My husband just tested positive...

[CindyBlue]

Can I get this off my chest?

Hubby had his test two days ago, because he felt unwell as of the night before. I had mine the next day due to a minor medical procedure scheduled for Weds. We both got our results this morning - I am negative and he is positive.

His only symptoms are those of a minor cold - a cough (which is why I insisted he go in for a test) and minor congestion, and being tired - and both of could also be the symptoms from the prednisone he is currently taking. He had a low fever the first day, none after that so far - I take his temp twice a day.

We have gone nowhere around people since March when our county shut down (ahead of our state!) except the store twice a week or so, the outdoor swimming at the club twice a week (him, not me - too cold for me to swim!) and volunteering at the local food bank once a week (outdoors, tables 20+ feet apart, all precautions in place.

I can't isolate from him - we live in a tiny, all open cabin (only one door, the bathroom!)

We have every thing we need, because I am rather nuts about preparation in normal circumstances, because of local emergencies- fires, planned power outages, earthquakes, and now the virus. In March, I made up a "virus box" with all medicines (prescription and otherwise) and lots of Ensure and Gatoraide just in case we both got sick at the same time - I wanted to have everything important that we need in one place!) I have lots of sanitizing spray and wipes, lots of TP (yes, I stocked up (smile!)) We have a freezer full of food and a generator to run the freezer in case of power outage. We have notified the only people we came near, canceled our food bank shift for next two weeks, cancelled his hard won swimming dates, and contacted our health plan - they will send us a virus package with gloves, sanitizer, masks, etc. We have friends who will drop off anything we need from a distance. We live out in the country in a beautiful place to quarantine. Thank God we are retired (as of last year) and don't have to worry about going to work!

Most people get only minor symptoms of the virus, like a cold. I am hoping that is all he will have. We were told by a nurse we know who works in a covid unit what to do and what to take (vitamins, lots of extra water, lots of walking to work on keeping the lungs clear.)

He is 75. I am scared, but can't tell him how scared I am - it would do no good. I wonder if he is thinking the same thing but won't tell me. We have talked about it and we both are saying that we just ride it out and things will be fine.

I keep thinking how things like this happen to other people, not to us. We were so careful...sigh...

Be careful and safe out there, ok? If it can happen to us it can happen to anyone...

 

[Car-Guy]

Can I get this off my chest?


I am scared, but can't tell him how scared I am - it would do no good.



I wonder if he is thinking the same thing but won't tell me. We have talked about it and we both are saying that we just ride it out and things will be fine.

^^^^^ He is probably scared too for both of you.... Wishing you both the best...

 

[38Chevy454]

Just thinking, could it be a false positive test result? I guess time over the next few days will tell if it develops into feeling worse. Here's hoping it is just a bad test.

 

[Ian S]

Sorry to hear and hoping that he has a mild case. It has to be frustrating to have taken precautions and still wind up with it.

 

[Montecfo]

Hi Cindy blue,

It sounds like he is weathering it so far. Good the fever has passed and his symptoms sound mild.

Recovery rate from Covid is quite high across all ages groups. The fear is understandable. I felt it when our son got it.

You have done a lot right and seem well prepared. I think staying positive is a great response. With each day he is moving closer to a full recovery.

Wishing you both all the best.

 

[Amethyst]

Sorry to hear this. With all your precautions, it just seems so unfair! I am rooting for a false positive test.

Let us know how it goes, please.

 

[CindyBlue]

Thank you all...

I agree, I hope I don't need to be more concerned than things seem to indicate. It's going well so far - he feels only mildly ill - and most people have it as a mild form.

I have to reach out carefully as to how he feels about it, to not make him think about it too much and just worry - and more likely, make him worry about me.

I find it all hard to even comprehend. All sorts of thoughts passed through my mind in a heartbeat when I read those words on the test result email. We have a well thought out plan and everything is in place. We are well prepared.

It's just that he is my life.

Thank you for listening...

 

[CindyBlue]

Hi Cindy blue,

It sounds like he is weathering it so far. Good the fever has passed and his symptoms sound mild.

Recovery rate from Covid is quite high across all ages groups. The fear is understandable. I felt it when our son got it.

You have done a lot right and seem well prepared. I think staying positive is a great response. With each day he is moving closer to a full recovery.

Wishing you both all the best.

I'm so sorry to hear about your son...I hope he is better...

 

[Sunset]

...

