My COVID Story: My very first symptom of COVID was sudden weakness

D. Kanthi Sudha felt sudden weakness before other typical COVID symptoms set in. However, she immediately isolated, duly followed her doctor’s advice along with other dietary necessities. Here is her COVID story

My COVID symptoms started abruptly with severe leg pain, just like menstrual cramps and I started feeling terribly weak all of a sudden.It was my end of the day at work on 6th April evening and I just felt like dumping myself on bed at the earliest possible. By the time I reached home, Headache and Body pains added up worsening my condition further. I took a homeo medicine for body pains and slept. Next morning, I woke up, finished my household chores and was getting ready to go to work. Sudden weakness struck in and remembering my previous day experience, I couldn’t dare to step out for work. On insistence from my husband, I isolated myself in a room. By lunchtime fever set in, showing a temperature of 100. I still ruled out COVID as I couldn’t trace a contact point, with whom I might have contacted it.

Finally I budged in for a COVID test on 8th April, after I developed a nose block and had a voice change within a day. I did a cross check regarding the symptoms with my friend, who went through a similar experience and was tested positive.My test result was positive and this triggered a wave of emotions both in me and my family. Other COVID symptoms too set in by this time, like loss of smell and mild cough. I immediately consulted my family doctor and based on my symptoms was advised a medicine course for 5 days, as he felt that my symptoms were mild.Though I put up a brave front, I was quite tensed as I am prone to allergy of dust and strong smells, which leave me breathless at times. I was a prescribed Corticosteroid person with my inhaler, which I inhale as per my requirement rather than on a regular basis. COVID is known to strike the lungs and I was petrified visualizing if I would end up at a hospital. Desperately, I kept checking my oxygen levels every 2 hours for the first 5 days. Everything seemed to look fine within the specified levels.
Once I crossed my five day mark without any hassle, I was confident that my antibodies had helped me to recoup from the COVID. But I had another set back. My husband tested positive and he too had to move into isolation along with me. My 12 year old daughter and 7 year old son were left to manage themselves. A blessing in disguise in that situation was peddamma, my mother’s sister, who provided us with COVID prescribed diet to regain our strength for the entire 14 days, thereby helping us in speedy recovery. My daughter did an excellent job in offering the food to us from time to time, while ensuring that she followed all the safety precautions needed. I was quite relieved that my kids were spared from COVID, in the context of both me and my husband being tested positive.


I strongly believe that taking the prescribed medication as soon as the symptoms are identified, taking hot water with ginger, turmeric and lemon daily, taking steam to relieve nose block, gargling with hot water before sleep, having good food along with proper rest, refraining from anxious COVID news, writing content for my blogs, assurance from family and friends, all these aided in helping me to recover from COVID with minimum effort. I have been able to guide a few of my colleagues too, who tested positive after me, thereby contributing in my own way to reassure them, citing myself as an example.




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DISCLAIMER

The views expressed in this article should not be considered as a substitute for a physician's advice. Please consult your treating physician for more details.