Medicine at its finest

I once said that I wanted to experience what my patients experience, that in knowing, I could have a deeper appreciation, deeper understanding of the disease process and therefore 1) I could diagnose it and give people clarity and 2) hopefully have the read enough, learned enough that I could present the cure or treatment plan toward healing. 

So, over the last few days, I've been home experiencing some of the symptoms of Covid-19, I suspect the omnicron variant as it spread relatively quickly through the home I was staying in, regardless of the mindset I took in staying and visiting with family I suspected having it, I am here now. 

I started with a slight cough but mostly noticed deep aching pain in my back/left thigh, wondered if I could just be feeling run down from the trip. I can't recall if I had headache yet, if anything it was mild and intermittent, similar feeling the next morning but headache was more noticeable, and now I felt certain that the ache was not just from sitting on the plane, - got myself tested and saw an initial negative result, called in anyway to work to take extra precautions. 2 hours later, when I remembered and was about to throw the test away and realized, nope, there is definitely a faint positive line. 

The day gradually led into a night of tossing, turning, mild to moderate head swelling headache, deep middle back ache, alternating between too warm and chills, possibly some vivid images/dreams but I most certainly did not sleep well. Thankfully woke up with less sore back, that second morning was randomly sore wrist. I was pretty exhausted and slept most of the day away and then night. Throughout this had twinges of chest discomfort, I knew something was happening around my heart. Yesterday, I felt okay aside from a runny nose and phlegm that needed to get coughed up but was good enough to work from home. That was nice. Until the evening hit and that chest discomfort became more gnawing, Laying down on my back was more uncomfortable, central chest discomfort with deep breathing. I kept doing it, deep breathing and I keep feeling the discomfort. I checked my pulse, it was regular. I could feel my breath okay. I leaned forward and it gave me relief. Shoot, do I take ibuprofen? Will that help me in this situation or was that myth ever debunked? I think it was...I took one, now just be sure google checked. Thank goodness for a scientific community willing to do good/honest research and go through a process to verify and review data...

So like a good doctor, I wonder, shoot/darn, was this last patient Z or patient Y I saw actually early onset covid or pericarditis? Had I missed it. 

So anyway, we will see how this journey ends, I don't want to talk about the possibilities. Our initial cases of covid didn't end at day 5, there were many weeks ahead. I have hope. 

But I had also thought about writing about what I would write if knew the date and time I will have to say goodbye to this broken and beautiful world. 

Ah but I'll save that and say I'm keeping it positive and thinking about trying Tai Chi on the beach. Gotta keep those lymphatics moving.