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My doctor called in a prescription for #Paxlovid, which I'll start taking as soon as I spouse gets home from the pharmacy. The person I caught #COVID from on Thursday morning started taking Pax that afternoon and was already feeling significantly better by yesterday. So I'm hopeful.

So far, 11yo (exposed when I was) and spouse are fine.

#covid19
#CovidIsNotOver
#COVIDisAirborne
#WeAreStillInAPandemic
#LongCovid
#MaskUp
#MaskUpSaveLives
#MaskUpMastodon
#MaskUpForOthers
#IndividualismKills

#covid update:

#Paxlovid is working. I'm not dizzy all the time, the way I was the first time around (Feb '23). Currently on Day 3.5 since symptoms onset & I feel less exhausted than I did yesterday.
Also, Pax leaves just as yucky a taste in your mouth as advertised. Except it doesn't actually leave a taste; the ritonavir in Pax activates the mouth's bitter taste receptors. Ritonavir was originally used in HIV meds, and the bitter taste was a known side effect.

It's yucky. I've had worse.

1/

Note: Apparently, some of y'all out there are refusing to take Pax because of the taste. THAT'S FOOLISH, PEOPLE. Having a bitter taste in your mouth is immeasurably worth avoiding a worse and longer bout of COVID. And the shorter your bout, the less likely you'll be to spread it to others.

Imagine you could've prevented your kid, partner, parents, coworker from getting #LongCovid if only you had put up with a bitter taste in your mouth for 5 or 6 days.

SUCK IT UP AND TAKE THE MEDS, PEOPLE.
2/

I think the bitter taste is actually good news: if nothing else, it's proof I haven't lost my sense of taste. Beyond having a slightly stuffy nose, I haven't lost my sense of smell. That tells me I'm avoiding brain damage. Yet another good reason to keep taking the Pax.

So #MaskUp, y'all--especially in crowded public spaces.
#VaxUp & get your boosters.
If you feel the slightest bit sick--stuffy nose, scratchy or sore throat, pounding headache, diarrhea--STAY THE HELL AWAY FROM PEOPLE.

3/

I wouldn't have COVID right now if they had just told me I shouldn't come to their house because they had a scratchy throat.

Stopping COVID starts with YOU.

4/4

#covid #CovidQuarantine Day 5

I miss hugging my family and cuddling my cats. This is literally the longest I have ever gone without physical contact with another human. Even with shows and movies to distract me, my anxiety level has risen a little every day -- and it's not just COVID worry. I can see why long periods of solitary confinement make people lose their minds.

#CovidIsolation sucks.

Coming up on the end of Day 7.

All symptoms are improving, but I'm still running a low grade fever. It's only 1 to 1.3 degrees above what's normal for me, but it's enough to cause discomfort and exhaustion. I haven't napped today, which was probably a poor choice on my part. But I'm going to try to sleep early.

#CovidQuarantine still sucks. I want to be with my family and my cats. Also, spouse and I were supposed to be on a double date with our closest friends right now.

#MASKUP, PEOPLE.

Well, Day 10 is drawing to a close. Things are not great.

I took a downturn symptoms-wise yesterday, Sunday, Day 9. Increased congestion, horrible sinus pressure, increased fatigue, sore throat. Today has been miserable with all of that, plus a temp that's 2.5°F above my normal. And there's gunk in my eustachian tubes as well, and a dull pain I suspect might be the start of an ear infection.

We borrowed a blood oxygen monitor from a friend, and my blood ox has been 96-99 all day...

1/

...so that's a relief.

But yesterday, Day 9, I took a rapid test and got about the strongest positive line I've ever seen on a #covid test ever.

And Day 10 has been unrelenting misery. So, to quote Darwin, "I am very poorly today and very stupid and hate everybody and everything."

Tomorrow, I will miss my daughter's first day of 6th grade. I'll probably miss her whole first week.

This is some bullshit.

2/2

#MaskUp
#VaxUp
#COVIDisAirborne
#CovidIsNotOver
#WeAreStillInAPandemic

I am ready for my cyborg body now please.

Day 14. I finally started feeling noticeably better (AGAIN) yesterday afternoon. I must be improving for real this time, because earlier today I noticed that my cuticles look awful, and it's actually bothering me.

Yesterday's image I made for my private IG account. It has gotten two likes over there so far.

#covid
#CovidIsntOver
#COVIDisAirborne
#WeAreStillInAPandemic
#MaskUp
#VaxUp

Day 15 of #CovidJail. Still running a low fever. I *almost* think I could chance coming out of isolation if I keep masking up inside the house. But taking that risk scares me. Spouse and 11yo have managed not to catch this from me. Better I stay in quarantine another day or two.

