Day 2: Wednesday 30 March, 9am

I slept well, which is great. My temp is 36.14. My ears still feel clogged up (like a sinus type infection) but my nose is better and I can breathe better this morning. I feel strangely better than I was expecting. I have cough now, however and am clearing my throat already. I have no appetite still. I feel my chest getting heavy/tight as I type, an increasing sense of feeling like someone is pressing on it, currently just slightly uncomfortably but not distressing at present.

I have taken a second day of sick leave just to fully recover from whatever this is. I am thinking about work priorities backing up and weighing on my mind but I push them out, as I also know that it is best to clear this properly before tackling too much. Maybe I did not have covid at all, just a 24 hour type virus? Today we will see… Hopefully I will feel fully back to normal by the end of today. Is it worth doing another Covid test while my symptoms seem to be reducing?

Covid website – Covid Symptoms can include one or more of the following:

• a new or worsening cough (yep, a new cough)
• sneezing and runny nose (stuffed up more like)
• a fever (not officially but increasing)
• temporary loss of smell or altered sense of taste (lack of appetite)
• sore throat (not so much)
• shortness of breath. (chest feels tight, breathing ok)

Less common symptoms may include:

• diarrhoea (nope, thank god)
• headache (minor so far)
• muscle pain or body aches (yep)
• nausea (nope)
• vomiting (nope)
• malaise — a general feeling of discomfort, illness or unease (yes, I think so)
• chest pain – (tightness definitely)
• abdominal pain (nope)
• joint pain (yes)
• confusion or irritability (not yet!)

Hmm, interesting list of symptoms…I think I have the cough and what I would call chest tightness and lack of appetite. I still feel tired also. Ears blocked still.

11am. Cough is getting worse, clearing my throat frequently, like something is stuck down there, lodged deep and I can’t get rid of it. It isn’t sore though. Just an annoying niggly ahem/cough to clear my throat… that I keep doing. Temp is 35.9. No desire for breakfast but I have had some water. My body is aching noticeably now around my shoulders and upper back especially, and I feel tired. I have, I think, a faint headache forming.

12.38pm. Just had a nap, 40 -50 mins – I just collapsed on sofa. Still feel tired. Headache much worse now. My head feels a bit like it is expanding within my skull – pressing on everything.  Temp 36.39c. A new pain below bra on left side (heart location?) and also I am still feeling quite achy, tired still around my shoulders and upper back. Cough appears again. Still no appetite.  Had a fruit tea with honey, six rice crackers and half a feijoa. Wasn’t really hungry but ate it.

Mia is quite noticeably irritable. She says her tummy is “a bit wobbly”. She ate breakfast enthusiastically but hasn’t had anything else since, which is unlike her as usually she is grazing by now or raiding the pantry for snacks.  She looks a bit pale from my observation. She says she is fine and has just done some maths and made a card for a friend.

2.15 pm. Still not hungry. Left my coffee to go cold – clear sign that I am unwell…very unlike me. Back to water which is all I want. Ache/tightness in my chest is the main symptom I feel and my right arm has started hurting again weirdly with a pain radiating from shoulder down to my fingertips. Temp 36.07c.

3.30pm, been watching a movie with Mia on sofa. Not much energy for much else. Had a little food, a few chips with her (salt craving) and some fresh pear. Not really hungry. Nose and ears feel stuffed up still, no cough, feeling really tired. Might lie down again. Temp rising 37.03c but still in normal range. Going to lie down.

5.35pm. Temp now 37.14. Flashes of heat pass through me, leaving cold sweat behind. My chest still feel like someone is standing on it – compressed and weirdly my sore right arm/shoulder/upper back area is continuing to feel sore. Not feeling like doing much. Trying to keep drinking water. Headache still there but still manageable.

6pm. Covid test is negative. (This is the third test). Temp is 36.5c but I feel much hotter. Ate 3 chicken nuggets from Mia – tasted nothing. Feel sweaty. Arm aching. Throat a bit sore, raw feeling.

10.30pm. Temp 36.59c. Slight headache again. Ears still clogged and nose stuffy. Throat a bit sore. No cough. Had cup of herbal tea and a bit of dark chocolate. Tired, achy, sore arm/shoulder still there.

Day 3: Thursday 31 March, 10am. Slept late. Temp was 36.39 upon waking but rose in a heat flash to 36.93 moments later. I feel the heat coursing through me. My nose is still stuffed up and my ears too. I have a headache – like a hangover/migraine forming. My chest feels tight when I breathe. My throat is a little prickly also. I still feel tired. And hot. I have lost over 2 kgs in 2 days. The pain in my back, upper back – between my shoulder blades, is quite noticeable also.

