My recovery remains extremely slow, including some backward steps. My breathlessness started to slowly get worse from last Friday, possibly as a result of overdoing things. Tuesday saw my first serious, full blown, panic attack in four years, I had a coughing fit and suddenly I could not breathe and wetting myself as a result of the body stress incured. The early hours of Wed I woke up to another coughing fit and manage to grab my reliever, that lives in the bedroom, and only just made it to the bathroom. My reliever is Bricanyl and a dose is one puff (four times a day) I needed 2 puffs to be able to get back to the bedroom to sit on the bed trying to regain control of my breathing. I had to take a third puff to be able to be confident enough to lay back down and go back to sleep.
I had also developed a wheeze, which I know is indicative of inflammation with me. Reluctantly, yesterday I turned to having to take Prednisolone which I had avoided during the infection because I had read reports that it was detrimental with the virus, making things worse. I only took 20 mgs, being cautious, and I had a much better day yesterday. I actually did a sink load of washing up in one go, instead of four bites, what a silly thing to be proud of. This morning I am still feeling better and aim to reduce the dose of Prednisolone down to 15 mg and continue to reduce it to the lowest level but still gain the benefits.
I am concerned about any damage to my lungs from the infection, unfortunately the only reports of research are well over a month old and only deal with those that had severest symptoms requiring hospitalisation. I will have to try and make sure that the Radiographer knows that I have very likely had Covid-19 when I get a CT Scan, in a few months time. Hopefully by then I would have had the antibody test to confirm the infection by then.
Hopefully, I might be of some use in a study into just how I survived, beating the odds and without needing to go to hospital. Whether it be down to genetics or how I managed the infection. There has to be a story there somewhere.
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2greys
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So sorry to read about you struggle for breath incident. It must have been really scary, but well done for getting it under control with a good use of steroids. Tiny are steps are the way forward, with not too many backwards ones! Good luck
Yes 2greys you are a special person :- let's be honest, the odds certainly weren't stacked in your favour when you contracted COVID19. You've overcome some serious health battles and at times, maybe pushed yourself too hard. That sentence alone says it all. You are a real fighter with grit and determination to defy the medics and you research into everything so you are empowered. You do need to step back on the days when you know you don't feel too good and I'd imagine that is a hard pill to swallow if you pardon the pun!!
Take care, take your time to fully recover and by doing this now, you'll be giving yourself time to heal etc. 🐿🌈💕
Unfortunately m foot off the throttle for now.lease can i pink your brain.
I got involved in a conversation on NRAS YESTERDAY.It was about the advisability of having spirometry at this time.2 ladies,1 I believe. Canadian, 1amerocan felt that it was safe and that the authorities can be believed implicitly. I paraphrase a bit.
I had just had a phone appointment with rheumatologist.
Having some problems.
She said they are currently trying to work out a safe way to do spirometry entry
I would be thinking the same way, not in a room full of people blowing. I have read a report that says that the virus can be transmitted by talking as ultra fine particles.
Could you write a book? . Slowly ! About sailing .? Or whatever else your interests are or have been have been . My stepson is addicted to flyi ng so when he could justify i the cost learnt to fly and wrote about that. He had to self publish but it gave him satisfaction , He is always active and also finds it difficult to slow down although retired..
I think your slow recovery is very understandable. My brother who is a paramedic and is normally fit and well caught Covid six weeks ago. He did not go into hospital but is still fighting to recover. From talking to him it seems recovery is a two steps forward one step back situation. Best advice I could give him was keep up with the breathing and general exercises and rest. I know you will have a plan for your own recovery but give yourself plenty of time to recover. I think this virus is not one that you can force a quicker recovery time on.
I read your post to Pete because he sometimes wakes during the night choking and unable to breathe. Sheer panic sets in and I have to be there to help. It’s all very scary.
Please take time to recover 2greys. This virus likes to do it’s own thing regardless of who it infects. You’ve done so well to come through this so rest and just do what you can, when you can. Xxx
Yes, extremely scary. This morning I made sure to suppress any coughing until I had taken my reliever first, whether it was doing that, which seemed to work, or not I obviously cannot tell.
I can empathise,on occasions when my breathing has been very poor [for a number of reasons] I have had the urge to cough and i'm thinking that will clear my chest a bit, even though a do not suffer from excess mucus.I have had a good old cough and the breathlessness has been almost overwelming and have felt I would pass out.Very difficult not to panic.This happened when I was recovering from pneumonia as well.
During bad breathing episodes now, I try to resist the urge to cough until I take my reliever as even a couple of gentle coughs sometimes is enough to cause a sort of bronchospasm.
Take it easy and listen to your body.
When our lungs say "slow up"we have to take notice...whether we like it or not.
