That was my first sign of coronavirus.

I had a slight headache, but that’s not totally weird. My back hurt, but we had just had that crazy snowfall and I shoveled like a madwoman. And I did pull ups. I kind of rocked those.

The temperature change was on a Friday afternoon, I locked it down. My kids made fun of me. Who randomly takes their temperature multiple times a day? I don’t go anywhere, I’m a born nerd and I read everything, so I’m careful in a way that is a little OCD.

But in fairness, I’m careful of other people, not so much of myself. I was apologetic at the doctor’s office on Monday, that slight temp changed was gone and I felt great, a little annoyed I had missed the gym for several days, resigned to miss the gym for two more days for no reason. 

It wasn’t until Tuesday overnight that the body aches and fatigue hit. When the doctor called me on Wednesday morning, I was in bed and my body was wracked in pain. I wasn’t totally surprised by the time the call came. But 12 hours before I would have been shocked. 

I didn’t lose my sense of taste or smell. My temp stayed at my solid 97.2 through most of the time I was sick, it wasn’t until after I was no longer contagious that my temp went up again, and it never got above 100 degrees. I didn’t cough until later. My stomach was a little wonky, but really fine. I had a pretty constant headache.

But I could barely moved I was so exhausted. Couldn’t move like when I had mono couldn’t move. I honestly don’t remember a lot of it. 

At some point, my lungs got hit. I don’t know when, which is weird. I have asthma, I get either bronchitis or walking pneumonia nearly every year. I know how that feels. I know an asthma attack. This was neither. It was like my ability to breathe just diminished.

I got a pulse oximeter because I read it was a good thing and my oxygen level just slowly slipped. But I didn’t feel it, I only saw it because of this little gadget. Me, who knows every intricacy of breathing because dealing with asthma and working out with asthma is a constant in my life, and I had no idea. 

For years, I’ve fought with my insurance company about having enough of a rescue inhaler to be able to workout through my allergies, through it all. I’m so thankful for all the days I pushed it. Because I believe all of those days all of those years of focus on breath and all of those years strengthening my heart let me escape with only having six weeks of my life spent in bed with low oxygen levels instead of so much worse. 

I’ve never experienced anything like this before. I am the person who looks at life defiantly and smiles when someone says it can’t be done. My life is an exercise in proving that wrong. But this has taken everything out of me and more. I literally feel like every single workout I’ve done was really training for this. And I don’t know how anyone could even plan for it. 

So here are some things that I would say to keep in mind:

1. I know that this virus is a scary, deathly virus, but it’s not going to feel like that at first. You’re going to feel silly self quarantining. And you might do that over and over and not have it be anything, I did. But I’m so thankful that I was overly cautious and quarantined at the slight temperature change. You might have a slight headache, your back might be a little sore, something slight. Just get tested, it’s not for you, it’s for the person that you can spread it to. And stay quarantined until you get your results back. I felt fine for five days after my slight temperature change. From the people I’ve spoken to, this isn’t strange. You also might be very careful and not have a clear knowledge on how you could have gotten it. 

2. Stay hydrated. This is always important, but it’s especially important while you are sick. Many complications from any sickness happen when you are dehydrated. I actually have an app that reminds me and a big jug of water that has all of the water I want to drink for the day. Whatever works for you, but get your water in. 

3. Make sure you are fueling your body. It’s really easy to just eat whatever, especially when you are sick. If you have Covid19, remember that your body is battling a major foe, even if it doesn’t feel like that. It needs fuel. However that is easiest for you, do it. If it works for you to have a container of greek yogurt for dinner, fantastic. You want a chicken wrap for breakfast? Awesome. I’d say you should always do that, but you should especially do that if you get sick. 

The next few suggestions I’d recommend talking to your healthcare provider about if you are diagnosed with Covid19, but these were consistent pieces of advice that I got and may have helped me stay out of the hospital: 

3. Get a pulse oximeter- they are about $20 and available at any drugstore. You can get the one I have at amazon. If you have asthma, you should probably have one anyway (I don’t know why I didn’t own one before honestly). The top number is your heartrate, the bottom number is your O2 level- normal is 95- 100. Talk to your doctor about when they want to hear from you and what that should look like. 

4. Every nurse I ran into said to take the same vitamins: Zinc, Vitamin C & D. They said to take it proactively and while you have the virus. Probably a good piece of advice anyway. 

5. Every nurse also said proning was key. There’s an article on it here: https://www.pennmedicine.org/updates/blogs/penn-physician-blog/2020/may/proning-during-covid19, but for you at home, it’s basically understanding that how you lay down impacts where the liquids settle in your lungs, which can cause pneumonia. Rotate from your sides to laying on your front. Avoid laying on your back for long periods. I’d also suggest using your pulse oximeter, I found that some positions my O2 level was just a lot lower, so I avoided them. 

6. Get up and walk around regularly. If you are drinking your water, you’ll have to get up and go to the bathroom a lot, but definitely, move around every hour to every few hours. It’s another pneumonia prevention key, if you move, it’s harder for the liquids to settle.

7. I just want to put it out there that having Covid impacts your brain functions. They call it a Covid fog, but whatever it is, just know it’s real. Give people who have it some space for that. It’s happening to me now, so I have no advice if you’re feeling it. 

Finally, I’m on my sixth week of being very sick and I’m one of the very lucky ones.

Do everything you can to let yourself heal because we don’t know what the full aftereffects of this virus look like. Be careful when you go out, but understand this virus is highly contagious, even if you are highly careful, you can still get it, so reserve judgement. I also fully believe that if I hadn’t been taking care of myself, this whole sickness would have gone much worse.

Every day is a new opportunity to make a healthy choice for yourself. The only person you have to impress is yourself. Any true fitness person will celebrate anyone working to be healthier. There is a place for everyone where they feel safe exercising, it can be your own home, running around outside, at a yoga studio, or at a gym.

You are not the problem if you don’t feel comfortable, the fit is. And it’s not weird to hate something that someone else loves. I’m in great shape, I love working out and I hate running. You are probably faster than me. I’m not kidding.

To everyone that has survived this virus, I am so proud of you and I hope you take it as an opportunity to meet the needs of your body and your community. 

For those that lost someone to this horrible virus, my heart breaks for you, this is the first time I understood being completely powerless in the face of an illness, this virus is not like anything that I’ve experienced. Your loved one was so strong and so brave. They are not just a number, but the face of an incredible person who fought so hard, a true hero of this pandemic. 

Please stay safe everyone and take care of each other.