A Not-So-Scary Experience (Mild Cases)
I just wanted to hop on here and contribute some good news to the sub as someone who suffers with super intense anxiety, especially relating to health and covid. I tested positive for the first time on 1/16 after my brother and husband tested positive on 1/13.
For background, I was absolutely PETRIFIED about getting covid, and cried so much in the days leading up to, and after I tested positive. It turned out to be not NEARLY as bad as I thought it was going to be, and while that in no way means that it is that way for everyone, as the death toll shows, I just wanted to share something that wasn't doom and gloom for my anxiety suffering peers.
Info: 27F, overweight but losing weight, extreme anxiety
Vax Status: Vaccinated but not up to date on boosters
Timeline:
1/14 - - - Dry, scratchy throat. The air is really dry so I don't dwell on it too much, test negative.
1/15 - - - Throat is drier and scratchier, slight cough. At night I become absolutely frozen even under multiple blankets. I get PVCs from anxiety and these kick in a bit the same night
1/16 - - - Extremely sore throat, ear and sinus pressure, bad cough. High resting HR, freezing under blankets, PVCs continue but stop when I take my anxiety meds. Test positive, very faint line to the point that I had to take a photo of the test with the flash on to make sure it was positive.
1/17 - - - Sore throat has mostly subsided, ear and sinus pressure worsen, gain ear pain, cough is mostly gone. Slight fever overnight. Lower resting HR than yesterday. Swollen lymph node on one side of throat
1/18 - - - Sore throat is gone, ear and sinus pressure is about the same, but the ear pain subsides. Resting heart rate about the same as yesterday. Anxiety is amped up but no PVCs. Lymph node is still swollen but not painful to the touch. Can barely smell or taste anything
1/19 - - - Ears less congested, sinuses are barely congested. Headache. Lower resting HR, trending very close to normal. Lymph node swelling reduces. Very tired and a little unsteady/dizzy feeling due to ears. Can smell and taste better than yesterday
1/20 - - - Basically the same as yesterday for ear and sinus congestion. Lymph node is no longer swollen. Tiredness and dizziness persists. Can't smell at all, can only taste general flavors, mostly spicy.
The week of 1/21-1/25 - - - The fatigue is intense. I spend a lot of my time sleeping and laying down playing video games. The ear congestion stays but lessens each day.
1/26 - - - I feel like I turned a corner this day. I can finally taste most things, but it is a little bit dampened.
1/27 - - - The only thing persisting is my lack of taste
1/28 - - - I regain taste completely and the fatigue goes away.
I honestly thought it was going to be so much worse, so i just feel really lucky that I basically felt like I had a sinus infection. It wasn't fun by any means, but was not as bad as I thought.
My anxiety was the worst part of the whole ordeal, and I still have some residual anxiety about the potential health effects of having been infected by covid, but I've read studies and unbiased information that helped to quell my fears to where I can function and not be terrified I'm going to just drop dead.
UPDATE: 19 days after my post, and 30 days post positive test, I am feeling 100% normal still. I've been able to exercise, but I have been taking it easier than I normally would. The only thing I've noticed is that my stomach is more sensitive to different foods than it normally would be, which is actually kind of a good thing because it's sensitive to sugar and grease lol. I think that has more to do with the fact that I was basically eating only fresh fruits and veggies when I couldn't taste anything and my stomach got used to that.
If anyone has any questions that would help you get over your own anxieties/fears, I'm happy to answer any questions!