My C-19 Journey. I got it. Big deal?? Up to you.

[Butch]

This is copied from the posts I made on Pattayatalk,

I was diagnosed with Covid 19, this is what happened.

Info: My Wife is a qualified Doctor, she works form the NHS England as a Consultant Haemotologist.

 

Yep, last night I developed what the wife called "early symptoms of Covid".

It began with a sore throat, dry at the back, like after a football game where you've been shouting too much. That was about 14:00. Then, at 18:00(ish) I started to get a bit of a fever, not enough to make me shiver but enough to make me feel slightly cold, later on around 22:00 I developed a really bad headache, concentrated at the front and left of my head, it came on within a minute, very fast and noticeable. I took 1mg of paracetamol and a warm glass of water with honey, lemon and ginger and went to bed.

I slept in the spare room, during the night I sweated through 2 T shirts and soaked a set of bedsheets. It was broken sleep, split between flushing hot and shivers. It was full on pyrexic, but it abated slightly after each paracetamol dose, but ( it felt like) it returned as the drugs effectiveness waned after around 3 hours. At the time of writing I am still feverish, my temp is 38.9 / 39.0 which is down from a peak of 39.2 / 39.5 / 39.3 at 02:00 ,when I took my meds ( I took 3 readings as the middle reading was at 39.5 which is potentially cause for concern - it turned out that 2 of the 3 readings were lower than the threshold so I went with that).  It was pretty constant all night. I am using an electronic thermometer, taking 2 measurements every time in the ear.

The time now in the UK is 12:20pm , I have a dry cough, headache , fever and a sore throat, but no shortness of breath or difficulty breathing. Although physically weaker, that also might be due to not eating for 24 hours. I still have a sense of taste and smell I don't have mucus or a runny nose nor do my muscles or joints ache.

This feels about the same as a dose of the "pattaya flu" which I'm fairly sure we've all had at one time or another but without the muscle aches and gallons of snot. The worst thing about it is the cough and headache, each time I cough it hurts my head and throat. Paracetamol controls the fever a bit, but seems to do nothing against my headache, so I'll be breaking out the artillery (tylenol) if things don't improve.

In summary:

Cough is getting worse

Sore throat is getting worse (I'm taking neat honey to try and help it, it's bloody painful)

headache is getting worse

Temp has stabilised as a low fever.

No muscle aches

No runny nose

No difficulty breathing / no shortness of breath.

1mg paracetemol every 4 hours (2x500mg) is keeping me comfortable.

As many of you know the wife is a nurse running a Covid ward and we have 2 nurses lodging here as well. None of them have had or have any symptoms. No idea where I got it from, as incubation is 2-5 days it may have been anywhere or anyone.

I will be fine I'm sure, don't worry about giving me any sympathy, I didn't post it for that  , my reason for posting it is to give an idea of what to expect and with any luck it might help someone who gets a similar set of symptoms to prepare for it.

Keep safe guys.

Regards

Butch

 

 

 

[Butch]

April 7:

Hi everyone

As I'm family of a front line medical staff we qualify to be tested, so I'll be getting a test done either this evening or tomorrow.

I'm 24h in now, still well enough to use the PC and still move around, but not feeling any better.

Sore throat is still awful, I can hardly speak and the coughing is painful and distracting and as bad as it was yesterday. My headache has come back, but it got so bad yesterday that I needed to hit it with a dose of paracetemol a bit larger than is normally suggested, but it did the trick. I was also photosensitive as well, so it was more a migraines than a headache. It did go away when I slept and didn't come back during the night either. up until now It's not as as severe as yesterday but it is very uncomfortable.

I'm still running a fever but not higher than 39.2 at any time during the day or night. It's uncomfortable but not debilitating.

I have a headache which hurts when I cough, and I'm coughing a fair bit, I counted 10 - 12 coughs a minute earlier for the best part of an hour.

Temp is holding steady at 39.2 / 39.2 / 39.1

No muscle or joint pains, no shortness of breath at all.

No snot or mucus build up.

Dizzyness when moving around though, no appetite but still have taste and smell.

Energy levels are very low, it's like being really badly jet lagged.

