My first stint of COVID hit me on the 26th March 2024, now a month back. I’ve been lucky to have lasted this long without it. The first 10 days was horrid with throat and nasal issues, nausea, and coughing resulting in a crook neck. It was bad timing too (is it ever good timing?) with Dad and R visiting, lots of public holidays, my birthday, and things ramping up at work. I bunkered down that first period, tested negative on day 10, caught up with Dad and R just before they took off home and started the return to work.

I returned too early, feeling good in the morning thinking I’d be ok until the walk over the hill to the office from my car set off breathlessness and queasiness. The following week I worked from home, which helped, but by the afternoon my coughing would ramp up again and my focus would decline. Concerned I was now using my asthma puffer for the first time in 5 years I visited the doctor and they gave me 3 days of steroids to help reduce any chest inflammation. This helped my breathing which has been OK since.

This week I returned to work again on Tuesday, feeling better again, but I must have triggered it again because by lunch I started to go downhill with coughing and headaches. I took yesterday off and today is another public holiday I don’t get to enjoy. My headaches are bad and consistent now. I will take tomorrow off and have the weekend again to rest.

I guess this is long-COVID. I will visit the doctor again this coming week, and be more cautious. Although I was feeling ok on those returns to work, it was still clearly lingering and waiting for me to exert myself just a fraction enough to put me on my arse again.

I will put a hold on walking and gardening, but keep up my morning Pilates to keep my back and breathing in check. After my biggest year of running ever its going to take a while for me to get back to where I was. That’s OK. It was a good year.

#CovidRecovery