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COVID19 – Did I Have It?

amomentwithfranca · 11 April 2020 · 17 Comments

This week has been one of the scariest ones for me. I have been unwell and I have never felt like this before. I got some symptoms and straight away I asked myself if this could be COVID-19.

Everything started last Sunday. I was feeling a little bit under the weather but I thought I was just tired and perhaps was getting a cold. I didn’t pay much attention to it.

During the night, I suddenly woke up at 4 am feeling a little bit breathless. I had a blocked nose so I thought that was causing the problem. So I smelled some Olbas Oil which helped me. It took me a little while to go back to sleep but I managed.

The next day (Monday) I felt weird. I was not myself. I had a headache and I felt warm and had some chills. I took my temperature which was around 37.5C so I tried not to worry much. But I was having problems breathing. I thought the blocked nose was the issue so I tried to smell more Olbas Oil. This calmed me which was nice but I felt very tired. The weather was warm and sunny so I decided to lay down next to the balcony (Juliet balcony) to feel the sun. I was desperate for some proper sun on my face. I thought some vitamin D would be good for me. It helped.

I felt my nose very congested and blocked. I thought this was causing my breathing problems so tried to moisturise my nose with some water to feel less dry. Suddenly I was feeling my heart was beating faster and faster and my breathing was getting worse. The feeling was increasing so fast that I was unable to stop it. I got so scared and nervous and I immediately thought: What if I have this virus?

I felt so breathless. Nick said that it seemed like I was having a panic attack and I believed him. I haven’t had this before but I felt I was making myself feel worse so I tried to relax but nothing worked. Nick suggested to do a bowl with hot water and breathe it to see if that helped to clear my nasal passage. I put a drop of Olbas Oil in too. I did this for a few minutes and I had calm audio in the background to relax me as I was very anxious.

This feeling went away and I managed to relax. But it was never for too long. The breathless feeling was on and off all the time. It was very uncomfortable. I wanted to sleep but I couldn’t. Every time my eyes dropped, I woke up straight away feeling out of breath again. It was awful. I didn’t understand why this was not going away.

This was the same for 3 days. My headache was on and off as well as my fever but by Wednesday it went up to 38.2 C. I only wanted to be in bed. I felt very weak and I lost my appetite. But I tried my best to keep drinking a lot of water.

I couldn’t sleep for 3 nights but by the 4th night, I was finally able to sleep. My nose was better and my breathing was better. This for me was a massive improvement and I was feeling things would be better. By this day, my fever was also gone. Everything was much better but then something happened. My chest was starting to feel very tight and a mild cough started.

I was breathless again but this time the feeling was coming from my chest. It was very uncomfortable again. It wasn’t constant but it happened a few times that day. I was worried that I was going to have a bad night sleep again but thankfully I managed to sleep well.

It was the same on Friday but I was starting to feel better. I still had fatigue but it wasn’t as bad as the other days. I went the whole day without having the breathless feeling. My chest was a little bit tight still but was fine.

Today, day 6, was the first day that I have felt fine. All those symptoms were gone including the fatigue. Now the question is, was this a mild version of COVID-19 or was it a normal flu? The answer is that I may never know unless I get tested which who knows when will this happen. I really think the tests should be accessible to all. It would make a huge difference.

I have never felt so grateful to be able to breathe. I can’t tell you all the things that went through my head this week. I was so frightened all the time. I didn’t want to end up in hospital. The idea of this scared me. The problem with this virus is that you are dealing not only with the physical but the psychological effects of it too.

If I caught this virus, I am not sure how this could have happened as we have been in isolation at home for 4 weeks. I haven’t been out. Nick has been doing the shopping and he has been very careful. He and the girls seem fine.  So it seems strange but if what I had was a normal flu, it was a nasty one.

Please be safe and stay home.

Have you experienced the same symptoms as me? Have you got COVID19? 

Thanks for stopping by,

Love you all ❤️

Franca  💋

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Comments

  1. Alex says

    11 April 2020 at

    Wow, i’m not surprised you were scared. It sounds like a terrifying ordeal! I’m glad you’re feeling better now and the rest of the family are okay!
    As you said the problem with this Corona Virus is the physiological effect it has on you, not just the physical #KCACOLS

    Reply
  2. Lydia C. Lee says

    11 April 2020 at

    We got really, really sick on our return from Singapore in Jan and my husband at the time asked if I thought we had the virus. I said no because we weren’t sick enough, even though we were probably the sickest we’d ever been. Then over time it comes out not everyone is hospital sick and so I began to wonder too, as we had all the symptoms and a CT scan showed I had lung damamge and was recovering from pnemonia. But when I mentioned this to a friend, she said I would have infected other people I knew, so I would have just had bad flu. And she’s right – someone at the supermarket or a friend would have caught it off me (as I got sick 3 days after my husband). It’s a weird time, that’s for sure! Glad you’re better now. #KCACOLS And I agree, the tests need to be accessible to all as 50% of cases have no symptoms and that’s how it’s spreading the most! Unwittingly.