Paracetamol eases the symptoms and fever, 1mg every 4 hours  is the standard dose, I took 2mg to knock the headache down yesterday as a one off. Honey lemon and ginger does give me a bit of a "pick me up" but swallowing the warm water is painful. honey direct from the jar on a teaspoon is much better and soothes as it goes down, i'm just using tesco cheap honey, not anything special or expensive like manuka.

Sleep seems to be the answer, along with basic meds and fluids. Breathing thru the nose as well, as it is clear stops the cough for a bit, the cough and headache really the worst thing about it so far.

In case you're wondering, I'm keeping records best I can, stuff like a temperature chart and symptoms, it helps me to see if I'm improving anywhere and also the GP told me to if I could, if possible.

Once again, thanks for the kind wishes, if I feel ok i'll post another update tomorrow.

Cheers

Butch

 

[Butch]

***NOTE a few days since my last post

Thanks for the kind wishes

. I'm going to have to stand a good few of you guys a beer in le pub next time I visit. i'll stick a few setang behind the bar and pass on instructions to mr egg.

I came online for a few min last night, then fell asleep with the laptop on my bed while I was reading the forum!. Anyway here's an update.

It's fucking horrid. My temp has decreased over the last 2 days. It held static from Friday at around 39.0 which is comfortable but noticeable, and has now levelled out at norm. My body began to ache like crazy at one point, I think it was weds morning or earlier tues night, the joint and muscle pain presented itself over a period of 4 hours and it felt like I'd gone a solid 12 rounds with Ali. That's the only way to describe it, like your whole body is bruised, each movement a pain and effort. It's a throbbing, dull pain , best way to describe it is like a bruise on every joint and muscle and a real effort to move. It came to a point when I actually ended up pissing in an NHS approved cardboard piss pot. The aches continue but subsided after 72 hours.(ish)

Mrs Butch said I "peaked" Weds PM, / thurs am early hours she's probably right because to be honest I had no idea of what was going on at that point. i'm not going to say what my body temp was or my condition, but I was "on my chinstrap" lol. I was awake and watching the hour hand tick by, hoping that I'd feel better or improve. Mrs Butch was with me, as she wasn't reading the last rites or asking about the Will, Thai Mistresses who might make an appearance at my funeral or where I'd hidden the Reg docs to the Hakosuka I figured things were looking up.

My breathing throughout this was ok, no shortness of breath apart from the cough which is painful. My headache subsided thursday afternooon, thankfully. Around Thursday 15:00 I began to feel an improvement. I'm now up an about, and before any conspiracy theorists say that they've never seen me or Boris Johnson in the same room, I think MGDN will verify that I'm much more handsome than Boris.

If any BM's or their friends find themselves suffering from any symptoms, then I will say that this is not something a person can face alone. I'm 48, can run 5 miles straight off, relatively decent weight and healthy. I also have a very physical job, so am fairly fit. The last time I felt this bad was a bout of Malaria in Oman when I was 20 years old.

This is not "just the flu", it is an absolute killer, and when I read of 80 year olds surviving it I'm quite frankly shocked and very pleased both at the same time.

One other effect are particularly lucid and emotive dreams. I was only under paracetemol (nothing else available unless you get into ICU) but my dreams were pretty bad, the kind of bad you don't admit to unless very drunk.

Keep safe people and for gods sake have someone on speedial. This will not take any prisoners, don't try to face it alone. Please.

Regards

Butch

Edited June 7, 2020 by Butch

[Butch]

 forgot to mention that I was given a test for Covid-19 on Tuesday at around 17:00 and it came out positive.

I'd like to reiterate that under no circumstances should anyone face this alone, as if you get really ill then it is simply not survivable.

The NHS are approaching this with  "symptomatic relief" which in essence means they treat the symptoms as they present themselves. They are not using any medication (officially) to treat this virus directly. Ventilation is the same as intubation, a very invasive form of treatment.

If you get the symptoms, notify someone and keep them in the loop 24/7. If you deteriorate , head to A&E and declare your symptoms are that of Covid-19 but you should be triaged before that anyway. If in the UK call 111 , if you are unhappy with the answer, call 999, then they have to act. Don't take chances with your own or anyone else's life

Edited June 7, 2020 by Butch

[Butch]

So today it feels as if I have a bad cold. Fever totally gone, body temp back to normal, joint pain is slight but perhaps best way to describe it is a post viral discomfort, like an exercise session when you haven't done any for a while.

