07/05/2024
Covid day 12, and this morning I am still testing positive.
I did not take a test until day 4 because it never occurred to me that I had it.
Yes, this is my first time. No big deal right? Most of us are going to get it, sooner or later…
Well, Covid finally caught up with me, and it has knocked me on my ass. That last day in Athens was rough - I put my symptoms down to mild sunstroke, and then when I returned home, jet lag.
I arrogantly assumed that I was somehow immune, that because I am one of the elite 12% of Americans who enjoy excellent metabolic health, I simply would not catch it, and if I did, it would be so mild that with one sneeze, it would be over.
This has not been my experience.
By day 4, I was in so much pain I seriously considered going to the ER.
I was sweating profusely, my throat hurt so much I had trouble swallowing, my entire body was racked with incredible pain. Even my bones hurt. There was an intense throbbing in my head and a sharp stabbing in my brain. My lungs burned, I was coughing up yellow phlegm, and it felt like an elephant was sitting on my chest.
As soon as I tested positive, I immediately scheduled a tele medicine appointment and was prescribed Paxlovid, which I started immediately. I am certain that without this medication, I would have ended up in the hospital.
Over the last few days, I’ve mustered up the energy to do a some things around the house, but I still get very tired easily and am sleeping a lot. The headache lingers, I have bouts of nausea and diarrhea, and the body aches and fatigue continues to drag me down.
This experience has been a wake call for me.
It takes me back to those terrible years of struggling with a life threatening, chronic illness, and enduring ongoing painful treatments with debilitating side effects.
Having Covid has made me once again appreciate the remission from IBD and excellent metabolic health that I worked so hard to achieve.
If I had not been so diligent and consistent with my nutrition and lifestyle habits, I know this bout of Covid could have been worse.
My purpose for this post is not to garner sympathy, but rather to bring attention to the fact that Covid is far from over, and that the most important tool we have to fight this virus is to adopt a positive mindset, and take control of our own metabolic health.
Understanding the importance of nutrition and embracing healthy lifestyle habits is key.
Prioritizing extreme self care is necessary- not just for mitigating the effects of Covid, but for all other modern diseases of civilization.
Yes, my case of Covid could have been worse, and it’s not over yet.
The lesson for me, my takeaway from this experience is one that the universe keeps throwing at me.
Self care, self care, self care.
I get complacent. Lazy. I start to take small things for granted again.
This time, I will not allow myself to feel guilty for taking time out to heal fully.
My urge to push through it in order to take care of others is something I can now quiet.
Sacrificing my physical, mental, emotional and spiritual wellbeing out of a perceived obligation to complete tasks is something I will no longer do.
I’m taking things one day, one hour at a time.
Slow down, my friends.
Take a break.
Just breathe.
Ask for help.
Go for a walk.
Drink some water.
Do what you need to do to stay healthy in body, mind and spirit.
❤️
