I am up-to-date with my flu and Covid vaccinations, and yet I have spent the last ten days fighting a really bad cold or flu. I dread to think how much worse it might have been if I had not been vaccinated.

I probably caught the virus on Thursday February 20th when I was out and about running a couple of errands and going to my weekly exercise class. The next day I started to feel very lethargic and I knew I was coming down with something. By Saturday I had started sneezing and working my way through a box of Kleenex.

That night the coughing began and continued for about three days. I coughed so much and so hard that my ribs hurt when I tried to take a deep breath. That made me wonder if it was Covid, so I took a Covid test but it was negative.
There was one point where I wondered if I should go to the hospital, but the thought of waiting in the ER for hours sniffing, nose-blowing, and coughing over everyone was enough to convince me to stay home.

I had ordered in some groceries and over-the-counter meds, and so I was able to get by with standard cold and flu treatments and a nasal decongestant that I already had to use at night.
A friend dropped by and left some delicious soup outside my door, and that kept me fed for two days! Yay for good friends.

Once the coughing and sneezing had stopped, yesterday I ventured out of the house to go to the nearby store. It is only one block from my home, but I soon realized how weak I had become. I did nothing else all day.

Today I swept my patio and moved some plant pots, and felt good for having done something. Not much, but something.

My walking group has a plan for Monday to take a walking trail that I have been to before and loved, but I don’t have the strength to do the whole 5k. Regretfully, I am going to have to bow out this time.

I feel for anyone who gets this virus, especially if they have not been vaccinated. It has taken all my strength and far more days than I anticipated. Now that I am back to cooking, cleaning, and grumbling at politicians again, I am happy to have gotten through it. I hope none of you gets this, but if you do please let a friend know so that they can drop by with soup and email some sympathy.

*****

Edit to add:

Shortly after posting this, a member of my walking group contacted me to tell me she had the same long-term malaise after getting this virus. She has been trying to regain her former energy for about a month!

Get your flu shot, reader!