I meant to mention earlier that I was sleeping for around 16 - 18 hours a day, on and off, I think it's the bodys way of providing respite from the joint pain and as we all know, the best way for it to repair itself.

Also to address your questions Jacko, we think that I got this from one of our Nurses living with us who had a slight cold and fever for 2 days. She's 24 and healthy, but those are the only symptoms she presented, she didn't bother to get tested because she actually thought it was a side effect of her period!. The situation here in the UK is not ideal, Nurses having to use public transport (although one of the girls bikes to the Hospital) and yes, a concerning lack of PPE even at this stage of the pandemic.

Just to reiterate, had I been alone then my recovery would have taken much, much longer, no one to bring me my meds, food or water, and I was so debilitated I would not have been able to get up and get them myself, no way of going to the toilet or anyone to change the sweat soaked sheets and T shirts I had to wear in bed. On that note, had I experienced breathing difficulties and if I were alone, this would simply have not been survivable.

Anyone alone needs someone whom they can check in with every 24h, but if they get symptoms then it needs to be every 12 h or maybe less depending upon the severity. This is much more than just a regular flu. I tend to cop a dose of the flu once every couple of years, and although initially I said that this is similar to the Pattaya flu we've probably all had, I was most definitely wrong in that statement. Initial symptoms of fever, headache and fatigue can be overcome, but when the joint pain and higher body temps kick in, then it is simply game over regarding any kind of functionality for a good few days and possibly longer.

I'm not superman, but luckily I don't have any underlying health issues. I'm lucky enough to keep myself in decent shape, maybe a bit overweight for my age and height but definitely not in the Mr Creosote league. i'm also a non smoker and live in a rural area of the UK.

I was drinking grapefruit juice when I could, I do think that the increase in Vitamin C helped me recover, but whether this was the placebo effect I'm not sure.

Keep safe people.

[Butch]

As I said yesterday, it now feels like a bad cold, with some associated aches and pains, but I can now begin to function with a degree of normality  with regards to personal hygiene, feeding and watering myself. I'm still on high vitamin C drinks, Orange and grapefruit juice and also Beetroot juice twice a day. My appetite had returned, and so far today I've had a small breakfast and lunch. Some people do have gastric issues during Covid, this isn't unusual but luckily I didn't get the shits and managed to keep food down without feeling nauseous, the only issue being that my throat was so sore it made swallowing too painful at one point, so I simply couldn't eat, but then again I had no appetite anyway. If I were to put it into percentages I'd say that I'm 90% better than the time I peaked on Tues / Weds / Thurs last week (memory is hazy tbh) but still functioning at about 60% of full health.

My sleep pattern is returning to normal. I slept a solid 11 hours last night, which is encouraging. Despite sleeping an awful lot while ill, it feels like my body still needs to rest after all of this, so i'm listening to it and allowing it to do what it needs. I'm off work until next week so plenty of time to recover.

Last night I had some time to think, and wondered what would have happened if I'd had breathing difficulties, and how it would have exacerbated the condition, and it is very easy to see how and why. The virus itself is very debilitating, and of course not being able to properly breathe is debilitating as well, and I can now realise why it finishes people off in a matter of a couple of days. Terrible.

I'm trying to get my head around the timeline and I think it is as follows:

Sunday 5th - began to feel a bit "croaky" and feverish, symptoms got worse as the night went on.

Monday 6th - Symptoms developed further, noticably higher fever, cough was gradually getting worse. Headache / throat being most effected. Started to keep a temp chart and record.

Tuesday 7th - Began to level out (it felt like) Temp held steady, cough was still bad, headache and throat still painful and a slight joint pain beginning to appear. I thought this was as bad as it was going to get.

Weds 8th early hours - Terrible joint pain, onset within 3-4 hours, very rapid indeed, at the same time my fever increased, but coughing decreased and my throat was extremely sore. My headache was now permanent and the pain was awful. Not able to get out of bed, each movement felt like a huge , painful effort and I was shivering uncontrollably at one point in the night. My breathing was ok, no shortness of breath but I was very photosensitive. A kind of waking sleep interspersed by sweats, fever, joint pain, headache pain and the need to piss.

