Our favorite game, Covid-19, Anxiety or Psychosomatic!

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 29, 2020

Ok, so I decided I'm going to blog my journey, hopefully it's a very short, boring blog where I post tomorrow that I'm  negative, going back to work and the end.

I work as a receptionist at a veterinary clinic in Southeast Louisiana, USA. It has been open with slightly reduced hours since the quarantine began. I have been working full time, using a mask, washing my hands, sanitizing myself and my work space as directed.

I live with my family: husband who works as a stocker at a home improvement store, oldest daughter who works at a coffee place (she just got back from a voluntary 30 day paid break), adult son who works at a fast food restaurant (working part time and remotely going to college full time), and two younger teen children who are not working.

On Monday evening, April 27, I started feeling chilled and body/muscle aches. My neck was sore, I had a head ache, just not feeling well. I am obese and have hypertension so breathing is sometimes difficult just on that alone. My chest felt a little heavy but not anything super out of the normal. I took my temperature. It was 99.4. My temperature normally runs around 97.8 or so. Not super high but I definitely felt feverish. I was also exhausted and weak. I worked but not ridiculously long hours, from 8 am to 4 pm...not a super strenuous shift, and I got a good night sleep the night before, but by 7 pm I couldn't keep my eyes open and the thought of the effort to go take a shower and go to bed seemed impossible. I texted my boss and a coworker and got my next day shift covered.

I took a quick bath and went to bed. The next morning I felt ok. Still a little achey and sore but ok. Chest maybe a little tight but, again, being at my weight it's hard to tell what's something to worry about. My temp was a nice normal 97.8. I texted my boss and coworker, said I should be able to work the closing shift.

By afternoon, I was feeling poor again. No chills, just a bit achey and my chest felt more tight and taking a deep breath was just a bit more effort than normal. So, I texted my boss and coworker and let them know I wouldn't be in. I took my temp. At 5:48 it was 98.8. At 7:10 it was 99.8. It stayed about that all night.

I went to my health insurance app and did a virtual doctor's visit. He advised me to self quarantine, stay home for 7 days after symptoms started and at least 72 hours after any fever without fever relief medication. I asked about testing and he advised that testing is available but it would be treated the same regardless of the results. He said the test was entirely up to me. I asked for a test.

In this time, I've had some stomach upset. Firm bowel movements but cramping and having to go a little more frequently. I do have IBS that is triggered by anxiety.

This morning, I woke up and my temp was 97.7. I felt ok, a little sore but I slept in my son's bed instead of my own so probably from that. When I got to the testing site, my temperature was 98.8, oxygen sat was 96% and pulse was 89. They did the swab and said it would be 24/48 hours for results.

Now, I'm at home, resting, laying in bed typing this out. I'm feeling a bit weak and tired, possibly because I slept like crap and it's 10 pm (past my regular bed time). My temp a few moments ago, around 9:45 was 99.8 again.

Also, my stomach is very crampy tonight. Loose poo and smells worse than normal. Again, very normal with anxiety and my IBS but just tossing it in here as observation. 

Going to watch some tv and try to sleep. I will update in the AM.