I’ve been sick with a cough and chest congestion and don’t qualify for testing so I figured I should probably sit down and catalog. Kind of wish I started this earlier. Oh well, luckily I’ve been keeping a short journal lately, probably the first time I’ve kept up with one for more than three days 🙂

Monday (3/9) My boyfriend got home from doing the LA marathon, via LAX and SJC. SJC later had several staff test positive for COVID-19 and SXSW had been canceled but we were all still out and about.

Friday (3/13) had a vet appt yesterday which was stressful. Everything shutting down, swim lessons canceled, started coming down with a cough. Still felt fine otherwise and joked it off with my coworkers. That night I noticed it sounded weird (raspy? Not quite a wheeze) when I took a deep breath, it probably sounded to anyone else like I was gasping but I was just taking a controlled breath. Very weird.

Saturday still felt fine but still had a cough so called off attending a birthday party, v sad

Sunday went to Target (sorry Target people) because we needed some things there. Coughing overall but was able to suppress it for a while at a time still. Cashier said there was a line out the door waiting for open.

Monday (3/16) thought I was still feeling fine but realized during a meeting that I would get short of breath from pretty normal talking, I was just sitting on the couch too not even pacing while talking on the phone for once. Shelter at home was issued. Still coughing and more pervasive, can’t really keep it in.

Tuesday was very tired and chest felt itchy or tingly. I think this was the day I had to stop wearing a bra, I had been wearing those thin soft type of sports bras since I was at home but it felt too tight and made me really antsy and uncomfortable. This night I was up until 1am because I kept coughing and felt really stressed.

Wednesday (3/18) probably should have called off but we had a meeting, coughed all through it and said I’d take next two days off. Got some cough syrup and that helped a lot. Took a long nap after work and overall not great feeling. Chest still pretty crappy. Tussin and melatonin before bed and this night I wound up sleeping something like eleven hours.

Thursday, still needed an afternoon nap despite all that sleep and basically laying around all day, literally laying because the effort of sitting felt like tangibly more work to exist and breathe.

Friday, off work again and thankfully Animal Crossing was out to take up some of my time laying down. Chest maybe feeling a little better. The cough has been pretty omnipresent for this whole week – dry but kind of deep in my chest and has that resonant rumbling quality sometimes but sometimes a very dry short reflex type cough. Had another long night of sleep plus nap, but this day wasn’t dead tired by bedtime which I had been.

Saturday, chest felt clear but still cough. Did some light chores, laundry, swept just a bit. Didn’t need a nap but also wasn’t super energetic. Legs off and on felt pretty tired throughout this long weekend despite obviously not doing anything, like when I had the flu last year but not nearly as bad.

Sunday had a virtual meeting w friends and was able to talk and sit up which feels like an improvement. No nap but also basically laid down all day.

Monday (3/23) worked from home again and was able to do another meeting. Still had the cough but not super bad and chest still feels clear. Was really tired in the morning but had taken a melatonin which can make me groggy.

Tuesday (today) took another sick day because I slept about 8-9 solid hours and hadn’t taken a melatonin, but was absolutely bone tired in the morning and basically overslept work. Chest is still feeling decent but definitely coughing more obtrusively again so worked harder on drinking fluids, probably neglected that yesterday. The universe is also hella rude and still gave me my period, so that is probably not helping the fatigue.