My COVID Experience. What I learned. What I would do differently. My symptoms on the daily.
I’ve been a bit MIA on socials and TBH IRL too. COVID will do that to you. It’s Day 13 for me, and I’m finally on the mend. This is likely to be you at some point too. But, to say your rona experience will be unique is an understatement, me thinkies. The BF. The housemate. The friends. All have COVID at the same time. Symptoms were entirely different for each of us. I hope this can help you prepare. Let’s rewind this story to the beginning ⤵️
It’s a sunny, hot Saturday afternoon. I’m making men tidy my front lawn as it’s well overgrown. Somehow I’ve convinced the neighbour and the bf to do it for me while I drink a corona and catch up with girlfriends on Facetime. I decide I better give them a hand, order beer delivery on Uber eats, pop my gardening gloves on and get amongst the weeds and leaves in the front yard.
Then the messages start coming thick and hard. I’ve tested positive for COVID; you need to get yourself tested. From whom? The BFs workmates. One by one, they are dropping like flies, and over the next 24 hours, around five of them message through saying they are all positive. At this point, we think we better get our RAT tests which are worth their weight in gold if you can find them, and check ourselves. We were planning to stay home and do them the next day or so, in case they weren’t positive yet, and it is too hard to find more tests anywhere at the mo. So we only managed to find 1 test each.
It seems now is as good a time as any, so we crack into them. Low and behold they were both positive.
Two days before my diagnosis with COVID: Friday, 14th January 2022
Woke up not feeling right. Very tired. Upset stomach — like gastro upset. Put it down to not sleeping well.
I wear an Oura Ring. In a nutshell, The Oura Ring is a wedding-band-like wearable and biometric tracker that collects data about your body, activity, and sleep using optical heart-rate monitoring. These are common technology in fitness trackers. The app uses this data to build three scores: Sleep, Activity, and Readiness.
Why does Oura matter with COVID?
It measures changes in body temperate, heart rate, respiratory rate & more. Detecting symptoms early, especially in individuals who may not be aware that they have COVID-19, enables people to get tested ASAP.
I’ve been wearing one for a while—around 3 years— and it seems my COVID symptoms mimic those exactly the same as when I’ve been drinking the night before. So I was not sure if I was hungover, or if I had COVID. Both, as it turns out.
Learn more about readiness here.
Learn more about Oura/COVID predication here.
Order an Oura Ring: Here’s a discount code for up $50 off and a 6-month free membership.
Oura shows ⤵
One Day before my diagnosis with COVID: Saturday, 15th January 2022
Again, not feeling ideal. Tired. Still have an upset stomach. Headaches.
Oura shows ⤵
Day 1: Sunday, 16 January 2022: Diagnosed with COVID-19
Had a bit of a hangover, so I kind of thought it was that. Turns out it was COVID.
Me: Leaky eyes. Conjunctivitis. Fatigue. Headaches. Body aches. A general feeling of meh and blah. Some people just call that Sunday.
BF: Fatigue. Conjunctivitis. Hot/Cold sweats. Sore throat.
Oura shows ⤵
Day 2+3: Monday 17th & Tuesday 18th January 2022
Me: Headache. Body aches. Aching legs. It kind of feels like I’ve done extreme back to back workouts and have a hangover, but I’ve not been drinking, nor have I been hitting the gym hard. I’m still doing light workouts at this point. Feeling tired. That feeling you’re fighting something off. Brain fog for sure. Very slow, but up/about. I’ve been millions of times sicker than this before, many, many times. No exaggeration. lol.
BF: Sore throat. Clearing this throat every few seconds. Hot/Cold. Sleeping a lot. Fatigue.
Oura shows ⤵
Day 4: Wednesday, 19th January 2022
Me: Did I mention I’m interviewing for roles at the moment? I realise my brain is not working properly. Sleeping more. Mostly tired & seem to be going in the opposite direction of the boyfriend. He’s been napping every day. I’ve not even done that once. He is barely moving. I’m doing cooking, cleaning, laundry — everything for both of us. Same same for me — a headache for days. Everything is annoying. Tired. Body Aches.
BF: Much the same. Slightly less annoying today.
Oura shows ⤵
Day 5: Thursday, 20th January 2022
Me: Feel like I’m getting a cold, on top of the same symptoms as yesterday.
BF: Is on the mend. Suddenly rewriting history about not being that sick other than a sore throat. I’m thinking, WTF, you acted like you had man flu, and I was your servant. Decide it’s not worth bringing up when I can just blog about it later, and he’s unlikely to read it—plotting my revenge.
Oura shows ⤵
Day 6: Friday, 21 January 2022
Me: Think I’ve escaped the worst of it. Yay! Same same with the headaches and have I mentioned my aching legs? Weirdest thing. Remember growing pains? I’ve had them every time I lie down, and getting horizontal is my recommended COVID recovery plan.
BF: Starts working out today. Is officially not annoying anymore and is back in the land of the living.
