My breathing problems got a lot worse today. The coronavirus has been gone for weeks, but its effects have lingered. Think of a toddler smashing up a room, then leaving: the kid is gone, but the room is a mess. Last time, I went a couple months without taste or smell; this time around, I'm having trouble breathing. While many people have reported shaking off COVID as if it were a mild cold or flu, I have to remember I'm within one or more of the danger demographics: obesity and diabetes.
Practically, this means I can't do staircase work, something I'd wanted to restart yesterday. Today, I could barely walk across the street on my way to work, and I almost didn't make it up the regular two flights of stairs to my office. So much for distance walking as well. I haven't felt this weak since 2021, when I'd just gotten out of the hospital after my stroke.
According to some governmental websites (US & UK), my symptoms could be related to "long COVID" or to normal COVID in all of its variants. If it's normal COVID, I ought to shake the breathing problems in about two weeks—a week and a half, in my case since the breathing problems didn't get bad until only a few days ago. If what I have is long COVID, though, this nightmare could go on for weeks, months, or years.
So I'm thinking my lungs may have sustained some damage this time around. Smell and taste came back right away, but breathing looks to be the main issue this time. I think this COVID variant is different from the one that had hit me before. The websites I looked at all have instructional sections regarding breathing techniques, so I'll be practicing some of those while trying to remain calm. The calm is important: if I get stressed out, I'll only make breathing more difficult for myself, so this may be a good time to start meditating again.
I can't walk home tonight, and using the subway is hard because I'd have to deal with stairs, so I guess I'm taxiing home. Lovely.
If you don't get any more updates from me, I'm either dead or in the hospital.
Budesonide Formoterol inhalers helped me tremendously when I was suffering. Had to order from India (AllDayChemist.com) to get the cheapest price. Just brush your teeth after each use.
ReplyDeleteThanks.
ReplyDeleteI don't like the sound of those symptoms. Get checked out at a 호흡기내과 ASAP.
ReplyDeleteDamn, I'm glad I saw your post with the positive update before I read this one. Scary shit! And yes, I carry an inhaler in my pocket all the time just in case I have a breathing attack. You should check into getting one as John suggests.
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