I thought i was careful not to contract COVID19. But it appeared that i was not careful enough. My experience with COVID19 started on the 28th of December 2020. I felt tired, my joints and muscles were painful and i was sneezing a bit. I consulted my GP who referred me to take a COVID19 swap; which came out positive. Finding that I am positive was very much frightening and scary because many people that i know who contracted it, did not survive.
My GP prescribed full package of medicines including vitamins, electrolytes replacement packs, aggressive treatment with steroids injections, anti clotting blood tablets , anxiety and nausea tablets and many other medications to assist me in coping and recovering from COVID19
Medication was also purchased from the chemist; i.e vicks, eucalyptus, lavender oil, sage and mint herbs for steaming. For full five days my GP was working hard around the clock through phone and continuous consultations monitoring my level of oxygen which he was very much concerned about. He instructed me to quarantine myself at least 10 days ,completing my course, trying to eat and managing my comorbidities well. The feeling of isolating myself was very painful. But nonetheless i had to isolate to save myself and people around me. I isolated myself for 14 days full. But i realized that isolation does not help in replenishing the energy or brain functioning. Instead it accelerate declining of the mind functioning and energy. As humans ,we need to socialize and interact with each other. I felt isolated being in quarantine as I was not able to get out..
The first 5 days of quarantine was like im in hell. My whole body was burning, painful, heavy and numb .What surprised me was that all the parts of my body where I once had injections, drips and operation scars some years back felt like they were in flames and very painful.
By that time i was puffing and huffing like a wolf in a cage. My chest was tight, nasal passage blocked ,very dry and hoarse throat .My breathing was very low . I took my medication prescribed my GP and i also steamed for 5minutes every day for 10 days. But the chance of recovery looked very slim because i felt really sick.
What made me feel worse was listening to President giving report about COVID19 statistics of deaths, recovery and ill people. I started to ask myself as whether i will fall within the recovery statistics of people. I don't know what happened because i blacked out and woke up in the morning in the care of my daughter telling me that i passed out while listening to the President report. For the first time in my 63years i was carried into the medical centre consultation rooms on a wheel chair.
Eating was a challenge. No appetite, I couldn't smell or taste food. My tastes buds were dead. I consulted again on line because i couldn't go out to mix with people. My energy in the body was declining. I started doing some little yoga exercises that i learnt from Asante, trying to stretch and gain the energy i lost, but heish.......... it was not easy. I would start praying to God but the prayer would be interrupted by coughing, breathing high in order to catch up my breath or fresh air.
The worse thing was that we were not at our home. We have been staying at a lodge in town for some reasons which i'm unable to share at the moment. So there was a small space at the back to bask myself in sunrays for 10 minutes to burn COVID19 virus and get more vitamin D, but i didn't feel free because i didn't want to be seen. Family member , friends would sent messages of encouragement and of speedy recovery of which played a very huge role in my recovery. My daughters would come everyday to bring home cooked meal and encourage me to be strong and fight back the virus. I could only see them through the window standing far from me. That in itself gave me a lot of stress.
Finally Step by step i recovered. But even today my level of energy is still a bit low. My GP told me that i will take time to be on my feet again.
I cannot thank my GP , family members, friends and my daughters enough. Above all my God!
This is what helped me to recover (please consult with your Doctors as people are different and react to medication differently)
-Avoid listening to television, listening to other peoples death cases, social media or reading newspapers. It is important to think positively and consume only positive information.
-Switch off the cellphones every now and again to minimize the number of people calling as you need to recharge and gather your energy..
-Find a cool place at home for quarantine session
-Don't sleep on your back. Sleep on your tummy or side to help breathing.
-Take lot of warm water to hydrate your body and stay away from cold beverages
-Try to eat ,drink medication and remain positive
-Do some bed exercises to stretch the muscles and joints
-Don't throw in the towel if you are sick. Instead use that towel to wipe your sweat and tears and move on
-To demystify COVID19 stigma, share your story on how you recovered . Sharing will help you heal and may help other people too.
-Above all, The first wisdom is to fear the Lord.
In conclusion, if you are experiencing any symptoms of COVID19, don't keep quiet and try to handle it on your own. Lets not stigmatize the virus, reach out professional doctors and family to provide the necessary support .
COVID19 is real. Many of people understand COVID19 after it has placed its hands on someone they love.
"I am a survivor!" You too can.
Lesson learnt: Every minute, everyday, our life is a privilege. Cherish it, be thankful to God and give it importance.
Thank you
