Coronavirus, Cats & Christmas

I have come to the end of my ten days isolation after testing positive for COVID-19, which should feel like a cause for celebration. It does, however, coincide with this part of the country entering Tier 4 and being told that we cannot mix households for Christmas. The entirety of this is giving me huge deja-vu vibes, earlier in the year I had very similar symptoms the end of which coincided with the whole country being plunged into the first lockdown in March. Personally, I am grateful that the government have taken these steps, and it only seems right to ask families to not meet when other religions faced the same situation for their celebrations too. The statistics of cases and deaths are horrifying and something needed to be done.

From swab test to today, it’s been an experience I’d like to try and put behind me, if only I didn’t still feel unable to live my life in a normal way. I started with a slight cough, and an ache in my lumbar spine and pelvis that at one point was so bad I nearly cried. I had a fever for a few days after that, my temperature soared to 38.5 degrees Celsius and hovered around 37.5-38 subsequently. Now, on day 11, my body feels sore and tired. Last night I changed the sheets on my bed and ended up out of breath and exhausted. While I am getting stronger every day, it feels like I have a way to go before I feel right again.

I have been able to avoid medical attention or hospital trips but I have seen friends in the past week be rushed to A&E and require stays in ITU. I have even seen the death reported of a paramedic who worked locally. None of these people are old, they are all around my age and considered healthy people. If you are still thinking that this is ‘just flu’ or isn’t as bad as people say, please read this and understand how we need to take this seriously. Stay at home, don’t ignore the government guidelines, wash your hands and wear a mask if you do go out. The sacrifice of one year, to be able to see your family and friends for years to come is an obvious one I hope people decide to take.

Thankfully, the vaccination hub at the hospital opened this week and began vaccinating the care home workers and more vulnerable members of staff. I am so pleased, and relieved to see this happening. I consider it a little beam of hope in the current situation we face. I have not been asked to book an appointment yet, but as soon as I can I will be doing so. The effort it has taken, and the work that has been done is impressive beyond belief. There are so many great resources online for any questions people may have about the vaccine, if you have any questions or thoughts then these resources are only a Google away. My advice, as always for information, is check the source and check who is writing. Use your intuition!

In the coming days, I can only hope that my strength will build and I lose the effects that covid has had upon me. I have no sense of taste or smell really, and judging by others that could last for weeks or even months. I have a cough which is improving, but standing up for long periods or walking around is incredibly draining. The last ten days I have binge watched nearly all of Escape to the Chateau and sat with my cats the entire time. I’m a little bit obsessed with it now, I even dreamt about floor tiles one night. While I may never own a dreamy house in France with towers, it’s certainly given me some home improvement ideas and projects for next year.

Everyone please take care over the next week or two, look after yourselves and each other. Be aware of your health, both physical and mental. Christmas can be a really tough time of year at the best of times, if you need to reach out then please do and my email is on my contact page. I hope you enjoyed the cat photos too, there’s plenty more if you’d like to see any!

MG x