By this point I was out of the game by a long shot. The pain of the joints, my head and everything else meant that it wasn't possible to function at all.

Thurs 9th - More of the same. No food since Tuesday morning so it was liquids only, including liquid paracetemol (Calpol for over 12's). The problem now was that my sweating was not only causing dehydration, but in soaking my T shirts and bedsheets, it then made me shiver more as the fever made me feel cold. This got to a point where it was decided to let me sleep on a towel and just replace it as needed. Pain was awful, and everything a haze around this time.

Friday 10th (early hours morning)- Rinse and repeat, but with some stability and decrease in my body temp, which was fortunate because it was reaching the point of concern with regards to the condition of my kidneys due to the amount of sweating and dehydration, lack of fluids and salts going in. Friday late evening gave me a slight respite, I had a glass of doiralyte and a high calorie drink usually reserved for pensioners. I felt my body react to it positively, like that first cup of tea or coffee in the morning. My headache had begun to subside (I had thought this was on Thursday, but it wasn't).

Saturday 11th late afternoon - the fever had decreased to a point where it was just bloody uncomfortable. Headache gone and temp heading down to norms, joint pains still evident but nothing compared to what it had been, not even 10%. Able to drink (high calorie meal drinks) and drink fluids. Came online for a few min but fell asleep while reading the forum lol.

Sunday 12th - Definitely over the worst, and definitely on the road to recovery, but still feeling like a really bad cold. I managed to catch up on the news, get myself a decent shower , shave and give myself an ego boost by doing so. I also had a cuppa which was wonderful.

The last 2 days I've felt much better and improving each day. As i said, just allow my body to do and take what it needs.

Once again, many thanks for all the kind thoughts and wishes. My aim of this "diary" is to hopefully highlight how this can effect a person, and with any luck give a heads up as to what you need, or what precautions need to be taken in the event of. The most surprising aspect of this was the speed of the onset of joint pain and the severity of it once it arrived. Everyone is different, but for me this was the single most debilitating factor because it removes your ability to be mobile.

Speaking of which,

I've no bloody intention of stepping foot outside my house for a few days either. I've got too used to being waited on 🙂

Keep safe people!.

Cheers

Butch

[Krapow]

Good info, and thankfully you're getting better and here to post it.

I know of at least one other Board Member who caught Covid, he was hospitalised in an induced coma at one stage, so quite bad. 

Though getting better, has even been logged on here off and on again.

I'll  not mention his name, he'll probably read this, and can post if he wants. 

[Butch]

Thanks for the support Krapow.

I posted in on PT and now here in the hope that anyone recognizing the symptoms could react accordingly. It's not really meant to be about "me" but what anyone can expect to feel if they get it, (hopefully they won't).

It remains a threat, the actual death from C-19 itself is not pleasant, but it is preventable. I'm not going to get into the political arguments with regards its source, perhaps my views on that might not fit in with the boards rules.

 

Edited June 7, 2020 by Butch
typo

[boydeste]

Thanks for the update.

It's nice to hear first hand experiences from people and also a happy ending for a change.

[tommy dee]

glad u are getting thru it.  her ein thailand we had it in december and jan when no one knew what it was.  Dr here used an electronic nebuliser to relieve the breathign issues, so I bought one.  for home use wit the meds.  4 months later the cough remains.  good luck and speedy recovery.  for me it was near 4 wks, for the youngsters, 35-50 it took 3 weeks and they are fit

[Butch]

Keep well Tommy, it has indeed been around for a  while longer than reported. I was very fortunate, and had some good care. In the UK they tend to use cpap rather than intubation for many cases. The after effects can run into months later, I got lucky as my symptoms were very light in comparison. Definitely dodged a bullet there 🙂

[grayray]

butch,

thanks for all the diary,iam 75 unfit so I doubt if I would survive a bout of the virus.

I have had some of the symptons you wrote about for over 10years but never any fever.

was negative when tested 2weeks ago,have never left the house for 2 and a bit mths without wearing mask or gloves and try to keep social distance when out at the supermarket which has never closed down.

hope that the future is better.did the wife and nurses have to go into lockdown?

regards

grayray

 

[Butch]

Hi Ray

The Nurses who still lodge with us were redeployed from their current wards , one was in day Surgery and the other an Eye clinic, due to the shortage of staff at the time, they moved in C-19 Wards, but our area of the UK had no shortage of PPE, hence they were fully protected at all times, however, I think I got it from one who was asymptomatic and might have caught it during her redeployment.

