COVID Round 3

BUMMER! Little did I know that the headache I left Ilene’s with last Friday would turn into a COVID headache by Saturday night!

Saturday, January 27

I woke up Saturday with a scratchy throat and the same headache I had on Friday. I figured it was a sinus issue. Not so much! Symptoms began piling up throughout the day. By Saturday night it was full-on COVID (I know now). 

Sunday, January 28

The headache was so bad Saturday night, I was up and down all night. Out of all of the symptoms…..nausea, sore throat, ear ache, coughing, a bit of diarrhea (even though that was probably IBS related), the headache was absolutely the worst! I waited as long as I could before waking Mark for help. He took my blood pressure. And even though my heart was beating in my ears, the pressure was not that bad. I think it was 125/95 instead of my usual 120/70. We called our nurse friend from church to ask her opinion on whether I should go to the ER or not. She suggested Urgent Care. I was amazed that none were open until 8 or 9 a.m.!

We arrived at the Novant Urgent Care facility in Kernersville about 7:55. I don’t know how long I was there before my name was called. Vitals were taken. Nose was swabbed with 2 different swabs. Throat was swabbed. Ears were checked. Breathing was checked. BP taken. Oxygen was measured. Vitals were OK. BP was OK. Oxygen level OK. Swab tests came back negative for flu and strep but positive for COVID. GREAT!

If it’s COVID – Paxlovid! NOT!

The doctor wanted to prescribe Paxlovid. I told him I wasn’t interested. I told him about “my” COVID doctor who prescribes ivermectin or hydrochloroquine. He had never heard of the hydrochloroquine but would go and check into it, which I give him credit for. He came back a few minutes later stating he still did not feel comfortable prescribing it to me since he didn’t have a history with the medicine. I can appreciate that. I told him I would go to my regular COVID doctor (even though that meant another day with the miserable headache) and he agreed I should do that. Totally not the same reaction with the doctor I saw in Thomasville the first year I had COVID back in July of 2022. When I told him I was not taking anything but ivermectin he told me he would not prescribe it and basically said, see you later and don’t let the door hit you on your way out!

I laid down after we got home and I slept HARD for about 4 hours. I was totally disoriented when I got up and thought it was Monday. I was relieved that I had not slept so long I missed an early morning visit with the COVID doctor so I could be medicated! I was up for a little bit but ended up going back to bed for another almost 4 hours! I figured I would have problems sleeping through the night since I had slept so much during the day, but I slept, fitfully, but I slept.

Monday, January 29

After calling the doctor and getting a 10:15 a.m. appointment I got my shower. It takes almost an hour to get there from here since the doctor is in Reidsville, which is about 30 miles below the Virginia border (I think I heard Mark say that). Relief was in site! However, I have to say that the headache had eased up a bit at this point. 

When we drove into the parking lot we realized this is an Urgent Care facility, too! But it was closed on Sunday.

It was nice listening to Christian Radio playing while we waited in the lobby until my name was called! A repeat of yesterday’s urgent care visit…..the swabbing, the vitals, the test results…..all the same. The exception being the prescription(s)! YAY!!! Help was on the way!

When the doctor asked me if I had any questions, I said I had an “opinion” question I wanted to ask him. I asked him what his thoughts were on PAXLOVID. Basically he said, I will not prescribe it because it is a new drug and there is not enough history behind the drug to know how it is going to affect people in the long run. Enough said!

He asked me if I needed a nausea prescription. I told him I had just been given a prescription a couple of weeks ago for Ondansetron (Zophran). So he gave me a prescription for hydroxychloroquine, doxycycline, and prednisone. But, as it turned out, there was a warning issued with the hydroxychloroquine that it should not be used with the nausea prescript I had. So I had to call the doctor back and he ended up prescribing promethazine to take the place of the ondansetron. 

The doctor told me that since I was getting ready to dump a LOT of pills into my stomach at one time that I should take the nausea med a couple of hours before I take my dose of pills. Otherwise, the pills would probably all come right back up! So far, so good!

Tuesday, January 30

I slept off and on in my recliner all day. I was able to eat some breakfast. I also ate a few pita crackers in the afternoon. For supper I ate about 1/3 of a pimento cheese sandwich bun of Mark’s.

Pill Schedule (give or take):

6:30 a.m. promethazine
7:30 a.m. famotidine
8:30 a.m. prescripts and supplements:
hydrochloroquine
doxycycline
325mg aspirin
7,000iu vitamine D3
50mg zinc
500mg tumeric
1000mg vitamin C
10:00 a.m. prednisone
11:00 a.m. brunch
2:00 a.m. prednisone
6:00 p.m. prednisone
6:30 p.m. promethazine
7:00 p.m. Tylenol pm’s
8:30 p.m. prescripts and supplements
bedtime p.m. prednisone

Wednesday, January 31

I realized an error on my pill scheduling. The 7:30 a.m. famotidine is going to be moved up 6:30 a.m. because I just realized I should be taking it 4 hours before or after I eat! YIKES! That means the 8:30 a.m. prescripts and supplements will be moved up to 10:30 a.m. I hope this didn’t really affect the hydroxychloroquine prescript too much! Maybe it didn’t!  I actually feel halfway human today! Still tired. Still coughing. Still hoarse. Slightest headache. I woke up several times throughout the night wet, so not sure if I was running fever without knowing it. But I’m on the heating pad to stay warm this morning, so who knows! Maybe something triggered some hot flashes! I still have a bit of an ear ache on my right side but the nurse in the urgent care on Sunday poked that ear a bit hard when checking it, so I hope it doesn’t turn into anything problematic!

I think that brings me up-to-date. Your continued prayers are always appreciated! I believe that is why I feel better today! I know some of you have been praying for my health without even realizing I had this new problem! I think I want a do-over on this 69th year so far! >:-( But, thank the Lord, it could be worse!

Thank You, Lord, for saving my soul!
Thank You, Lord, for making me (spiritually) whole!
Thank You, Lord, for giving to me
Thy great salvation so rich and free!

Please pray Mark doesn’t come down with COVID. We have both had it twice before but never at the same time! He woke up with sniffles this morning but tested negative.

Love to all,
MOM/Vicky