Well, gang, after four and a half years of avoiding the dreaded plague, my hubby got a scratchy throat and a little cough...and tested positive for Covid. I called the doctor and got him some Paxlovid right away (within 36 hours of first symptoms, so that's something.) He hasn't gotten the updated vaccination yet; I tried and failed to plan the best time for it. He did get last year's, not that that would help much at this point. We're isolating in different parts of the house, although he doesn't get as scared as I do. This morning a couple hours after testing positive, he walked into the kitchen and got a glass of milk and didn't wipe down the cabinet handle or the fridge handle, which freaked me out. I left a canister of wipes and a box of gloves on the counter. I'm nothing if not subtle, right?
Our son also stopped by briefly yesterday, too. ☹️
I'm not gonna lie, I am pretty worried. Good wishes and prayers would be welcome! ❤️
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Sorry to hear about your husband. I hope he has a mild case and recovers quickly. As for you, I read your posts about you just starting your doses of Mavenclad. Doesn't that leave you more vulnerable? Be careful, mask up, and keep leaving those disinfectant wipes in every room. I wish hubby a speedy recovery. 🤗
Hi, Helpmeup! He is great about masking. As am I. I feel like we're acing that part of it, anyway! 😁 I'll probably do some extra swiping with those wipes, just to be sure.
The Mavenclad takes a while to work, so my relevant immune cells won't plummet for about two months, happily, but I wouldn't be surprised if I was still low on B cells from the Ocrevus.
Thank you so much! I hope he has a mild case as well. He drives me crazy, but he's a sweet husband and father, and he does so much for me. He really is my better half.
1st, sorry he's ill (and thx for reminding me to get my booster!!). however, he's got to understand the importance of protecting you, right? i immediately thought of shared spaces, like kitchens. at minimum, i'd probably need to see him thoroughly wash his hands before going near anything and i'd need him to wear a mask in the kitchen. just because we don't read about it and the numbers aren't as staggering, does not mean people have stopped dying.
He understands, that's how we've made it this far without anyone getting it. 😊 We have enough room that the kitchen is the only room we both need to use. I'm sure he just forgot when he got a drink earlier, but it did freak me out. I did ask him to use the wipes or the gloves, and he said he would.
He wears a mask whenever he leaves the three rooms he's stuck in - the home office, the spare bedroom, or the family room in the basement. Except for the kitchen once in a while, he's just passing through.
I think we're doing everything we can; it's just scary. We've always kept up with the boosters, I was just thinking about him getting his vaccination timed to best protect me with my medication schedule. I'm so used to being the vulnerable one that I actually forgot that he could get sick, too. 😢 I feel pretty terrible about that. At least I got him the antiviral right away, and I'm praying that will make a difference for him. Maybe tomorrow (if I'm not sick) I can have some ingredients delivered and make a huge batch of chicken soup. ❤️ It will give me something to do other than worry!
hey, i feel like people around us benefit from our illnesses (nice to see an upside when we often feel so guilty about being ill). it's that we know what to do when people get sick and we know when to get help!
I just had covid for the 3rd time and it was the mildest case so far. I wore a mask for a few days and wiped stuff down constantly and somehow my hub managed not to catch it. Stay well
I also sat out on the deck during most of the day so I didnt have to wear the mask. My only symptom this time was fever which I really had to stay on top of with tylenol and motrin because if it got over 1OO I was so weak I could barely stand. MS and fevers are just the worst
I knew I had it again when I felt drunk 🤣 That's probably not an official side effect, but that's what happened last time too 🤷♀️ I hope you stay feeling sober! 🙏
I hope he receivers soon & you don't get it! My husband & I both have had it. It wasn't more than a bad cold. We don't get the Covid shots either. I had Covid in 2021 & it wasn't fun at all. But this time it was nothing like the last time. I think I got it this time from the Drs office. I had a bacterial chest infection from breathing dirt when we were moving a clients yard & went in to get a steroid & antibiotic shot.So don't panic too much over this years covid.🤗
You've both made me glad that I still wear masks to go to doctor's appointments. It feels a bit ridiculous at times, being the only one who's masked up. But it's not that uncomfortable for a short visit, so I've kept doing it. I was talking to someone who works at one of my doctor's offices, and she said that she has been infected by symptomatic patients twice! Maybe the newer, milder variants are tricking people into thinking it's a cold or allergies. But it also seems like some people haven't learned anything from the pandemic!
I have found it's not breathing in the germ is the problem but getting it on your hands then touching your face or eating without sanitizing them first. Had I done that when I got to my car I most likely wouldn't have gotten if. I don't get very close to people especially after being diagnosed with MS. It Bri be down your immune system when taking MS meds.
Praying your husband recovers quickly. I too got Covid for the first time in July. It was a mild case but I tested positive for 14 days. Hopefully you won't get it too. My partner had it in 2022 and I was with him the entire time because he got it when he had a knee replacement. I never got it back then and I was on Ocrevus.