No one part from myself showed symptoms, and once I did, everyone quarantined.

I fully understand how it is easy to see the same symptoms during the regular flu, and for many C-19 is less debilitating than the regular flu for some reason. There is a line of thought that the effects change determined upon genetics, but that is way way beyond my scope of knowledge and I can't speculate here.

All I will say is that it is not something a person should face alone. Even at this stage of the game, people need to make preparations by way of regular contacts and hygiene. The supply chains are running at full capacity now, so no need to stock up on anything, however, it does not mean that a supply of dried pasta, tinned beans and tomatoes, UHT Milk, Tea and Sugar are not a bad idea (forget the toilet rolls, we used to have an outside loo, and a load of cut up squares of newspaper on a bulldog clip!)

[coxyhog]

Thanks for the post @Butch very interesting & useful and great to hear that you beat it & didn't give it to your missus.

Who did you work for in Oman & whereabouts?....Did a few years there myself.

[Butch]

1 hour ago, coxyhog said:

Thanks for the post @Butch very interesting & useful and great to hear that you beat it & didn't give it to your missus.

Who did you work for in Oman & whereabouts?....Did a few years there myself.

Hi,

Lived there from 75 through to 1997, educated initially at the PAN AM school, then a brief spell in the Sultans School, then back to the UK for my secondary education, but spent my hols out there. My Dad worked there for the Military, I later took a job (cheers Dad) working in Muscat, I was initially based at the old SON Naval base round the corner from the Palace and spent my time between there and MAM HQ which was a way up past Seeb. It was a never ending pile of bloody paperwork. I lived with Dad, initially in Medinat Qaboos, then onto Ruwi and finally in a place that was over the road from the Inter Con.

Spent time down in Salalah, fishing off Mugsahyl beach mostly !. I also stayed at Sur when it was a base and populated by me, 12 Omanis and 3 dogs, briefly. Absolutely loved Salalah, we would drive down the coastal road , get half way and camp out somewhere. Awesome stuff.

I've got some great memories from my time there, from being stranded in the Empty Quarter, being taught to Scuba dive at the age of 10,   to watching massive storms at night off Qurm beach with my gf at the time.

Edited June 8, 2020 by Butch

[stuarty]

21 hours ago, Krapow said:

Good info, and thankfully you're getting better and here to post it.

I know of at least one other Board Member who caught Covid, he was hospitalised in an induced coma at one stage, so quite bad. 

Though getting better, has even been logged on here off and on again.

I'll  not mention his name, he'll probably read this, and can post if he wants. 

That would be me, fuckin horrendous it was.3 weeks sick in house then breathing went so ended up in hospital for 6 week ended up on ventilator machine for a week which ive no doubt saved my life. Lost around 5 stone in the process. Back home now and getting stronger everyday walking unaided now what a diff that makes. Cant praise the docs and nurses enough i doubt if have got through this without them lifting my spirits at down times.

[Butch]

2 hours ago, stuarty said:

That would be me, fuckin horrendous it was.3 weeks sick in house then breathing went so ended up in hospital for 6 week ended up on ventilator machine for a week which ive no doubt saved my life. Lost around 5 stone in the process. Back home now and getting stronger everyday walking unaided now what a diff that makes. Cant praise the docs and nurses enough i doubt if have got through this without them lifting my spirits at down times.

Glad you came through mate, and continue to get stronger. My experience was a picnic compared to yours!. The closest I got to being hospitalised was when the wife thought my kidneys were packing up due to dehydration. I never suffered with any breathing difficulties thankfully, it was the one thing I was always aware of though.

[coxyhog]

2 hours ago, Butch said:

Hi,

Lived there from 75 through to 1997, educated initially at the PAN AM school, then a brief spell in the Sultans School, then back to the UK for my secondary education, but spent my hols out there. My Dad worked there for the Military, I later took a job (cheers Dad) working in Muscat, I was initially based at the old SON Naval base round the corner from the Palace and spent my time between there and MAM HQ which was a way up past Seeb. It was a never ending pile of bloody paperwork. I lived with Dad, initially in Medinat Qaboos, then onto Ruwi and finally in a place that was over the road from the Inter Con.

