoid by having stone blasting and ureteroscopy and laser stuff. I do not envy him at all. And STAGHORN? Poor guy.

 

[southernlady]

Wow!

THAT’S the procedure that we try to avoid by having stone blasting and ureteroscopy and laser stuff. I do not envy him at all. And STAGHORN? Poor guy.

Yeah, I know. Our surgeon told us his three options and the possible success rate. He agreed that for dh, surgery was his best.

 

[Munchkin]

I am so sorry you are sick. Please take good care of yourself! Get better!

 

[hilary1617]

Well crap.

Our youngest daughter was notified by her work at the end of July that she was exposed to Coronavirus and had to stay home. We were tested on August 3rd (earliest we could get in) and she came back positive and I came back negative. But since she lives with us we all had to quarantine.
The quarantine was scheduled to end on August 19th, just to be safe I got another test on the 17th. I'd noticed I lost my sense of smell about the 12th and I've had headaches and chest congestion all summer long (I think from allergies).
Well on the 19th my test came back positive. Which meant the household didn't get to leave quarantine and we're all locked down until September 1st. My poor wife is going to have been locked down for a month (assuming we don't infect her).
I was supposed to go back to work at 6 PM, got the test results at 11:00 AM, called the boss at 11:15. He was not happy to hear from me. I've burned all my sick time at this point so I'm going to have go on short term disability.
So far the disease has been relatively mild in the house. Youngest daughter still has a cough. I have a chronic headache, chest congestion, low level fatigue, and a mild cough. Haven't felt too bad until today. Right now I feel like I've been run over. Very achy and run down. Blood oxygen levels are fine (bought a pulse oximeter early on in case we did get infected).
Been pretty busy talking to the County and the State Health departments as well as work (Boss, HR, Company that administers our Disability claims).

I'm sorry to hear this and hope everyone feels better soon!

 

[hilary1617]

DonRobbie, I’m so sorry y’all are sick. Good you have STD to fall back on.
Thank you, Spiky Bugger for that list. It is helpful.

We are trying to stay healthy. Charles has to have a kidney stone removed surgically on either the 14th or 21st (not sure of exact date yet). When they did the scan of his VP shunt (which includes his abdomen), it was discovered in his right kidney. A huge monster called a staghorn calcui https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6014528/

The only real way to remove it is surgically to be sure and get all of it. It’s almost an inch long. His only Pain has been a bit of back ache, which he thought was arthritis.

Best wishes to your Charles - that doesn't sound pleasant at all.

 

[Georgepds]

Best wishes Don

 

[JackieOnLine]

I hope we get an update from DonRobbie soon.

Do not try to "power through" symptoms. If you have a fever, take Tylenol...or Advil...or both.

when I have had other illness - even a simple cold - it feels like letting the fever go untreated is a good thing. in fact, as a kid I was taught get as hot as you can because it helps your immune system. so, when I have a fever I drink hot liquids and get under 12 blankets and 6 hours later the fever is gone, I feel much better, and then the cold symtoms are very mild for the rest of the time I'm sick.

I realize this virus is on a completely different level - potentially - and wondering if this part of Mini-Sue's advice is based on anything besides just making yourself more comfortable so you can rest.

 

[Spiky Bugger]

I hope we get an update from DonRobbie soon.



when I have had other illness - even a simple cold - it feels like letting the fever go untreated is a good thing. in fact, as a kid I was taught get as hot as you can because it helps your immune system. so, when I have a fever I drink hot liquids and get under 12 blankets and 6 hours later the fever is gone, I feel much better, and then the cold symtoms are very mild for the rest of the time I'm sick.

I realize this virus is on a completely different level - potentially - and wondering if this part of Mini-Sue's advice is based on anything besides just making yourself more comfortable so you can rest.

I will ask.

(She maintains ongoing contact with her HS Senior Prom date who is now married to one of her HS best friends. He, now a doctor, his wife and two of their three kids were sick with COVID-19. He has been active communicating with her comparing symptoms and treatments, and…so far…he hasn’t “corrected” her on any of what she wrote.)

 

[DonRobbie]

Not doing too bad, discovered yesterday while shuttling the groceries from the car to the fridge that I get out of breath easily (Set up a contactless pickup with Sam's so the wife drove down and one of the folks loaded up the car). Today finally seem to have some relief from the persistent headache. Still feeling a bit worn out but all things considered I'm doing really well.

 

[southernlady]

Not doing too bad, discovered yesterday while shuttling the groceries from the car to the fridge that I get out of breath easily (Set up a contactless pickup with Sam's so the wife drove down and one of the folks loaded up the car). Today finally seem to have some relief from the persistent headache. Still feeling a bit worn out but all things considered I'm doing really well.

Glad to hear from you.