Day one. The firs symptoms I can remember were a light headache in combination with a cold lower back. I had eaten at a pizzeria the other day. I thought the food had been way too salty. That night I went to the bathroom for about six to seven times. I had taken an aspirin, but that did not work as good as I had expected. I was complaining about how cold it was in bed and I did not sleep well. I did not think about Covid. The weather was getting colder because of winter, and I was having a hard time with it.
Day two. I was still cold and tired. This day I had no energy at all. I thought it was because of my lack of sleep. I decided not to work and slept in parts through most of my day. In my bed I wore many layers of clothing because I was so cold. I didn’t think of Covid because I didn’t have a fever nor a running nose. I wasn’t coughing. I thought I had a regular flu, and I hadn’t slept well again. Looking at my Garmin watch-statistics; my energy level was very low, stress level was very high, heart rate and amount of breath per minute were also high. I knew something was off, but I still did not think of Covid.
Day three. I thought about going back to work because I wasn’t tired anymore. I decided to work from home just to be sure I gave myself enough time. It’s rare for me to have the flu. I thought I it would be more effective for me to work from home. Everything seemed urgent and important. I thought I could get a lot done, but that proved difficult. It made me think if my symptoms were related to work. Perhaps I was just taking on too much workload. I tried to work on things but gradually shifted to Netflix and videogames. I thought I just needed a break from work. I was not as tired anymore, but gradually I got a nasty cough and a painful throat started to emerge. I took a test that evening to learn I had Covid.
Day four. It’s interesting how that insight influenced my thoughts. It gave a sense of freedom. I could let go of the idea of returning to work as soon as possible. I cancelled all work appointments and tried to cut myself loose from the email-machine. Thinking wasn’t going very well anyways. It also gave rise to some anxieties. How will Covid play out with my asthma? How long will this painful coughing continue? Could I be one of those nasty examples that keeps struggling with lung-Covid? My own thoughts can be nasty. I observed how my thoughts came and went and almost saw how my mind was looking for a new topic to cling onto. At the same time, I didn’t have the energy or interest to do much. I did re-discover and appreciate the joy of eating frozen yoghurt in winter.
Day five. The symptom I still feel is an occasional painful cough and a light feeling of drowsiness. When I cough, I feel a sting running through my body. I’m doing much better though. I’m even considering going out for a run. I could run myself into a sweat. This can increase my body temperature that could help kill the virus. Or I could swim in the nearby lake to boost my immune system and increase the endorphins in my body. When I checked my Garmin watch data; I noticed my stress level has gone down, my heart rate is going down, and my energy levels are returning to normal. I decided that cleaning the rooms of my kids was the best-return-on-investment for me this day. Maybe I’ll run tomorrow.