My Covid-19 Experience – Life Post Treatment.

On December 1, 2020 (exactly 14 days after I first showed symptoms of Covid-19) a sample was picked from me and results returned the following day with that magic word ‘NEGATIVE’.

 

This post is a follow up on my earlier one (MY COVID-19 experience, which covered the two weeks of 17th-30thNovember 2020).   I continue to publicly share this experience because of what I hear and I have learnt.  There are two things I keep repeating and I will do again:

·     Not all information about Covid-19 on social media is correct.  Most of it is rubbish and only a bit of it is useful.

·     Don’t speculate or panic about your condition because it is obvious that everybody responds differently to this disease.

 

I have always been a firm believer in science, but the last 21 days have taught me over and over again, that we should believe our medical professionals.    I especially sympathize with them when they tell us they have not yet fully grasped or understood how this virus behaves, what impact it has on our bodies and how best to treat it when we catch it.  Most people take this to be a sign that the whole Covid-19 phenomenon is a deception (or a hoax), yet the profession is actually being sincere with us.  

 

My experience in the last 7 days (Dec 1- 8, 2020) has revealed to me that this virus does not just kill people but it brings about other things to those who survive it that seem to last for long.  In general, I have not yet fully returned to my optimal level of health (pre-covid), not that I was expected to have done so by now, but it is very disturbing that there are bouts in a day when you feel totally sick again.  I occasionally develop burning sensations in the chest and intermittently struggle to breathe even when I have been doing totally nothing.  Though these periods are becoming less and less regular, when they set it, I feel really sick, don’t want to speak and just want to lie down. I am at my weakest during those episodes, which last about an hour.  In addition to those general after effects, I have taken note of the following:

 

Exhaustion

Seven days after being declared free of the virus, I still very weak and get exhausted quickly.  The fire in my lungs occasionally gets raging. I cannot yet take a deep breath.  I am not sleeping as well I usually do (not at the times that I should be), and get very tired at awkward hours.  My body still gets very weak. I quickly run out of breath after walking up the stairs too fast, or if I talk in an animated way on phone or for too long.  I have read that one version of corona virus seems to be doing this – giving people long-running damage to their lungs that could last up to 40 weeks.  That basically your lungs are like those of a baby again, and you are learning to breathe again. I have also read that Covid-19 survivors are seeing physiotherapists who specialize in lung rehabilitation. I hope I don’t have to. I doubt we have any here in Kampala anyway.  But I have also read that this part of my recovery seems consistent with recovery from pneumonia (which was actually what was treated).   

 

Concentration

As the week progressed, I seem to be doing better.  However, I still find it hard to concentrate and read a book or story despite the fact that I now have a lot of time to myself.  I have even failed complete newspaper articles. I lose concentration midway news reports and find them unappealing to continue with.  On a couple of occasions, I have tried to watch movies and have slept through both of them.  I have again read some articles that suggest that some people’s brains get affected in different ways than one.  There are reports of people who have gone into a depression post treatment.   In my case, it is so far limited to lack of concentration and I am sure, I will improve as time goes on.

 

Appetite

Throughout the treatment, I did not lose my appetite and I kept wondering whether that was a good thing.  I especially craved sugary stuff so much that at one I ordered for cake (I do not eat cake, during my normal times).  This huge appetite has continued even this last week.  The doctor has suggested that it may be due to one of the drugs I am still taking orally and I should eat normally again when that is done in 7 days from now.  This huge appetite has made me wake up deep in the night to make a cup of tea and toast.  The negative result of this is that I am putting on weight and I have now added an extra 4kg in the last 3 weeks.  I need to stop myself from eating all the time, but I have failed to do so.  Yet, I don’t want to deny my body food of it needs it.  It could be the quickest way to my full recovery.  

