My First-Hand Experience with COVID, Sept. 2023

~ My first-hand experience with COVID: what worked and what didn’t. See Takeaways at end of article. ~

Day 1 with COVID (Monday, Sept. 4)

On Monday, I had a very, very mild rasp in my throat, so mild I wondered if l was really experiencing it. After work, I came home and worked on trimming some branches that have fallen in my front yard and hauling them down to the foot of the hill—stuff you wouldn’t typically do if you were sick.

I took a bath right before I went to bed and noticed how stiff and sore I was. I attributed that to working on those branches

By sometime Monday night, however, I woke up with bad chills and fever as well as acid reflux and so achy in my joints it hurt to move. I put on a heavy robe and spent the night in my robe under blankets trying to get warm and drinking lots of water to offset the reflux. I also pulled out my wedge pillow.

Day 2 with COVID (Tuesday, Sept. 5)

By Tuesday morning, I had a fever of 100.9 which ended up staying at 102 most of the day. My symptoms felt a lot like the flu.

COVID and Flu Share Symptoms

The Mayo Clinic indicates that COVID and the flu share the same symptoms. Apparently the only way to tell them apart is taking the COVID test.

My doctor told me to take a COVID test so we would know whether I had flu or COVID. The test was positive for COVID.

My doctor instructed me to take extra strength Ibuprofen and Tylenol, alternating them every 4 hours, and to also start taking Mucinex. Thankfully, Walgreens has a delivery service. I definitely didn’t need to be behind the wheel with a fever of 102.

I also added a time-release vitamin C, 2 zinc Quercetin, and a Vitamin D to boost my immunity. I had been taking them every day for the past two years but had fallen off in the past few months. I guess I learned my lesson!

I have spent most of the day sleeping, just getting up to take my meds and to let my dog out. I am dizzy, have a little trouble focusing, have a runny nose, headache, lots of aches and pains, and an occasional cough, but my fever has finally dropped to 101.3. I still have my sense of taste. So far this is pretty much like having the flu. I am wondering about sun downing and what the night will bring, but as of 6:30, after being up for an hour, I am doing OK. I even had enough energy to fix a small bowl of soup.

At 9:30 pm my temperature had fallen again to 99.8, so the Ibuprofen and Tylenol mixture is working. I did have diarrhea, though, so the soup and crackers passed right through me. I wasn’t even tempted to eat anything else except a couple of Saltines to buffer the Tylenol. I took another time-release vitamin C and added some cough drops to my routine. Still have my sense of taste.

At the end of Day 2 with COVID, my experience indicates that COVID comes on like a bad flu, but with Tylenol, Ibuprofen, Mucinex, vitamins, and lots of water, can be managed rather well. And I am pleased to be developing a natural immunity to COVID, just like we have done with the flu all these many years.

I don’t know which variant I have and am not overly concerned about that.

This is a hypothesis in my part, but it is possible that having a pet that needs to be let out several times a day may actually help me avoid pneumonia since I am forced to get up and move around several times a day and don’t have the luxury of staying in bed all day. I have also continued using the wedge pillow to keep my head and lungs somewhat elevated.

I will continue updating this as I am able so I can accurately document my experience with COVID.

Day 3 with COVID (Weds. Sept. 6)

I managed to sleep through the night and missed one dose of my NSAIDs and Mucinex. I woke up with a great deal of heavy congestion in my bronchial tubes and a fever that had crept up during the night.

To offset the heavy blockage in my bronchial tubes, I stayed up between 6 and 10, moving around, doing some deep breathing and coughing—a LOT. This is not a medical approach but it seems to have worked. I feel better and am no longer as congested. And my current temperature is 100.8– much better.

Note to self: Do NOT miss any more meds!

More diarrhea at noon. I have only had one small bowl of soup and a few soda cracker since Monday. Not sure where this is coming from. I still have my sense of taste and am feeling a bit better now that my fever has dropped.

By 2:00 my fever had dropped to 100.3 I felt well enough to eat a little more soup and take my Zinc Quercetin, and vitamins C, D and B. Took Jack outside and still believe the moving around occasionally is better for me than staying in bed all day. With that said, I will admit I am now back in bed and hope to sleep until 6.

Buy Enough Mucinex

Had a bit of a scare tonight when I realized I was on my last dose of Mucinex. I tried to order it from Walgreens.com but their system was having glitches. I tried to order several times before calling Publix, but Publix had just closed their deliveries. Tried Walmart.com but it wouldn’t arrive until Thursday morning. I called Walgreens.com and an agent tried to place the order for me. No luck. Then I decided to make one more attempt, annd this time try ordering the Walgreen’s brand alternative to Mucinex, and my order made it to check out but I couldn’t find my credit card! But—hallelujah! When I did use it yesterday to order all my meds, I saved my cc info, so I was able to place the order after all. Feeling a little stressed but very blessed. Temp is 100.5. Walgreens brand Mucinex should be on its way.

Note to self: Mucinex 6fl oz bottle lasts ONE day.

Day 4 with COVID (Thursday, Sept 7)

Woke up to a low fever of 99 but very bad diarrhea I wonder if this is due to COVID or the ibuprofen I am taking? My rib cage is also sore from all the coughing, and I am somewhat achy all over. But I will definitely be a bit trimmer when this is over, and I don’t mind that a bit!

The Walgreens brand Mucinex knock-off works, but it leaves a bad taste in my mouth and appears to have made my upset stomach much worse. It might also make my heart race. I have been sick all day and wish I hadn’t bought three bottles of the stuff.

Day 5 with COVID (Friday, Sept.8)

I seem to be on a pretty classic timetable. I stopped taking my NSAIDs this morning, and 8 hours later, I still don’t have a fever. Then I tried getting off that nasty Walgreens Mucinex knock off, but within an hour or so, I started feeling congestion in my head and bronchial tubes. A friend is bringing some Mucinex so I don’t have to keep taking the knock off. I am still achey, have a mild headache, am coughing, have a queasy stomach, and am lightheaded, but according to this site, I am about ready to re-enter society if my symptoms are “improving” and I mask up!

Dealing with COVID Takeaways:

Stay on your meds. If you miss even one dose, you could get much sicker.
Ibuprofin alternating with Tylenol seems to work very well. Possibly causes diarrhea?
Mucinex is important to clear congestion. A 6 oz bottle will only last about a day.
The Walgreens Severe Congestion & Cough Liquid costs less than Mucinex, works as well, but leaves an unpleasant medicinal aftertaste that lingers. Possibly doesn’t agree with everyone.
It is crucial not to lie dormant in bed. Yes, you will be weak, tired and dizzy, but it will help keep your lungs clear to elevate with pillows and even get up and walk a few times a day. Just be very careful when walking, because your balance will be off.

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