Spent time down in Salalah, fishing off Mugsahyl beach mostly !. I also stayed at Sur when it was a base and populated by me, 12 Omanis and 3 dogs, briefly. Absolutely loved Salalah, we would drive down the coastal road , get half way and camp out somewhere. Awesome stuff.

I've got some great memories from my time there, from being stranded in the Empty Quarter, being taught to Scuba dive at the age of 10,   to watching massive storms at night off Qurm beach with my gf at the time.

I was at Seeb airport,working on the air force BAC 1-11's for Airwork.We lived on MAM,maybe you went to the Concorde or Falcon Clubs?

I had a fantastic time there between 1983-92.

[Krapow]

2 hours ago, stuarty said:

That would be me, fuckin horrendous it was.3 weeks sick in house then breathing went so ended up in hospital for 6 week ended up on ventilator machine for a week which ive no doubt saved my life. Lost around 5 stone in the process. Back home now and getting stronger everyday walking unaided now what a diff that makes. Cant praise the docs and nurses enough i doubt if have got through this without them lifting my spirits at down times.

Any truth in the rumour the Consultant said to you that your penchant for hammering 4 bottles of tonic wine a day saved you 

[Smiler]

1 hour ago, coxyhog said:

I was at Seeb airport,working on the air force BAC 1-11's for Airwork.We lived on MAM,maybe you went to the Concorde or Falcon Clubs?

I had a fantastic time there between 1983-92.

I know a few guys who worked for Airwork in Oman - BIg Rich, Pete, Mark, Niel etc

[Butch]

1 hour ago, coxyhog said:

I was at Seeb airport,working on the air force BAC 1-11's for Airwork.We lived on MAM,maybe you went to the Concorde or Falcon Clubs?

I had a fantastic time there between 1983-92.

I didn't go to the Clubs, the only places I would go to were with Dad, sometimes to the RFO clubhouse  or SAF Beach Club  but I only went there (RFO club) a couple of times so don't remember it too well. I left school in 87 then ..ahem...got "offered" a job out there which involved an inordinate amount of paperwork, mostly vetting guys from UK wanting to work in the Forces plus some other equally tedious stuff.

MAM was great, it had an awesome pool but the shade was a bit lacking!. I've got a funny yarn from when I was there at the age of 8 years old involving MAM HQ and Eric Bennett who was CO of SOAF at the time.

I was given a crappy old toyota corolla that was previously owned by a tramp to do the awe inspiring trip from Diwan Palace offices Muscat to MAM 2 or 3 times a day.

I can remember a couple of Airworks guys from when the  Muscat Naval base was a SON base before they moved up the coast and it transferred to the RYS. Some of them were accommodated in Muscat iirc. It seemed to be a pretty lucrative job for them back then. I know my Dad went from 3k pa in the private sector UK to 12K pa tax free in 1975, so he was pretty chuffed to say the least.

 

[Nightcrawler]

Hi Butch and welcome back.

Thanks for the very frank account of your Covid experience and glad that you got through it, albeit a terrible experience

It brings it home just how serious this virus can be and that it can hit any of us.  Some are lucky and have few symptoms whilst for others it can be a nightmare, or even worse followed by death.

I think you are probably the first member to actually report on having contracted the virus. From your experience, it certainly goes to show that C19 is not just like ordinary flu.

[boydeste]

1 hour ago, Nightcrawler said:

Hi Butch and welcome back.

Thanks for the very frank account of your Covid experience and glad that you got through it, albeit a terrible experience

It brings it home just how serious this virus can be and that it can hit any of us.  Some are lucky and have few symptoms whilst for others it can be a nightmare, or even worse followed by death.

I think you are probably the first member to actually report on having contracted the virus. From your experience, it certainly goes to show that C19 is not just like ordinary flu.

I have seen 3 BM's recently say they have had the virus.

It's very real and nasty for sure!

[stuarty]

11 hours ago, Krapow said:

Any truth in the rumour the Consultant said to you that your penchant for hammering 4 bottles of tonic wine a day saved you 

Haw it was only 3 bottles 😂 anyway aff that shit from now on . 

[Ivan the terrible]

sounds bloody grim