Long Covid Story- Diana
WEDNESDAY APRIL 1ST 2020
The day that changed the course of my life forever!!
That day started as a normal working day, up at 6am shower quick breakfast, 2 cuppas before I started a 12 hour shift on a busy elderly ward.?A busy morning bells ringing not enough staff, but life was beginning to feel different.?THE WORLD was in LOCKDOWN.
New patients arrived at around lunchtime from the main hospital I was working the male ward, and three new patients were admitted, I took control of one new patient took him to his bed chatted and made him feel welcome, while I was assisting him and reassuring him, he coughed directly into my face. THAT WAS THE BEGINNING OF MY NIGHTMARE. The incident was reported by myself, and my working day continued.
SUNDAY 5TH APRIL 2020.
All wards closed all patient’s covid positive including the patient that had coughed on me!
QUESTIONS WENT THROUGH MY MIND:
That morning half a box of paper masks had been borrowed for that day to last a 12 hour shift. At approximately 11.30amI started to feel unwell my temperature was very high, and I was very dizzy. I felt really unwell and was sent home.
THAT WAS THE LAST DAY I EVER WENT TO WORK!!!!!!!!.
APRIL 6TH.
Had phone call to go for a covid test.
APRIL 9TH.
MY COVID TEST RETURNED POSITIVE.
APRIL 14TH admitted to critical care.
Covid Pneumonia, scarring on the lungs and dangerously low saturation of 83 on admission.?On Discharge my Saturation was between 89/91.
Fast Forward now to what life is with Long Covid:
Diagnosed with fibromyalgia, leak in aortic valve, scarring on the lungs, and osteoarthritis.
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Nearly four years of this illness and my life has changed dramatically.?From being a very outgoing social and fun loving person to a tired, pained, slow and restricted one and I really do not like her at all.
I try not to focus on how my life was before Covid. I put all of my limited energy to focus on what I can/ cannot do now.?I plan my day prioritise the most important and pace constantly:
I try to clean one room a day which can take hours but on a good day it is achievable in a shorter time.
Put a wash on? Can I do the stairs today?
Preparing a meal has to be done in stages the day before sitting on a high back stool and cooked in the slow cooker.
Can I watch a movie today? That depends on brain overload, I avoid stress as much as possible.
Showering has become exhausting so on a bad day I will choose to have a strip wash.
It is impossible to make plans to meet friends as planning too far ahead is unpredictable. I always say I will if I can and on a good day, I will go but am exhausted after an hour.
Oh, you look so well is a sentence we all hear, or you should be feeling better by now is another.?I guess it is because our bodies are not wrapped up in bandages and nobody can see your pain and feel the exhaustion in our bodies.
Our illness is invisible and as time has gone on it is getting more difficult for people to understand. I don’t want to explain over and over, so my new answer is. I’m ok, I’m fine when in reality you are screaming inside.
You also get to know who genuinely cares. Now that has been a hard pill to swallow. I??hope we all find some peace within, some hope that the better days are going to be more than the bad.
Coming to terms with everything has been the hardest for me. To be told I am 76% disabled and a blue badge holder is disheartening.
I look through the window and see life is still the same for a lot of people, learning to live inside a body you don’t know or even like is tough.
But we are all strong people, the strength within us has got us this far and I hope one day we can forgive the people that did not protect us while doing the job we loved but that is a distant memory now.
My husband and I had so much planned for our retirement. This was to be our time for fun and adventure, but we are determined we can still go to sunny shores with the help of airport assistance, location is key as it has to be very close to all amenities, but it is achievable even if we are classed as disabled.
The sun is still shining, and the sea is still green and blue and until the day comes when it becomes impossible to do any of life’s chores or pleasures, I am determined I will not be defeated.
So, here’s to my fourth anniversary on April 1st. I do smile at the date it being April fools day!!!!!! I was the fool that day to carry on working in a hospital that did not have even one mask for protection. The same story for so many of us.
Some day’s we cry, some days we laugh.?I hope my story can give hope to you all.?Keep the Faith.