So was I, when he caught it! He got a variant a week or so after my infusion, back near Christmas 2022, and our roles had to switch because he was "really bad" with it. Think of man flu 🤣 he was jealous of me constantly testing neg, even though he'd be testing positive! He didn't want me sleeping in the same bed as him, but I pointed out that I'd already been doing that before he did a test, so he conceded 🤣
Thanks, Robsmom! Wow, 14 days is a long time. It does seem like it has evolved to be milder, but more contagious, from what I've heard. But it can be so different for different people. So far, he doesn't feel great, but he's not that ill. I hope that will continue. I'm glad you had a mild case!
The virus is not going to jump from the frig handle to your nose! So wash your hands. Both of you need to be "religious" about hand washing. Forgot the alcohol sanitizers. Use hand detergent and lots of water and dry your hands on disposable paper towels. And keep your hands away from your face. Also, if you really want to protect yourself, wear N-95 masks. NOT KN-95! Those are just Chinese junk.
It's a new variant, called the FLiRT variant. I don't think there's been much to-do about getting a vax rolled out for it 🙄😬 me and my husband caught it last month, and we were both alright, save for us "having" to stay in. Same with our best friends, who caught it after us. Their 1 year old also caught it 😢! But, that was after a week or so of us being neg! 🫣We still masked and hand gelled up if we needed to go out of our house when we were positive. He had to work from home, because there's only 3 people on his team, and I had to cancel my carer just to stop her from picking it up and spreading it to other, more sensitive, people she'd visit. We'd only go out of the house for shopping later in the day when we knew it would be quieter, so less people to infect, unless I had to go for medical appointments. We followed the mask and hand gelling, like we did when it was in the midst of covid and everyone was having to do the same (apart from the few who refused to follow orders 😒).
So, please don't worry about them touching stuff 🙏 viruses don't last long on hard surfaces, but still follow what was done during the pandemic 🫂
They were pretty mild for me, practically non-existent for husband! He only tested because I tested positive 🫣I'd had my cough for a while beforehand, and still have it now! I've been to doctors beforehand about it, got given omeprazole abd an antihistamine nasal spray, and told to return if the cough hasn't subsided after finishing them 😔 it hasn't, abd they've now referred me to a gastroenterologist, and I'm seeing one soon now.
The cough is a terrible! Mine started in July and I still have it. It has actually made my gastritis worse. I wish you luck and I hope you find the solution!
I was just thinking of how, when I was a kid and young adult, doctors used to prescribe codeine syrup for coughs. It worked like a charm! But we're seeing whiplash from opioids being overprescribed, to the point where they're being underprescribed in some cases, in my nonmedical opinion!
I was prescribed a cough syrup with codeine actually. It worked for about 5 days. I finally tried NyQuil a couple nights ago after trying 3 other cough suppressants. I am getting a good nights sleep but it doesn’t help during the day.
So sorry to read this news! My husband brought it home from his camping trip .. I thought he had a cold. We were sleeping in the same bed for days until he was diagnosed. When he went back to work at the hospital. I’m pretty sure that was back in 2021. I believe we all missed Thanksgiving with his family that year because we were in quarantine.. my daughter and I were worried and were trying to keep everything wiped down.. my daughter was home but was trying to finish the last class to graduate college. What a stressful time.! The crazy thing, my daughter and I had both had our boosters that fall, and neither of us got sick. I am sending big prayers for you and your son!
The only symptoms that seemed to linger were a headache and some insomnia, but those have finally passed. Now I am back to my old tricks! The dog and I are going hiking usually two times a day since the weather has gotten cooler here. He needs to run a lot, and I feel better when I get out there. He will be two in December and I have hope that at some point he will get out of his puppy stage! But he goes to sleep at 6:30 every night and sleeps until 6:30 the next morning, so I really can’t complain. He is a good boy.
That's great! I'm so glad to hear that you're better. It's wonderful that you're getting so much exercise. My dogs slowed down a bit around age four or five.
Be careful! I've not been going out as I'm trying to stay healthy for my surgery. We had tickets to an outdoor concert last night, so I was well masked for that! (It was SO good!) I saw church on Zoom this morning and I have a church board meeting I will attend tomorrow on Zoom. Tuesday, I get blood drawn, again I will be masked, and that's it! No going out until a week from Tuesday. So I will share my "healthy vibes" with you!
I’m glad you aren’t on ocrevus anymore. Your husband sounds like mine. To be fair though he’s been doing the dishes every day and making my meals while I heal from my own Covid infection. Are you masking in the house? I mean if you are in the same space or are you completely separated? I have had Covid every year for three years. Two of them were scary. One was easy. I was on ocrevus during all of them. I am praying that you don’t get Covid but if you get the paxlovid right away you should be fine. I couldn’t get the paxlovid this time because I was in a third world country and they didn’t have it. Still, I will pray for you and I hope that you don’t get it.
Thanks, RomCom87! We are fortunate to be empty nesters for now, in that we've divided the house up between us. The only space we both share is the kitchen, and we are wearing masks when he needs to come out of his territory! I don't mean to make my husband sound careless or clueless. He does so much for me, and whenever he's been exposed, he's always been happy masking and isolating to keep me safe. The reason neither one of us has had it until now is that he has been good about taking precautions. He just forgets about surfaces if I don't remind him. But now that I did, everything has been good, and I'm happy with the precautions we're taking. 😊 Someone pointed out to me today (it got up to 88°) that the air conditioner was probably circulating the virus around the house anyway (thank you for that, I guess we should just throw up our hands and not bother doing anything?). But he is feeling a little better today, and I'm so glad. I don't want him to suffer or be miserable, or God forbid, be seriously ill. I find it heartening that it seems to be mild so far.
