8 Covid 19 Recovery Truths Nobody Talks About

Covid 19 recovery is different for everyone. However, recovery does not mean getting discharged from the hospital. It doesn’t mean not dying. Recovering from Covid 19 is a long, hard road. I know because I’m on it.

In March 2021, I tested positive for Covid 19.

I was tested on a Saturday, got the results on Sunday morning and was admitted to the hospital Sunday night. It was eight days later when I left.

After many tests, I was diagnosed with bilateral pneumonia. My symptoms included a fever, crazy headaches and every inch of my body hurt as if I was hit with a baseball bat. Oh, and I had to be on oxygen because my lungs couldn’t breathe enough in. I felt like I was drowning but there was no water anywhere. Read more about how Covid-19 feels.

While I was dealing with my medical issues, I was also worried about my husband who was sick and tending to our four kids. Three of them were also sick. Luckily, I was the only one who had to be hospitalized. Thank God for Instacart, Grubhub and the best family and friends making sure we were OK (from a safe distance). It really was a horrible experience, but we did see the best of those around us.

Why am I sharing my experience?

I decided to write about my Covid19 recovery experience because there are so many things not being discussed. I want other people to know they aren’t alone and also give insight to those who have been fortunate enough not to have experienced severe Covid. And I want to urge all of you to get vaccinated, get boosted and wear a mask. You don’t want this infection. You don’t want to chance it. Trust me.

What I’ve learned about life through the Covid-19 pandemic…

Like many things in life, getting over Covid19 can look different for different people. It might be better for you. Or it might be worse. There are over 800,000 Americans who lost their battle with Covid. I’m thankful to not be counted in that number.  I hope my story helps you understand Covid19 recovery may not be as easy as it seems.

8 Things I Learned About Covid 19 Recovery

1. Covid19 recovery doesn’t end when you get out of the hospital.

Getting released from the hospital is only the first step in the recovery from Covid. You don’t get released when you are “all better”. You get released when the doctors are pretty sure you won’t die if you go home. With hospitals short-staffed and with limited beds, people just aren’t able to stay for really long periods of time. So when someone gets out of the hospital, they will still need lots of help and support to get back to normal.

2. Recovery is not a straight line.

I have good days and bad days. There are weeks when I am feeling energetic and can be very active and then…BAM…I am exhausted and can’t get out of bed. It is so disheartening. It is normal to see someone being super active one day and can’t walk up the stairs the next day.

3. Covid recovery can affect many body organs.

Covid19 can affect your heart, lungs, kidneys, brain, skin, and many other organs. The effects can be severe. Since having Covid, both my kidney function and lung capacity are much lower. Maybe they will rebound. Maybe they won’t.

4. The fatigue is real.

Covid fatigue feels like your wearing an iron suit instead of yoga pants. Everything feels heavy and hard to move. You feel clunky. All you want to do is lay down and sleep but it seems like you can never get enough. I started to get really critical of myself for not “pushing through” until I had to let go and just let my body recover as it needed to.

5. Covid-19 may linger…for a long time.

Yes, some people recover from their Covid19 infection after a couple of weeks. But there are others, like me, who are still experiencing symptoms months later. It is difficult physically and mentally to wade through the depths of this virus week after week, month after month.

6. Brain fog is a nice way of saying you can’t remember what that thing is called you put letters in.

Mailbox. The thing you put letters in is called a mailbox.

I’ve always searched for words. I think it is because I’m forever trying to find the perfect one to match the meaning in my head. But after having Covid this became a much bigger problem. I would say the wrong name, like calling an apple an orange, but wouldn’t understand why people were confused. It was like my brain was seeing an apple but couldn’t translate it to my mouth. For someone who values words like jewels, this has been alarming.

7. It is traumatic to be in the hospital with Covid-19.

The trauma of having Covid19 is different for each person. For me, the fear and anxiety I felt in the hospital, fighting for every breath, was palpable.

I was an athlete, yet I couldn’t get out of bed to go to the bathroom. Sitting up was exhausting. It took me a week in the hospital before I could walk to the door of my room and back. I slept for 2 hours afterward because those 20 steps were exhausting.

The medicine that really helped me was also something that felt like fire in my veins every time I got it. I was in pain and uncomfortable despite wonderful nurses and hospital personnel who did everything they could to make me feel better.

8. My anxiety has increased.

When I was in the hospital,, I worried about everything. I worried about myself and my kids and my husband and all my friends praying for me. I worried I would die. There was very little human contact in the hospital. No visitors were allowed. Nurses and doctors limited their time in the room so as not to expose themselves. Anyone who came in was wrapped in PPE. And I worried about infecting them.

There were no hand-holding or reassuring pats on the shoulder. I couldn’t talk on the phone most of the time because I could barely breathe. I have never felt so alone. That anxiety, stress and loneliness linger. You don’t just get over it when discharged.

How am I doing now?

I am doing much better nearly a year later. Slowly but surely I am getting back to myself. I have been able to play tennis again, though I have had to take weeks off at times because breathing problems sidelined me. My fatigue has lifted for the most part. I rarely have those intense headaches. Even my brain fog seems to be getting better. Most days I feel about 90% back to normal. I pray that continues.

You don’t want to test positive for Covid19.

I wasn’t eligible to get vaccinated when I contracted Covid. As soon as I was able to get the vaccine though, I got it. And I still wear my mask, social distance when I can, and take whatever precautions I can. I am sharing my story of Covid 19 recovery to encourage everyone to take this virus seriously and to know how important it is to prevent yourself and your family from getting it.

Stay healthy, friends.