I've not posted in a while, but thought it time for an update on my covid pneumonia recovery after a month in hospital, i'm now just in week 7 of recovery.
I've been staying with my parents for the last 3 weeks to aid in my recovery, and it has helped. However recovery is much slower than I expected, but when I spoke to my physo on my 6 week checkup, he seemed to think I was doing ok. Next checkup is 12 weeks, and I have to be mobile enough to make it to hospital myself. Quite daunting for someone who has only just enough energy to climb the stairs or walk for around 6 minutes.
So, in the last few weeks I have made some progress. Breathing has improved, and as I said, I can manage stairs, however I do get breathless and need 10-20 minutes to fully recover from the climb! I can stand for several minutes now, and walk for around 5 minutes. Its a slow walk and my heart rate is still rather higher than I remember when I walked prior to my illness.
I go back to work in a month too, thankfully a phased return and just working from home. I'm lucky that most of my job can be done from home.
I still find pacing a little tricky, and only have a couple of rest breaks for meditation during the day. Luckily i've not experienced significant fatigue recently, this week I had one night of aches and raised heart rate, but was so tired I just fell asleep! Yesterday, aching back as i'd unpacked food shopping the day before.
In fact my physo suggested that I could count rest during the day as simply relaxing in front of the TV.
I do wish I had a hotline to him, so I could ask questions, i'm always full of them.
I still do get moments when i'm anxious, however i've not had a severe attack as my recovery has progressed. Mindfulness and talking to people helps most with anxiety for me.
I'm still hugely dependent on friends and family for help and suspect I will be for another month, until I can walk to the shops myself.
Getting fit again takes ages! My exercise level is fairly low, but seems about right. I long for the day where climbing stairs does not make me breathless. The not knowing gets to me. I still have days where my mood is low unfortunately. I do hope they will become less and that my recovery continues.
I was so unlucky to get as ill as I did with covid in the first place. I hope in respect of long covid that I do not have it and that all I'm managing now is a recovery from post viral fatigue and pneumonia.
I have to get my car MOT sorted and get it back on the road as it will give me the ability to drive to the shops and then have the energy to walk around them.
I wonder what the next 4 weeks bring? Once i'm back at work, I get less time to rest. Having said this, I use a computer screen a fair bit during the day. My Macbook tells me my screen time.
I do wish I could lose this hospital time though, waking up at 6am most mornings. I suspect this will come with exercise? Getting to sleep has been a problem for me for a long time, but it became even harder when I got ill. I hardly ever feel sleepy at bed time, before this all happened, I can remember feeling at least sleepy before my bedtime! I'd love to return to that, as sleep is important to my recovery!
Anyway, others in similar situations, how did you feel this far into recovery?
I hope it keeps getting better. I hope that starting work makes me tired for my bed in the evening and that in a months time I can go for a 20 minute walk, stand in a shop browsing for food shopping, and manage stairs without getting breathless.
I'm told that getting breathless is good though, as I need to train my body that it needs to improve my muscles!
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natswright
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Hoping you continue to improve over time. You can’t rush recovery though so I hope your employer understands that. Wishing you better days ahead. Take care xxx💜
Onwards and upwards, howbeit very slowly. As Sassy says you just can't rush your body. But I'm sure you'll get there eventually. You sound a very determined young lady. xxx
Very unfortunately I am now an expert in recovery from pneumonia!! I would say you are doing just fine. It is slow but steady. A day-by-day slight increase. You will get right in the end and I wish you well
It may not be the speed of progress you expected or wanted but you are heading in the right direction slowly and steadily. Someone once said "if only patience was a prescription medicine". Keep on as you are and you will get there eventually.
Yeah, I guess. I just surprised myself this morning, with a resting heart rate of 73bpm, which usually only happens when i'm in bed. Suprised its so low!
I really hope you read your previous posts. They will show you how far you have come! Only a few weeks ago you were pushing yourself around on a chair, then considering a stair lift, yet now look at you! I honestly believe that if you looked back and saw how well you were doing it would improve your mood.
I feel sad that after almost every positive statement you make you immediately counter it by a negative comment!
You ARE doing really well and ARE moving in the right direction.
Haha, I guess I like to get all things off my mind, regardless. I have some fatigue from today as it was very energy sapping getting back, but I climbed the stairs to my house, and was not out of breath!!
Terrific progress natswright, taking a day at a time and staying positive, you are certainly on the right track. There is a light at the end the tunnel now. Take care and wish you all the best xxx😊
Well, had a canny nights sleep, think my body knew that I needed some deep sleep, got over 1 and a half hours! Was restless from 3am, but managed 7 hours.
I'd say so far I have moderate fatigue, legs ache, and feel weak, but a little better since I got up. Feeling slightly breathless, but I suspect thats just down to a bit of anxiety or the extra oxygen my legs will be demanding.
Was going to shower today, but think i'll leave that for today.
My upper body muscles seem mostly ok, chest a bit tight, but this is fairly typical in the morning, takes me time to get going usually!
I knew yesterday would be tough, hope the fatigue clears up soon.
I'll un pack my stuff over the coming week and try to get some normality back to the house.
Hope you're getting better every day and you are on the right track with a very positive attitude you can do it,wishing you all the best Going forward 😊
Oh. You are doing well. If you avoid only measuring your progress only by your physical achievement you will see what a long way you have come in a few weeks.
Hi Nat. So pleased that you seem to be on the right road to recovery. I think you are doing everything you can to improve. Keep it up and let us know how you progress. Good luck. John
Thanks John, I really hope my earlier caution with pacing has paid off. I'm a bit fatigued today, but can still move around and make meals. Just chilling today, no stairs, just enough walking to keep my circulation going.
My fitbit has been a surprising predictor for fatigue. It recognised by monitoring my vital signs that I was close to my limit! Lets see how tomorrow goes, as fatigue can hit up to 48hrs later!!
You are doing really well. Sometimes it's not about numbers from fit bits and sats meters but how you actually feel. Praise yourself for every achievement you make. I made tiny goals, today walk to the top of our drive, if that was achieved then tmrw to top of neighbours drive etc.
Sunday was a tough day, and now its monday, i'm feeling a little better after a good nights sleep. Managed 8 hours and actually felt tired for the first time in ages.
Its still a bit odd going back to living alone, and I suspect this as been part of my anxiety.
Its a lovely day today and I'd love to go for a short walk, but I still need to rest a bit more as I need to be sure the fatigue is out of my system completely. So I'm limiting activity to the house.
Thats it, I have to take this a day at a time. As much as I love to plan for the future, I cannot at the moment.
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