Sacha has a sore throat and slept very late also. Her temp is 36.52c. She is eating ok and seems fine.

12.15pm – have been lying on sofa entire time since I got up, I have no energy to do anything. Chest heavy (like I am being stood on). My upper back aches also. I have no appetite and haven’t eaten anything. I cough intermittently. My ears and nose still feel very clogged up like a sinus infection – painful and stuffed up. My headache is worsening. My throat is sore too. Temp 36.5c I can’t really think and just want to go back to bed or at least the sofa. I feel the heat wave over me, and my temp is rising as I sit here. 37.2C just moments after I checked it earlier. 

Later – Ate half a slice of toast and a fresh feijoa. Not hungry, tasted nothing.

4.30pm. Temp 36.8c. Folded some laundry and felt exhausted. Been on sofa most of the day. Chest still tight and ears and nose still feel very congested. Everything else seems manageable at present, just very lethargic, body feels fatigued. Still in my p.j’s. Headache lingering around the periphery, like a mild hangover. Back is aching between shoulder blades still.  I feel like I should do something useful, but just can’t.

7pm. Negative Covid test number 4. Had a little bit of dinner even though I am not hungry at all. Feel an ache in my back and chest tightening and my arm pain shooting down my right arm from shoulder to finger-tips has returned. I feel fatigued and have no energy. My brain hurts and I am cranky and can’t make decisions. My head is feeling squeezed too, causing a persistent but low-grade so far, headache. Temp is 35.6c. I haven’t managed to get dressed today. I am frustrated as my temperature is normal range seemingly (despite the regular waves of heat surging through me) and I am testing negative but feeling so revolting.

Day 4: Friday 1 April, 9am. My chest is still really tight, I feel I have slightly laboured breathing at rest. I can feel each breath and there is tightness like a pressure on my chest. This is main symptom at present. Nose feels better and ears not feeling so congested but my ears are sore. Throat is a bit raw feeling but mild.  The pain in my upper back – still sore, low grade radiating pain. Right shoulder and arm still a bit tingly. Still no appetite for food. Slight cough. Temp is 35.76c.

11am. Temp is 35.51c. Pain in chest is quite pronounced and breathing is slightly laboured. Deep ache in my upper back. Feel very tired. Still not hungry. Having a herbal tea to keep hydrated.

1.30pm. My temp is 35.38c. I am coughing now more, and my breathing is really feeling laboured if I get up and walk around. I feel very tired and fatigued – just want to go lie down. I still have no appetite for any food and am not hungry at all. Had a second herbal tea.

 2.30pm. My temp is 34.58c but I am sweating and hot, I feel much hotter than my temp shows. Chest is really heavy, like a big pressure on it.

3.45pm. I had a half a bit of toast and a few salted crisps with Mia while watching Netflix. Temp is 36.25c. I feel hot and tired. My back hurts a lot.

5pm. Temp is 35.15c. I am really aching in my back between shoulder blades and my chest feels tight. It hurts to take big breaths. Right arm starting to tingle. No headache, no cough, nose and ears feel better – not stuffed like before. Throat not sore. No cough, but I am pretty sedentary at present.

New symptoms emerging, I feel slightly nauseous and more alarmingly I am feeling strong heart palpitations. I can feel my heart racing. But my heart beats feel slow/weak in my wrist, it is weird.

 7pm. Got very chilled about an hour and half ago, sitting outside in the late afternoon sun. Very, very cold and very tired – very rapid feeling of chills. Climbed into bed to warm up as felt so, so cold. Heart palpitations started again. Rested for an hour under blankets, tired. Had two Panadol. Temp 36.68c immediately now after being in bed, but I still feel very cold. I suspect my temp had dropped well below that. My feet are very cold. Have added extra layers and socks. Temp now 35.89c after being out of bed for 30 min. It is 25c in our living room and I have an extra sweater on and socks and my hands are freezing. Test number 5 is negative. Had a bit of scrambled egg and a herbal tea. Sat on sofa watching tv.

10.50pm. Temp 35.08c with warm sweater on and socks. Tired. Hurts to breathe. Back is very sore. Not sure what Panadol effect was that I had earlier – seems negligible. Going to bed. Right arm not bothering me which is good. Will phone doctors tomorrow.