Hubby had his test two days ago, .... We both got our results this morning - I am negative and he is positive.

His only symptoms are those of a minor cold - a cough (which is why I insisted he go in for a test) and minor congestion, and being tired ...

We have gone nowhere around people since March when our county shut down (ahead of our state!) except the store twice a week or so, the outdoor swimming at the club twice a week (him, ...) and volunteering at the local food bank once a week ....

....
I keep thinking how things like this happen to other people, not to us. We were so careful...sigh...

....

Hopefully it is a false positive.

This Covid is like Russian roulette, you can do something and everything is fine, then do it again and fine again.... etc.. then Bang! You got Covid.
Yet all you did is what you did before while being careful.

I also deal with the desire to return to normal. But human nature is to do some things, if He truly has it, then it's because of the Bold above, one time is all it took.

Best of luck and best wishes.

 

[austin944]

I've often read that having a positive outlook is associated with better health outcomes. I don't know if that's true with respect to this virus, but surely it can't hurt.

Of course, it's easier said than done. When I hear it, I feel like it's not a useful input as few people can just turn their thoughts around on a dime, particularly when they are in the midst of the fight.

I try to keep gratitude in my outlook at all times, for the blessings that I have and the people that I know. That seems to boost my mood, more than any other thoughts.

 

[harllee]

Cindy wishing you all the best and your husband all the best. The good news is that the medical folks have figured out many better procedures now than at the beginning of the pandemic (like having patients lie on their stomach to help breathing). Do you have an oximeter so you can check each of your oxygen levels frequently? If not you can get one from Amazon and get fast shipping (I ordered one for my mom 2 days ago and she got it today).

Please keep coming back on this Forum and let us know how things are going. We can be a sounding board for you, there are a lot of smart people here.

 

[tb001]

Wishing you and your DH a fast and speedy recovery. We are trying to be as careful as possible, but also wouldn’t have considered anything you’ve listed as risky. Hopefully your precautions mean however he caught it, he received a low viral load and will have a mild illness.

 

[Gumby]

I'm know I'm not the only one here sending healing wishes your way, Cindy. I do hope you'll keep us posted, even if only to vent.

 

[CindyBlue]

Hopefully it is a false positive.

This Covid is like Russian roulette, you can do something and everything is fine, then do it again and fine again.... etc.. then Bang! You got Covid.
Yet all you did is what you did before while being careful.

I also deal with the desire to return to normal. But human nature is to do some things, if He truly has it, then it's because of the Bold above, one time is all it took.

Best of luck and best wishes.

You are right. The only thing we could have done to avoid contagion completely was to completely isolate ourselves, and we chose not to in these situations. Being careful is not the same as being perfectly safe...sigh...the choices we make...bigger sigh...

 

[CindyBlue]

Thank you...it’s good to be able to share...I have to be strong for his children and family, and for him and can’t say all this to them. You are all so kind to listen.
On a positive note, his temp was normal tonight.

 

[Teacher Terry]

I hope he recovers quickly. The only way to be 100% safe is to never leave the house and have everything delivered. Realistically how many people are going to that extreme.

 

[retire-early]

Wishing a speedy recovery to your husband.

 

[whatnot]

Wishing him a speedy recovery. I know how scary this must be for both of you. But you sound very prepared.
Sending healing thoughts your way.

 

[Ronstar]

Best wishes for only minor symptoms and a speedy recovery for your DH, and for you to able to go through this with him with minimal stress.

Remember for every Covid horror story out there, there are at least 99 others who went through it quickly with little or no problems. Just keep doing everything you can for you and your DH to stay healthy as possible.

 

[mystang52]

OP: Purely anecdotal but maybe this will be some comfort. I am immuno compromised and over the years I've had quite a few serious pulmonary issues. But I am also physically active with swimming, running and cycling. I'm convinced my general cardio health helped me weather the storms when I would get ill. Your husband's swimming may likewise give him a solid health base to deal with COVID. Best wishes for quick and full recovery!

 

[DrRoy]

Take care. Many get over it well.

 

[TimeMeasure]

Cindy, sympathies - can hear the worry in your voice. Your husband must be feeling it too.

On a purely practical note - If you don’t already have a pulse oximeter, you might want to buy or borrow one. People often feel “relatively” all right with COVID-19, even when their blood oxygen levels are dropping to dangerous levels. If I remember the guidance correctly, the idea would be to get your husband to a hospital if SpO2 drops to 92% or lower. Normal for most people should be around 98% - 99%.