That is it in a nutshell with the coughing. Normally I don't have a cough, just the occasional throat clearing. The problem is waking up in time to take the inhaler before coughing and remembering it whilst drowsy.
As far as this horrible virus goes it is early days in your recovery.Your breathing needs to get back to 'your normal'. Do be gentle on yourself and keep that morning reliever as close to you as you can. xx
I have always had one just for the bedroom and one for the rest of the day or pocket when I used to go out. Bricanyl has got a very long expiry date on it, around 2 years.
Thank you for sharing your experience of covid, I sure do hope your recovery is a good one without added lung damage. I was thinking the bladder control or lack of can sometimes be a sudden drop in blood oxygen levels, wondering if you are keeping a check on that with oximeter perhaps?
Take good care and congratulations on all your achievements throughout each day.
Yes, it had dropped down to 84. I have got into the habit of taking the pulse/oxymeter to the bedroom to check my levels on first waking up, as that can be at the low point of the day.
So sorry to hear your problems It is so frightening wh en you cannot breathe . It is then easy to panic and that makes it so much worse. Even when you know it.
You know you are you're your own best doctor, and you do know that you need time to recover, so listen and slow down!
Glad to see you back but I did think we were getting a rather lot of posts. You have read so much about it and the early actions you took must have improved your chances. Take your time now.and dont be impatient.
As you said there wii be people researching this who would find your experience of interest.
Some days I find a lot of research, other days hardly any that are news worthy, just replicating previous articles. Either way I still do the searching. Sat at my PC just clicking my mouse is not exactly physical exertion, which is what does me in. Today is one of those slow days.
That's scary stuff. Listening to people on the news it can take weeks to recover so you need plenty of rest.be gentle with yourself. Best of luck recover soon xxx
Sorry to hear what a long recovery you are having. From what I’ve read you are certainly not alone in that. Hope there is no extra additional damage to your lungs when you have fully recovered. It’s hard to take it easy and relax when that’s something that you never have had the luxury of but relax and heal you must ( with a little physio as well of course). Take care 2greys. Cx
HI 2 greys sorry to hear how unwell you have been and so I have heard it is a gradual process but I expect the prednisone will help the breathlessness. It is a nasty disease this Covid. I hope you improve soon. I do find your posts interesting and Informative 👍🏻👌
I actually haven't come on this site that often, much more so in recent times. I find your posts amazing, both informative and inspirational. When you posted about recovering from Covid19 I had wanted to ask you about how it was, the process you had gone through, but properly felt I had no right... I read your post today and I was so moved. So sorry to hear how painful and slow and frightening and difficult your recovery is but I wanted to say thank you for telling us, for describing it and in such detail, it really is helpful and I don't honestly know why, maybe it is making it real, reality is always more manageable than the imagined.
How glad I am to hear that you feel you are improving, I reiterate SquirellsHolt's words you are a special person, and your story is most definitely of interest and not just to the medical fraternity. Thank you!
Hoping your recovery has no more set backs 2greys, panic attacks are awful arent they , you said it had been 4 yrs since your last one ,( mine was 2 years ago till tuesday night just gone ) I'm assuming like myself our coping mechanism we used to use ( whatever that was that worked for each of us) was in need of an update ? ,it has motivated me to retrain myself to not lose it to much , avoid trigger words , dont shout for help ,try and limit the horrible urgency to evacuate our bowels/bladder which I find adds to the panic .
Thank you 2 greys for your informative Posts. It seems this virus attacks the body so brutally that it takes so long to recover. I know you find it difficult to ease off the pedal but do try I’m a bit like you and have to be on the go and find it difficult to give in. Do take care. X Anita
Stick at your recovery, 2greys. You’ve come a long way but the road to full recovery is steep and slow, they say, so take plenty of time to rest your body. Hope you don’t have many more such awful incidents. Thanks for sharing your experiences with us, helps with our understanding of what might lie ahead. Take great care xx
You should be very proud of your achievement to beat thus nasty bug and tell the tale. I know you have been struggling but you are over the worst of it. Get lots of good food in you and good restful sleep... Sleep is always the best medecine. Stay safe xxx
So pleased to hear how you are doing. It really helps me accept my slowness of recovery. You’ve inspired me to start a new post day 42 covid at home.
Washing up in one go!! Wow.
I find it hard to find non ambulatory activities that do not involve eye strain. I’m trying audio books. Also if I sit too much, my chest gets more congested. So I need activities that need slow intermittent movement. Pottering.
The actual Covid-19 infection itself was not too bad, very concerning yes, but I never felt that my life was at risk, and felt confident and in full control. The panic attacks, not being able to breath, are definitely scary though.
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xx
update on my “ newly diagnosed post” 
A little update on himself 
Recovery after chest infection
Update for all interested 
An update on my wife. With a question...