Day 5: Saturday 2 April, 9am.Went to bed freezing cold with socks on, (despite it being 23-24 degrees in our house). Woke up about 8 am feeling clammy and cold but apparently, I was very hot to the touch. Temp 36.04c Heart is hurting, it hurts to breathe and my back hurts deep inside me somewhere between my shoulder blades. I don’t feel good at all. Nauseas. Took 2 panadol. Max phoned doctors. Lay in bed as I felt cold still. Got up showered to go to doctors and my heart still hurts, breathing hurts, I feel tired. Temp is now 35.90c.

7.52pm, same day. (Saturday). So I went to Medicross about 9am. They did another rat test (negative) and a PCR test (results unknown). They did an ecg due to my heart hurting and a few standard tests and sent me up to hospital.

Hospital did a special “more accurate” hospital rat test (also negative) – while I froze outside feeling so chilled and cold and in a lot of discomfort. I had more tests, another ECG, bloods, chest x-ray and some sort of ultra-sound, all quite normal. And an IV saline drip. And got sent home about 4pm, with a primary diagnosis of “viral prodrome”. Not likely to be Covid. Just another nasty virus apparently. So I am home, feeling still awful but told I am apparently all well and healthy. I should be happy but I actually also feel frustrated as I feel really, really sick and I don’t really know why. I am tired, so have showered and ate 2 small pieces of home made pizza (first food all day) and am now going to bed. Horrible headache. Temp is now 36.38c. In other words, normal. If I am so normal and well, why am I feeling so terrible? The hospital doctors have given me a notice for 2 more weeks of work, so I must be a bit sick.

Sacha woke up complaining of back ache, sore body all over, sore tummy and a sore head. She has also sneezed a few times. We stayed in bed for quite a while. Her temp is 36.19C

11am. Have got dressed, done a few very gentle house chores and feel exhausted. Just putting some folded washing away, cleaning out the budgie cage and making the bed…sigh. I am ready for a nap. Max is doing all the housework after it has been left for the week. Temp is 35.14C even though I feel hot and tired after my “work”. I’m definitely coughing today. I have had a bit of toast. Still not hungry but know I need to eat more than I have recently.

2.15pm. Temp is 35.75c. I feel hot. Then I feel cold and put on 2 layers. I can’t seem to gauge my correct body temp, feeling constantly either too hot or too cold. My ache in my back and chest persists and I am coughing more. But my head (ears nose) feel clearer and my brain doesn’t feel so foggy which is nice. I am super tired still. I still feel like a war is raging inside me.

Day 6: Sunday 3 April.

4.50pm. PCR test is negative also. I think that definitely rules out Covid then. My back is still very, very sore and painful but the whole body fatigue is easing. It still hurts to breathe and I have little energy. I have started coughing. Felt a little hungry for first time in days and had some plain salted crackers and feijoas. Temp 35.8c. Sacha says she is still feeling hot. Her temp is 36.36c.

Note – Did too much this afternoon as was feeling a bit better, cooked dinner and did the dishes. Had a bit of dinner.  Afterwards I realised I had done too much as my back was really sore and I felt really tired and I had heart palpitations again. Went to bed early. Woke at 3am with very strange right knee pain (throbbing) and my back aching still. Took 2 panadol. I feel like this thing is circulating around my body looking for opportunity to attack me.

Day 7: Monday 4 April, 8am. As I am covid-negative, CJ is negative and Mia has no temp and feels well, she has gone to school. She has missed 3 weeks of school but cases are now seemingly dropping right off at school and she is well, so seems like it is time to get her settled into school routine again and she is missing her friends and socialising with them. We can only hope she doesn’t contract Covid at school this week in time for the school holidays beginning at the end of next week.

My back ache is deep and continuing especially upper right side. I feel like I can never get a full breath. This is my main issue right now, this deep pain in my upper back.  I am also wanting to cough and feel something tight across my chest and deep inside. Temp is 36.07. I redo my temp 5 mins later, temp is 36.34c. Heart palpitations are starting as I sit here.

12.05pm. I went back to bed till 11am-ish. I must eat. I have no desire to eat but I know I must. My back is incredibly sore. Will take Panadol again soon. Did a few emails and some banking on-line and I now feel exhausted. Temp is 35.68c. I feel hot, sweaty, irritable and tired but mostly in pain. Must eat too, as I know I need too. My plan – Toast, Panadol, lie on sofa for afternoon.

3pm. Had a shower. Need a nap afterwards. It is so tiring. Temp is 35.09c but I feel hot and clammy even though I have just showered recently.

Felt pretty tired most of the evening, ate a bit of dinner and left most of it. Felt very hot and also very cold. Body temp was 36.47c but felt much hotter and also much colder. Slept terribly.

My first week of hell – completed.