Oura shows ⤵
Day 7: Saturday, 22 January 2022
Me: The worse day by far. I couldn’t get to sleep last night as I felt sick. Awake at midnight, but up by 4.50 am. I slept a whopping 4 hours 20 minutes as I feel so ill. Oh no. Did the rona get me? Coughing. Losing my voice. Tired. Sore tummy. Feel really unwell. Coughing. Meh. Scowling. Grumpy.
Boyfriend: Working out, tanning, being playful. Seems miffed that we are on different rona wavelengths.
Oura shows⤵
Day 8: Sunday, 23 January 2022: Released from isolation
Now, there is no need to get a test to be released, by the way, but given I am not feeling, I want to get a test.
Me: PCR Test followed by RAT test.
PCR: Positive, as suspected. Advised pre-test PCR van be positive for 30 days to 8 weeks after you’ve had COVID.
RAT Test: Negative.
BF: RAT Test: Negative. Refuses to do PCR.
We refuel on coffee, then hit the supermarket to buy post-COVID deep cleaning products.
Cost: $100.
Time taken to deep clean? Approx 4 hours 2 people going hard. I feel like death after this.
Housemate can return home after deep cleaning. She was away when we tested positive, luckily for her, and has been unable to come back to the house unless she wants to isolate.
Oura shows ⤵
Day 9: Monday, 24 January 2022: My sickest day by far!
Me: I wake up on death’s door, feeling the sickest I have so far. Call the COVID hotline. Am advised to seek medical attention with my symptoms, especially given its day 9. I can’t breathe. Can’t stop coughing. Have lost my voice. Feeling like influenza sick. All of the symptoms.
But I’m testing negative on a RAT test.
I’m told this happens to about 1 in 5 people and not to mistake infectious with recovered. Interesting.
However, I’m advised by my doctor to stay home until I have no symptoms except to seek medical treatment.
Doc suggests I go to the emergency room or a clinic in South Melbourne to get checked because of my breathing. I say no.
Am told I could go rapidly downhill from here — that’s the pattern with my symptoms and COVID. Must must must go to emergency if I get worse.
No work. No exercise. Barely moving. I’ve started a new coaching program, so I manage to take the whole day, around 8 hours, to read the required reading, watch the videos, etc. This probably could have been done in 1–2 hours if I was well. Still managed to get it done, so I feel like I’m winning at life.
BF: Goes back to his house to prepare for work the next day. Kindly drops off cough medicine and pharmacy goods so I can survive.
Oura shows ⤵
Day 10: Tuesday, 25 January 2022
Me: Still dying. Cough is the killer. Breathing is better than yesterday. It’s like a nasty cold/influenza at this point. No workouts. No work, but I have commitments & meetings, so managed to show up for these. Feel like I’m superwoman for making it to my meetings and into the shower.
BF: Back at work. Stays over & snores up a storm. I want to smother him with a pillow. Refraining takes all my strength.
Oura shows ⤵
Day 11: Wednesday, 26 January 2022
Me: Flu symptoms are finally lessening. Do a tiny body stretch. Show up for a meeting and get all my prep done for that. Get out for a walk, and that’s me spent! Feeling sorry for myself. Why did I think I managed to escape this? I have stuff I need to get done for work but go to bed early instead. I feel part snake, part human.
BF: Who cares. Is dead to me.
Housemate: Starts feeling unwell and coughing. Oh, dear. Is it COVID? Symptoms come out roughly two days after you’ve already been infectious, which means she likely came into contact on the weekend. Could it have been at her work (bar?) or coming back here even though we were negative and cleaned/sanitized everything.
Oura shows ⤵
Day 12: Thursday, 27th January 2022
Me: I’ve returned to the land of the living. Cold & Flu tablets for the win. I have a LOOOOTTTT of important stuff to do today. Even get my hair did.
Recommend faking it (feeling better) until you make it.
Housemate: Tests positive for COVID. Doh. She’s sick and now in isolation. Cold/flu symptoms. Fatigue. Cough.
Oura shows ⤵
Day 13: Friday, 28th January 2022.
Me: It appears the cough has nearly gone. I’m no longer part snake. Feel entirely human again. Even write this article.
Housemate: Sick. Cough & Cold symptoms.
Oura shows ⤵
What I’ve learned?
Infectious and recovered from COVID are two different things.
Here’s what you need to prepare for COVID.
I am more focused on my well-being without really trying to be. Yesterday I said no to wine at the hairdresser! I’m a changed woman.
What I would do differently?
Allow two weeks for recovery, minimum. Mentally, emotionally, physically needed. Brain is not fully functional. Set expectations within your various roles (Mum/Dad, employee, social circle etc.) that you’re not en pointe. Lower expectations for results you can produce or cognitive abilities.
Buy Cough medicine & cold/flu tablets if you have meetings you must attend (zoom, obvs)
Buy a pulse oximeter. Both Lee & I could have used one, and it was the only reason I was told to seek emergency medical treatment.
Go to your local testing station first thing each day until you get hold of RAT Tests.
Oura for the win. Order an Oura Ring: Here’s a discount code for up $50 off and a 6-month free membership.
