“I am 22 years old, I consider myself a very fit and healthy person. I pole dance, I take long and strenuous hikes and I just love staying active. But now I can barely walk to the kitchen without feeling like I just just climbed a mountain”
In this post I am writing about my experience as a 22-year old having COVID-19 and how I am feeling 2 months later. From getting the test done to my symptoms during and after covid, I will describe my experience in detail here, for anyone who is curious about it.
Disclaimer - this is my own personal experience and other people may have a different experience. I am not a medical professional and I cannot give any advice. Please contact your GP or the NHS helpline if you have any concerns.
Initial symptoms
Two months ago, I woke up feeling completely exhausted. But I thought it was normal as I struggle with nightmares every night for the last five years, so I just tried to get on with my day and get some work done at home. The next day I started having pain in my sinuses and I ended up calling the NHS-24 in the evening. At first I felt bad for calling as I thought that it wasn’t urgent and that the NHS have more important things to deal with. After speaking with the doctor on the phone that night and telling her my symptoms, which was dizziness and pain on my forehead, she told me to get a covid test done just in case. So I booked my test online for the next day.
Getting the test done
This was my first time getting tested. I went to a walk-through test centre in Old Aberdeen, as I don’t drive, and the process was fast and easy. I put my mask on, showed my email confirmation with the barcode on my phone as well as my passport to the person at the door and he kindly escorted me inside where they scanned the barcode again and showed me to a little room with a chair and a table. They got me to do the test myself but the lady stood at the door and guided me throughout the whole process. There was also a helpful poster right in front of me with clear images of what to do. I swabbed my mouth and then my nose and once I was done, placed everything in a plastic bag and I followed the lady to the next room where I waited in line. Once it was my turn, I placed the bag in a box and the person behind the glass gave me some information about having to self-isolate until I get my results back and he also handed me a receipt showing that I got the test done. The entire process took around 10 minutes and everyone was very helpful and made me feel at ease
Results and getting contacted by the NHS Test and Protect
The next morning I woke up feeling absolutely horrible and I barely could get out of bed. I had a feeling that I was probably infected with the virus and this was a different kind of “feeling like sh!t”. I looked at my phone and there was an email already waiting for me from the NHS. I opened it immediately and the first thing I read was that I got tested positive with COVID-19. An hour later, I got a phone call from the NHS Test and Protect and they asked me questions about what kind of mask I had been wearing and how I was feeling and then I had to backtrack and tell them where I went each day for the last two weeks, e.g. went for a coffee, to the shops, gym, stayed home, etc. I also got a call from the Aberdeen Council, asking me if I need any emotional support or help with getting food shopping or to pick up prescriptions.
Symptoms during COVID
So the symptoms. Like I mentioned at the beginning, I was just feeling a bit tired and dizzy when I got the test done. However, the day after the test, I could barely walk to the bathroom without feeling like I was about to pass out. I stayed in bed all day, messaging people to let them know I had the virus.
The next day is when things got bad. I had a fever, I started coughing non-stop, my head hurt the entire day and I could not look at my phone or laptop screen as that made the pain worse. I could not have the lights on either so after 4pm I just sat in the dark. I felt extremely tired and weak and I managed to go to the kitchen once, to get some crackers and bread to keep next to my bed as I could not find the strength to walk to the kitchen again.
The third day of self-isolating, I lost my sense of taste and smell and the cough was getting worse. Every time I coughed I felt like my lungs and chest were about to explode. I slept throughout the day and the rest of the time I just laid in bed as I could not do anything else.
At the beginning I thought that I would still manage to do some work on my laptop and keep myself occupied, but i was wrong. For the entire week, I just stared at the wall and if I was lucky i could watch 20 minutes of a film on netflix without getting a headache. I couldn't read either and I could not talk on the phone with friends or family as I was getting out of breath when talking. I ordered things online from Sainsburys and got it delivered to my door. As well as my normal shopping, I also ordered a lot of ready-meals, frozen pizzas and noodles so I could just quickly prepare them and get back to bed immediately.
On the day that I was supposed to be allowed to go out, I just couldn't. I felt way too weak to even think about going down the stairs to leave the building. So I ended up staying home for another four days.
Post Covid problems
The first day I was able to go out, I went for a really short walk to the Christmas Market to get some last minute presents and then went back home. Everyone used to always complain about how many stairs my building has (because I live on the top floor), and I always used to roll my eyes and laugh as I was used to it and didn’t ever notice how many they were. However, that night, when I went up the stairs, I felt like my chest was about to explode and I had to sit down on a step, halfway up, breathing heavily and turning bright red. My taste and smell returned after a few days and my cough continued for another couple of weeks.
Fast forward to two months later. I still struggle. I struggle to get out of bed in the morning, I struggle to stand up long enough to wash my hair and I struggle to breathe even when I’m just sitting on the sofa. Some days I manage to go for a short walk around the block but then I can’t do anything for another 3-4 days as I am completely exhausted from a 10-minute walk. I get sudden chest pains throughout the day and I feel tired 24/7. I have been getting frequent nosebleeds which I never had before, my legs swell up, and I feel my heart beating a lot faster. I also noticed that I cannot handle the cold anymore. Whether I’m outside or in my flat with layers of clothes and blankets, my hands and ears are in pain from feeling so cold. I’ve lived in Scotland for a few years now and have also lived in Finland where temperatures dropped to -30 degrees and have never experienced this before.
I am 22 years old, I consider myself a very fit and healthy person. I pole dance, I take long and strenuous hikes and I just love staying active. But now I can barely walk to the kitchen without feeling like I just just climbed a mountain. Some days are better, where I can take a walk, get some shopping done and do household chores, whereas other days I cannot go any further from my bed to the sofa. Unfortunately, there are more bad days than good ones but I am trying to take it slow and stay positive.
I haven’t been able to get a doctor’s appointment unfortunately, due to the pandemic and the restrictions but I have spoken to my GP on the phone and told me that I should just take it slow and wait for it to pass in a few months hopefully.
I know that this post doesn’t have a happy ending yet but I will keep you updated. For now, I will be taking you along with me on short walks and sharing photos and videos on Instagram and Youtube about life here in Aberdeen as well as some yummy vegan food. Take care and stay safe.
-Marisa
Disclaimer - this is my own personal experience and other people may have a different experience. I am not a medical professional and I cannot give any advice. Please contact your GP or the NHS helpline if you have any concerns.