I'm glad to hear that your husband is preparing meals for you. Forgive me if you already said this earlier, but are you past the infectious stage? How long has it been? It must have been awful to plan such a big trip and then get sick, not enjoy yourself, and have to travel home when you really just need to stay in bed. I'm sorry you had another bad Covid experience, as well, and that you're still not well. I will pray for your complete recovery. 🙏
Ocrevus is a great drug for most people, but yeah, when Covid comes knocking, you would rather not be on it! Since neuros don't regularly test B cell levels, I have no idea where they're at, but I suspect they're probably still at least somewhat depleted. I was due for an infusion at the end of July when I stopped, so it hasn't been super long. At least the Mavenclad won't have kicked in yet.
Thank you so much for your prayers and your kind words.
I contracted Covid on the 24th of July. I flew home on August 1. Many of my friends got it too and they are all fine now. Traveling home was horrible but I was so fortunate to have had the miles to fly business class and I could separate myself from everyone else for most of the trip. I didn’t know 100% that I had Covid. One doctor said it was Covid but another said it was the flu. A few days after I got home my husband tested himself for Covid and it was positive so we knew for certain it was Covid. By that time I had pneumonia and my PCP told us to get to the emergency room. I was checked in on August 8. I came home on August 15. I was no longer contagious at that point. I have been dealing with increased MS symptoms so I have been mostly bedridden since then. I can get up and walk around the house but my energy level is very low. Luckily when my husband has Covid it feels like a mild allergy attack so he was able to help me. Thank you for your prayers.
Thanks for asking. I just don’t know what to do. I have an appointment with my neuro in 2 weeks. I think he will want me to start back on it. He’s a very big fan of Orevus. After my stint in the ICU I’m so afraid of continuing to compromise my immune system. I get so nervous around the grandkids and other people. Thank you for your log on mavenclad. I’m going to finish reading it tonight. Do you think that it’s working ok for you? So much of this is a guessing game. Especially for my age group as my immune system is already weaker because of my age, Take good care of yourself. Linda💕
I really feel for you. It doesn't sound like your doctor is giving you many options, and you've been left to wrestle with this decision on your own without enough information to make an informed decision.
Mavenclad works slowly. It takes about two months, I think, before some of the B and T cells die off, and then slowly come back. I think it will be a long time before I really know if it has worked.
There is a doctor on YouTube named Aaron Boster who does not believe that anyone should stop taking an MS medication because they hit a certain age. There is a lot of that going around, and he thinks that the risk of progression is too great to stop DMTs entirely. But he also says you should take the most effective medication that you feel comfortable taking. There is a strategy called deescalating your medication, where instead of Ocrevus, you would take a DMT that doesn't lower your immune system so much. One that's popular for that is Aubagio, which doesn't work as well as Ocrevus, but doesn't cause the immunosuppression that Ocrevus does. Maybe there might be another one that might be better for you. But to me, it's not right that your doctor hasn't given you any options. Over time, if your immunoglobubulin G gets too low, it does put you at the risk of serious infections.
I think it would be a good idea to seek a second opinion. Dr. Boster has an MS clinic in Columbus, OH, and he may be able to either recommend a doctor in your area, or possibly see you via telehealth depending on what state you live in. You could contact your current doctor and ask about deescalating to a less risky medication, but it sounds like he/she may not be open to that. It would be worth it to check, though, since it will likely take time to get in to see a new doctor.
This is a tool from England that might help you get an idea of what treatments you might be interested in, but they are all generic names, so you may have to look up the brand names.
Thanks, MollyAbigail. At first things weren't too bad. Hubby's symptoms were mild. I was very sleepy and my head was really foggy, plus I had all this pressure in my head from the Mavenclad, so when I tested positive at first I didn't really feel much different. My hubby tested negative a week after testing positive, was feeling good, and two days later he's got symptoms and he's testing positive again! I guess it's called rebound, and it happens sometimes when the Paxlovid wears off. They don't give you any more of it, because the symptoms are usually mild. It's discouraging, though.
Eventually, the head pressure from the Mavenclad tapered off. So far I haven't had many Covid symptoms, but over the past few days I've started feeling the MS really waking up in response to the infection. Weak legs, feeling shaky, etc. It's hard because between the Mavenclad hitting me so hard and everything else, I really haven't been able to do my normal daily activities for almost three weeks.
It's getting to be hard to feel positive, but I'm trying to keep things in perspective. We made it four and a half years after the pandemic started before getting it, and we have had access to vaccines, testing, Paxlovid, and a virus that has mutated to be milder for most people. My doctor says he rarely has to hospitalized anyone for Covid anymore. And I know that others have had it much, much worse than we have so far. All the same, we'll be really happy when it's gone!
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