COVID-19 Chronicles: Hello Doctor

I can’t even smell bleach, I told him. Which is true. Black pepper either.

My doctor called me, no appointment, a first in my life. He also apologized for my situation, the first time a doctor has ever said they were sorry to me for anything. We talked for 7 minutes and he asked me to repeat certain details, taking notes, very interested in which dates I had which symptoms. I emailed him yesterday with a list of which symptoms I did and did not have, saying I hoped it would be helpful for clinical knowledge.

Part of my drill in talking to medical people. This is what they like:

Respect, use correct term of address, say please and thank you

Metrics, like temperatures, measurements, time stamps, dates

Matter of fact, analytical tone

Brief, to the point, short specific questions

Listen closely

Do not interrupt unless urgent, clear misunderstanding

No storytelling, only give standout details, Toastmasters helps here

In my original email, “I was exposed to COVID-19,” I offered to give blood samples or help with research. Got a call back 24 minutes later to set up appointment for next morning. Follow-up email titled “COVID-19 update.” Doctor called me directly within 24 hours.

ADVICE: Look up who is your official doctor on file, if you haven’t picked one then do that now, if you don’t have health insurance then start working on that. If your kids or partner have a different doctor get all their names & office #s written down on one page in big print so you can read it even if you are sick. Put with your health card, I always forget mine.

I mentioned I had read about convalescent plasma and said I would be interested in donating. “Everyone on the front line, doctors and nurses, they need all the help they can get.” <- brown noser

He agreed of course. Said other people have been asking him this, will go up the chain at Kaiser, they don’t have antibody tests yet. He will get back to me.

Gave me official CDC guidelines, do not leave home for at least 72 hours from last symptoms. That clock has not started ticking yet.

Writing this right now in desperate attempt to distract myself. For the first time I feel like I might… let’s just say that I am highly alert to the exact shape, size, and location of my stomach organ, hot angry fist.

Whoever is passing around that rumor that you can wash coronavirus into your stomach where it will be neutralized by your stomach acids, I call BS, you do NOT want this thing in your tummy

Where in the Sam Hill do people get these cockamamie ideas

Up until now I am the only person I have heard of who has coronavirus and has not had any gastric problems. I have a cast-iron stomach. Accidentally drank tap water in Cancun and I was fine. Old roommate and I both went through norovirus outbreak together, knew it was contagious because we had the same symptoms but had not eaten a single food in common in weeks. Violently ill for 3 days, I just lost my appetite and felt tired. She comes out and looks at me:

“Why aren’t you throwing up??”

“Uh… vegan power?” Cheesy grin, wavering thumbs up

Maybe 5x in past 27 years. I’ve gone over a decade without ever - sorry for so much detail but some of you may find this info useful - every occasion I have ever vomited in the past 30 years is vividly etched into my brain, prefer not to, let’s keep this record clean shall we

I have been eating same volume of cruciferous vegetables every day that I have been over past 5 years, almost the only thing I can taste or smell. Broccoli, cauliflower, (both steamed), sautéed chard, good stuff. Plus salad. My friend who tested positive said fruit was going down well.

Just for the record, it is my working hypothesis that gut flora are major factor in immunity, symptom progression, recovery. I would never have realized I was sick except that I WENT FOR A RUN on 3/30 which seems to have spiked my system and set off full-blown COVID. More details on that in another post.

Been reading a lot of firsthand accounts, looking for what to expect, which I assume is what you are doing. My case as far as I can tell is on the extreme MILD end. Probably could have escaped symptom-free and never knew I had it if I had just continued sitting around for another week or two.

Thinking of how to rate this in terms of life experiences.

Pain scale: Personally does not rank on my scale of pain, at all, know this is not true for others

Illness scale: Top ten but not top three

Existential dread, genuine fear of imminent death: Top three

Does that help?

I am still sick, 9th day of understanding I have COVID-19, 24th day after exposure. Two days ago I thought I might die soon, next step was to try to get inhaler and some kind of prescription, have a couple types of cough meds in closet but don’t want to take the wrong thing.

Today I am pretty darn sure I will not die of this, but if we had to evacuate building due to fire or something I don’t think I could make it down to the street without being carried. If burglar would just cough at them, better run!

So tired

Tiredness scale: Top ten but not top five

Right now, my daily workout is flossing and brushing my teeth. Shower is my new 10k, can do a few times a week but have to rest afterward.

Distance training and food discipline huge helps here, spent years teaching my body to improve glycogen storage & hydrate efficiently. Intimate knowledge of body signals. Also practiced falling thousands of times in martial arts.

I have to time myself with blood sugar & energy level, two important things I do after meals are bathing and writing my love letter here. Parents are climbing the wall, friends are praying for us, don’t have the stamina to text people individually but I can do this gradually over the evening. Hard though. Hard to concentrate, exhausting now since I broke my iPad. First world problems!!!

One day I’ll be able to talk again. 7 minutes today wore me out, had to lie down. When I can I will do an AMA or livestream or something, save up your questions.

Love to all, please don’t get exposed, send dry toast wishes to my rebel stomach