I managed to avoid Covid-19 for years. In fact, I was proud of myself for taking precautionary measures, for getting myself vaccinated, for only going out when I needed to , and always wearing a mask. Not to mention the gallons of hand sanitizer I used whenever I touched basically anything out in public. I got complacent, after staying healthy for so long, and I firmly believed I was one of the lucky ones, who had likely been exposed, but remained asymptomatic. I was wrong!
I recently recovered from Covid-19, more specifically the Omicron variant, which is very different from the original strain that first struck America. I wanted to share my experience, for anyone who might wonder if they are suffering from Covid, or who are just curious about it what it's like having it.
Day 1 (symptom onset): I had taken my children to their pediatrician for their annual well-visits in the early afternoon, and later that evening I started feeling tired, and my throat started to get sore. My head felt a little congested, and I just felt overall "not right". I thought I must have picked something up from Pediatrician's office (if only I had been so lucky).
Day 2: I was miserable. I normally can push through anything, even the worst flu, so when I say that I spent most of this day in bed, only getting up to tend to my children and four legged babes, that means I was really sick! My throat hurt so bad, that I was almost in tears. My head pounded, and my sinuses were so congested, that my entire face and forehead throbbed in agony. Omicron tends to affect the upper respiratory system, and I already struggled with chronic sinusitis, so I truly thought I had just gotten a terrible sinus infection or influenza. I did not have a fever. I did not have coughing. I WAS EXHAUSTED, LIKE MY LIFE FORCE HAD BEEN SUCKED OUT OF ME BY A SOUL-SUCKING DEMON! Yet when I tried to sleep, I was so sick that I could not get comfortable enough to get more than a measly 3 scattered hours.
Day 3: I knew something wasn't "right", this wasn't the flu, and not something I remember ever experiencing before, so I got tested. It was positive, and I had no choice but to accept that I had finally gotten Covid. I was terrified for what was to come. I researched other people's Covid-19 stories, and what to expect with this Omicron variant. I had read that Covid didn't turn severe until after day 7, and wondered how much worse could I feel? I was terrified! I feared the worst, and pictured myself going into respiratory distress, and possibly leaving my husband and children alone (we have no village).
DAY 4-7: No improvement. Symptoms: Congestion, headaches, dizziness/brain fog, extreme fatigue, sore throat, and lot and lots of tissues. Very little sleep, with bouts of coughing (only while laying down). I took severe cold and flu medicine, as well as Tylenol, Ibuprofen, and Nyquil at night. Nothing really helped. My throat felt like I was swallowing shards of glass. I did lose my sense of smell (but only for one day).
Day 8-12: Mild improvement. I was able to function a bit around the house, but the congestion and brutal headaches were just non-stop. No amount of nasal decongestant sprays, oral decongestants, saline sprays, or antihistamines made it stop. My head hurt all the time, and I was so dizzy and had such terrible brain fog, that if I had to try to perform at a job, I would most certainly have been fired (luckily my husband and kids can't fire me!).
Day 12-21: Yes, it took a full 3 weeks before I started to resemble my former self. I still had some fatigue and that weird head fog, and dizziness, but I finally started to get rid of the painful congestion. Covid has been known to cause "Tinnitus", but I have already suffered from severe Tinnitus in both my ears, since I was fifteen years old, so I can't blame that on Covid. I can say, that Covid did not make it worse, which was another one of my fears.
Day 21+: It has been about a month, and I am still not back to normal. The weird brain fog associated with Omicron, still persists, and I wonder if I will ever be the same again. I still don't have the energy I did before. I wonder if this lack of energy and constant brain fog will simply be my new normal. I have read other people's stories that said it took them 7 months to 2 years before they were back to normal. I pray that it does not take me that long. However, I am feeling so much better than I was. I am grateful for that, at least.
That has been my experience in a nutshell. What scares me the most, is knowing that a person can get Covid more than once. I never want to go through that again! And if anyone ever says to me again that "Covid is no big deal, it's just like having the flu."...well I will fight them (not really, but I will correct them for sure!). Wishing you all a healthy and Covid-free life!