And one other idea in the category of “you may already know about it, and it might not help but is unlikely to hurt”:

One regimen of treatment is relatively well known by now, the MATH+ protocol, formulated by an MD based on (if I remember correctly) the empirical / anecdotal experiences of other doctors (since there’s a paucity of RCT data given the novelty of the disease). Some of this could only be done or prescribed by a doctor (e.g. steroids, statins). But some of it is easy to do yourself (e.g. vitamin D supplementation, since there have been a lot of studies linking vitamin D deficiency to increased severity of the disease).

https://www.evms.edu/media/evms_pub...cine/EVMS_Critical_Care_COVID-19_Protocol.pdf

The link has all the details. As I say, you may know all of this... and none of it is a silver bullet at this stage in the game... but most of it is relatively low-risk for most people to try.

Best wishes to you and your husband for an easy recovery...

 

[Rushmore]

I tested positive for COVID around Halloween. I had cold like symptoms, a really bad headache that lasted days, super tired and then I lost sense of taste and smell I too was scared. I have plenty of risk factors in my late 60s, overweight, asthma, fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue.

I recovered! And actually have been far sicker with influenza! I am very grateful. I have no idea how I got it. I thought I was very careful. Haven’t been inside a store in months, wear a mask, use hand sanitizer etc. ironic because my siblings feel it is an election infection and don’t do any of those things(we all live in SD) and they haven’t gotten it.

Hoping your husband recovers quickly. At this point the only lingering affect I seem to have is cinnamon tastes slightly burnt..

 

[Montecfo]

I'm so sorry to hear about your son...I hope he is better...

Yes he is fine. Fully recovered. thank you.

It seems you are getting some really good thoughts here. Here's to a quick and complete recovery, and for peace about it for you both.

 

[CindyBlue]

Cindy, sympathies - can hear the worry in your voice. Your husband must be feeling it too.

On a purely practical note - If you don’t already have a pulse oximeter, you might want to buy or borrow one. People often feel “relatively” all right with COVID-19, even when their blood oxygen levels are dropping to dangerous levels. If I remember the guidance correctly, the idea would be to get your husband to a hospital if SpO2 drops to 92% or lower. Normal for most people should be around 98% - 99%.

And one other idea in the category of “you may already know about it, and it might not help but is unlikely to hurt”:

One regimen of treatment is relatively well known by now, the MATH+ protocol, formulated by an MD based on (if I remember correctly) the empirical / anecdotal experiences of other doctors (since there’s a paucity of RCT data given the novelty of the disease). Some of this could only be done or prescribed by a doctor (e.g. steroids, statins). But some of it is easy to do yourself (e.g. vitamin D supplementation, since there have been a lot of studies linking vitamin D deficiency to increased severity of the disease).

https://www.evms.edu/media/evms_pub...cine/EVMS_Critical_Care_COVID-19_Protocol.pdf

The link has all the details. As I say, you may know all of this... and none of it is a silver bullet at this stage in the game... but most of it is relatively low-risk for most people to try.

Best wishes to you and your husband for an easy recovery...

Thank you so much for this information. I just ordered the oximeter.

He recently started prednisone for polymyalgia rheumatica, diagnosed about 10 days ago, so according to your article, while that might not be indicated at some phases, it looks to be good at others. He has a scheduled appointment (not in person) with his doctor today or tomorrow (and I will insist on today if it's not!) so he can ask about whether he needs to/should stay on the prednisone. He started the Vit C and D about a week ago since it was recommended for his other condition, so that was good, and he started the Zinc yesterday. Our covid nurse friend told him to take them all with "fatty carbs" for easier absorption. It's very hard to get him to take any pills at all...taking so many is not easy (sigh...)

We were told by our Covid nurse friend that he needs to drink lots of water and to walk/exercise to keep the fluid from building up in his lungs.

Again thank you for the information and the article. I am watching him closely and he looks tired, but that could have been from sitting around a lot the past few days resting because we thought originally that he had a cold (we did take walks) thinking that's what his body needs, plus the prednisone seems to make him feel tired. He always gets tired when he isn't being active (we used to be very active in our jobs (retired about a year ago), plus do a lot of running and other exercise, less so as we get older) - and not being able to swim is not helping, because I think he not only uses it as exercise but as his alone/meditation time.

Thank you!