    Reply
  3. Michelle says

    12 April 2020 at

    I’m so sorry you have been sick. That does sound very frightening. I’m glad you are on the mend. It would be nice if we could all get tested! My husband and I were sick in early February after being in the San Francisco Bay Area. It was a very odd illness, like the flu, but not quite. We have wondered if it was Covid 19. No way to know though.

    Michelle
    http://mybijoulifeonline.com

    Reply
  4. Karen. the next best thing to mummy says

    12 April 2020 at

    I think that the virus has been around much longer than we all think, I have several friends who were ill before we heard of the corona, looking back I think that’s what they had and have now recovered #kcacols@_karendennis

    Reply
  5. Fiona Cambouropoulos says

    12 April 2020 at

    I know a few people in your position, I wonder if it applies to many people. Glad you are OK and lets hope there is a test soon so you you if you’ve had it or not for peace of mind #KCACOLS

    Reply
  6. Britt | Not Your Mom's Gifts says

    13 April 2020 at

    How scary!! I’m so glad your family didn’t get sick & I’m glad you recovered. Stay safe! ❤️ #KCACOLS

    Reply
  7. Shelley (Wander & Luxe) says

    14 April 2020 at

    Sorry to hear you were unwell! I am convinced that my daughter and I have already had the virus. We ended up in hospital in late January with my daughter (2.5yo) because her temp was 41 and we couldn’t bring it down with paracetamol and ibuprofen. We had just returned from Singapore so it is very feasible that she caught it during our travels and she is prone to chest infections. The two of us and have been on and off unwell over January & February, but now that we are home without any interaction we are both feeling much better. As you say, we will never know unless we are able to be tested. Keep safe and well xx #KCACOLS

    Reply
  8. Jo(a Rose Tinted world) says

    14 April 2020 at

    Glad that you are feeling better. One of the worst things about all this is that we will never know until the government roll out testing here in the UK. Hopefully son we will all be able to find out if we have some immunity. Stay safe #KCACOLS

    Reply
  9. Susan B says

    14 April 2020 at

    What a scary experience. Being unable to breathe is very distressing. Pleased you are feeling better now. Let’s hope that testing becomes routinely available soon.

    Reply
  10. J Matcham says

    15 April 2020 at

    Sorry to hear of your experience I feel sure that the virus has been around longer than we all think, just after Christmas I had flu but nothing like I have ever known before I thought I was going to die I am a widow with young kids and I was writing a will I was that ill.
    My friend was terrified when she came to see me she rang my doctor . The doctor rang 999 sent me to hospital I had to be helped to breath.
    I would love a test to see if I have had it I would know for sure it was before all this was all over the media as I have not had anything in lockdown.

    Reply
  11. GooderDan says

    15 April 2020 at

    Its best to take no chances with this, never doubt your symptoms no matter how minor!

    Reply
  12. Jeremy@ThirstyDaddy says

    17 April 2020 at

    I haven’t heard of a blocked nose being a symptom but they seem to be changing what they say quite often. Glad you are feeling better regardless. Scary times #KCACOLS

    Reply
  13. Melinda says

    18 April 2020 at

    I developed a cold after potentially being exposed.
    It was a very scary time.
    #KCACOLS

    Reply
  14. Jade Page says

    18 April 2020 at

    Sorry you have been ill but glad to hear you now feel better. It is a really scary time to be ill and its so hard to know what is in our heads and what symptoms are what. I was sick the week before lockdown and put it down to sinusitis not covid but I did get quite breathless so wasn’t sure. I think with mild cases it is very hard to distinguish between flu and covid-19. The main thing is you are on the mend. #KCACOLS

    Reply
  15. Steve (Thediaryofdad) says

    23 April 2020 at

    So glad to hear you are on the feeling better now, it is such a scary time! I developed a Dry cough around a month ago before lockdown and was told to isolate for two weeks, turned out to be nothing. My wife was also unwell and was told by 111 that she had Corona but when we went to hospital it was confirmed to be food poisoning. Really not a great time to be sick!
    #KCACOLS

    Reply
  16. Fiona jk42 says

    24 April 2020 at

    I’m sorry you’ve been unwell. Reading your story and the various comments, it seems clear that many people think they may have had COVID-19, but without a test they do not know. I hope that the government will soon sort out the lack of tests, both the diagnostic test and the anti-body test to see if you has the virus previously. This lack of tests just means that people are more worried because they don’t know what is wrong with them.

    Reply
  17. Crummy Mummy says

    25 April 2020 at

    We think Misery Guts & possibly our girls had it back in February but without testing it’s just impossible to know – glad you are feeling better now #KCACOLS

    Reply

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Hi, I'm Franca, a lawyer mum of 2 gorgeous girls married to my best friend, living in London. Award nominated parenting & lifestyle blogger. Read More…

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