The good news is, I felt well enough to take an actual shower this afternoon instead of just an inadequate "spit bath" here and there.

1/2

I had to sit on the shower floor to do it, and on the bathroom floor to dry my hair after, but I did it. That's a win.

Spouse is making homemade pizza, and I'm glad that my nose is unstuffy enough for me to enjoy it. I'll take that little win, too.

I'm looking forward to when he and 11yo can get the new booster in a few weeks.

#MaskUp
#VaxUp
#CovidIsNotOver
#COVIDisAirborne
#WeAreStillInAPandemic

Day 16, and the end of #CovidJail is in sight.

My temp has only been 0.5-0.7° above normal today.
All symptoms are vastly improved. I have some lingering congestion, but even that is minimal.

I'm very weak.
I spent some time on the front porch this morning, enjoying sunshine, my flowers, a change of scenery. Walked back in (masked!), to the kitchen, back to bedroom. EXHAUSTING. My thighs feel like I had a major workout. Shaky & trembling.

Coming back from this will be a *slow* process.

1/

Greatest frustration today has been that a transformer in the neighborhood blew, and we have been without power for nearly 3 hours.

It's 106°F outside.

Spouse has gotten the generator going so we can have fans. #OGandE says it'll be at least 2 more hours before power comes back on.

I'm just glad this didn't happen when I was at my #COVID worst.

#CovidQuarantine
#Oklahoma
#okwx
#CovidIsNotOver
#COVIDisAirborne
#MaskUp
#VaxUp

Wrapping up Day 16 on a LONG-awaited good note.

Please excuse the peanut butter under my fingernail.

@tawtovo Thank you. I appreciate that encouragement.

My 11yo is dejected, my husband is stressed, and the orangey yowls piteously at me every time I step out to go to the bathroom. We're all feeling it. But as I just told someone else, I feel that I ethically don't have the right not to at least *try* to break the chain of transmission. No one is going to catch this from me if I can at all help it.

@courtcan
I appreciate that priority. I caught Covid one summer and ate outside in 100+ degree whether to avoid spreading it to my disabled wife, and it worked! Unpleasant while it lasted (2-3 weeks), but worth it since it worked.

If you get good-fitting N95 masks, you can safely hug your family while wearing one. That's what I did.

@tawtovo I'm so glad you were able to keep your wife safe. It's definitely worth the sacrifice to protect the ones we love!

We wear the N95 masks, but I'm still skittish about them getting close to me. Maybe I'm not absolutely crawling with germs, but I *feel* like I'm crawling with germs. Especially since I haven't had energy to do more than just sponge off.

@Njord It's the only ethical thing to do. I feel that I don't have the right not to at least try to break that chain.

@pleaseclap I thought about testing today, but then decided that since I'm running a fever, there's probably no point. Glad you've recovered! My doctor told me her dad tested positive for 18 days straight.

@JustRosy Thank you.

@KateCelyn Thanks for the heads-up! We actually just bought a new BP monitor that our doctor recommended because my husband's BP has been slightly concerning. Perfect timing!

@stargazersmith I've decided that my setback was probably due to the fact that I was sick during the second half of July, and my immune system probably just had not recovered from that yet when covid hit me. So I got a secondary infection, which my doctor put me on antibiotics for on Tuesday.

I hope your son keeps improving and can be out of quarantine soon! It is not fun for anyone concerned!

@akamran So have I! I want to get back to my regular routine, but I'm not going to be in any hurry!

@jredlund Status update. I'll take it.

@jredlund Please excuse the peanut butter under my fingernail.

@stargazersmith I truly hope not. We just bought our first house here in March.

@mastodonmigration Thank you. I'm confident now that I will recover. For a time, I had to force myself not to think about all the what-ifs. My anxiety was going through the roof--not conducive to healing!

I plan to take it very, very easy. Which will be a test of patience, because I want to get back to my workout routine. But I realize going back too soon is the worst thing I could do. So I will rest rest rest, and do super-light exercises for atrophied muscles that were in bed for two weeks.

@mastodonmigration Thanks for the recs. I've been hitting the ibuprofen 600mg every 6 hours. Alternating with Tylenol Cold & Flu Severe. I do need to drink more, but I'm probably getting close to a gallon a day. Definitely just staying in bed until it's all over. I don't want to spread this, and I don't want to cause myself damage by overdoing it.

@courtcan

You will be ok. It really sucks when you get a bad case. Hated it when people would say that it was really mild for them. Think overall it was like 30 days, but the last 10 were not that bad. Everyone has a different experience. But just take it easy, and you will be fine. Good luck!

@cy She is enjoying it so far. I just hope it stays that way once the hard work starts!