 

Exercise

During my peak performance, I run five times, swim once and go to the gym once a week.  I am fairly active.  I therefore found it very difficult (and I am sure my body must be in shock) not to have been able to do anything between 22ndNov and Dec 1st.  On 2ndDecember, I returned to the road and walked 3km in one hour and 15 minutes.   For the uninitiated that means I covered every kilometer in 25 minutes.  I usually run one kilometer in 6 minutes or walk it in 9 minutes. Yet this was a big achievement and I celebrated it like I had completed a full marathon.  On December 8th, I walked my longest distance since I started my recovery – 9km in 1 hour and 50mins, which is an average of 11 minutes per km. I have read from professional athletes like Pogba that they didn’t get to their full potential till after 3 months.  My performance is giving me courage that I will make it.  It is one of the best ways for me to live positively.

 

Stigma

One of the ways I have easily coped with the treatment and post treatment life is publicly sharing my experience and living positively. I am now part of an informal network of five survivor friends, and we regularly compare notes. Unfortunately two of us are suffering from what is known as Post Traumatic Disorder, which has been brought about by friends, and relatives who unwittingly stigmatize them in the way they speak to them.  One of them has not left their house, three weeks since recovery and continues to refuse to see people while another has had their blood pressure consistently up since recovering.  Please be careful how you relate to Covid-19 patients, each of us are wired differently. Some are very sensitive while others will take every comment in their stride and move on.

 

I hope that my experience with Covid-19 so far, helps others keep positive during this period of uncertainty.  I have a friend who has just tested positive and he reacted disastrously to the news leading to other complications with his health. A positive result is not condemnation to death.  I have a long way to go, but after these seven days, I am positive that I will make a full recovery.  

 

For those of you who are still well, it is great.  It is unfortunate that you have to continue facing restrictions to your personal freedoms but it is necessary.  Please follow the guidelines by the health experts and continue living life.

 

 

 

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Is calling 'Mzungu' being Racist

My answer is No and this is why. I recently returned home for the summer holidays and literally walked into this row (some white friend is complaining about being called ‘Mzungu’) by kids and adults alike. Coincidentally, I had just returned form Accra in Ghana where I had spotted a letter to the press complaining about the same thing, - apparently someone was unhappy about being called Oburoni (the equivalent of Mzungu in East Africa). Anyone who has been to this dusty town of ours knows what this term means. The children will cry out ‘Mzungu how are you’, the vendors will call ‘Mzungu come and buy’ and some naughty men will propose to white women by calling them Mzungu (you must have heard of the local hit ‘Omwana w’omuzungu by the late Paul Kafeero’. Now, I do understand when white folks complain about a title that classifies them by race, especially when they come from the politically correct communities of UK that think that calling me black is being racist. I have been in t...
Read more

FORTY THINGS ABOUT ME

Turning 40 is meant to be a time to assess where you’ve got to in life and to measure your achievements against your youthful dreams. A lot is said about turning 40, some of it scary. I woke up today expecting to experience some of those things. It was like any other day in my life. I looked in the mirror; there were no obvious signs on my face to show that I am 40. My yesteryear memories began flashing before me as I recollected. I thought of how lucky I am today, to have the most amazing wife and be a proud father of four! While I was still contemplating my past, I thought of the 40 things that have come to define my life thus far. Even I found some of them interesting (and surprising): 1. I have no fear of caterpillars, chameleons or lizards but I would not sleep in a house with a snake that has not been killed. 2. And I’m neither superstitious nor religious! 3. My wife and mother are the most important women in my life. 4. I did not celebrate my birthday until I was 15, even then...
Read more

Getting Married in Buganda

On a number of occasions, friends and relatives have approached me to help them wade through the intricate matters of getting married in Buganda.   Overtime, I have noticed that many are not even aware of the simplest and obvious steps like initiating contact with the girl’s family.   I write this commentary to try and explain the simple but lengthy process of getting married in Buganda.    My post is not based on extensive research or study but rather on what I know and have learnt over the years.   A few years ago,   I used to officiate at Baganda traditional marriage ceremonies (okwanjula).  I wish to declare that I am not an expert on Buganda culture, nor am I a specialist in Buganda traditional marriages; my involvement at such a high level (omwogezi) was at best accidental, although we shall keep that story for another day. Initiating Contact Getting married in Buganda is seemingly easy but folks complicate it for unknown reasons.   Ye...
Read more