Third Time is Not a Charm with Covid

Hands up (metaphorically speaking of course) who (once upon a time in the last year or two) was so keen to go out and socialise with others in the flesh? On this, I appreciate that I live in a country which was popularised as the strictest country (the land down under) in the world in terms of movement restrictions; of what could and could not be done while the pandemic was alive and kicking. Whether you are a lucky one to have survived it like the plague (sorry, terrible pun) or you have had a triple (maybe even a quadruple infection, I empathise) infection like yours truly has had; this bloody illness has rocked all of our worlds in one way, shape, or form.

The mental health and economic ramifications have been as significant as painting the Eiffel Tower at least a few times over, and that is no exaggeration.

Disruptions to the way that we work, live and play are continuous; regardless of how strong (or weak) your immune system happens to be has been the new normal. This is why this article has to be worth its weight in gold, and it has been spoken from my gut feelings and real in the flesh experiences of this unfortunate hat-trick.

In carrying on, it is super easy to consult OpenAI via ChatGPT to write this entire article; yet I have way more self respect for myself and for my craft as a freelance writer on the side than that. This is why this article is entirely my own words, creativity, and thought processes; except for one quote below. In moving on, this article is intended to be a motivational journal on having had Covid three times, and the real life coping strategies (life hacks) that can (and do) help people - no matter what is going on for you right now. Who knows, this article could also be a form of free therapy (although this is no substitute for actual therapy with a trained professional).

"The COVID-19 Pandemic has affected millions of lives worldwide, with individuals grappling with the physical, emotional, and social impacts of the disease. While most people recover from COVID-19 after one infection, there have been rare instances where individuals have experienced the virus multiple times." - ChatGPT (Some empathy from a robot.)

No matter who we are, and from what walk of life we come from; we are all impacted. One of my friends has two boys in Primary School (perhaps Junior School in the US.) Too often, they are treated to movies like Matilda The Musical when their teacher is off with you know what, and it is as frequent as I had to learn the times tables when I was their age. Watching a movie at school was (once upon a time) an end of term treat. Not anymore.

It does get easier (in other words, the second time I tested positive to Covid, was easier than the first time, and the third time I recently tested was may easier than the first); yet no matter the severity of your symptoms; yours truly has personally found that Covid is not something to either mess around with, or to take for granted.

There are moments when you feel great, and then the next you could be relapsing, through no fault of your own.

There was no fever with my recent positive test; yet it (a high fever) was evident the first two times. The milder your symptoms, the more of an appetite you have.

You really need to rest. Rest until it hurts, no matter how sick or well you are when you know that you have Covid. This is what can help keep Long Covid away; yet I was one of the unlucky ones to have had Long Covid for 11 months in 2022. Brain fog, fatigue, insomnia, depression, acne, dizziness, weight gain in unwanted areas, a heart attack, losing hair, muscle pains, toothaches, headaches, and breathing difficulties to name are all happening at once, with no clear end date is so f*!#ing hard and frustrating to endure. If you can continue to work and/or enjoy a relatively good quality of life, then you are blessed. It is kind of like winning the Long Covid lottery. Resting does not always involve bed rest, and streaming movies and TV series on the Internet, with your laptop in tow can also be classed as passive resting. Resting can mean just staring into space. Boring I know; yet it is for the sake of your physical body at the time. Having some beautiful plants to look at, and/or looking outside into nature is a blessing during this uncertain time. As messy as your home could be; do not (under any circumstances) expend any of your energies in cleaning it up. Just rest.

Even though it is no longer a legal requirement to self isolate/quarantine for a period of time upon a positive Covid diagnosis (as at the time of writing this); it is still a good idea to consider. From a third time survivor, it is worth paying the price of a short term inconvenience to voluntarily self isolate as much as possible in the first week. This is because you need to re-build your strength and immune system, and to just give the body a good old break. Trust me, you will miss interacting with others; yet you will appreciate these social interactions more when you are well and fighting fit again. You will also appreciate that cup of joe at cafes again as well. If you need to leave home; it should only be for food (plus you save money, as well as not having to consume cold, soggy chips from ordering take out on those food delivery apps), medicine, and (in the case of being self employed) to attend client meetings, if online meetings are not feasible. Wear a face mask in such situations, and do your best to socially distance. Boring I know, yet this is science. Nothing is 100% in the Covid world; yet it is all better than nothing.

It is important to stay in touch with your Doctor via tele-health where needed, and to hydrate with some electrolytes (think Hydralyte ice blocks) or similar. It is challenging to stomach water for the first couple of days. Anyone (although they mean well) gives you advice to "drink more water"...you really have to take it with a grain of salt. Electrolytes give you more bang for your buck. It is also important to reach out to your family and/or friends, and chatting online with a counsellor through services like Beyond Blue in Australia can be helpful. Do your best not to take on the fear, and keep away from all news about Covid or similar. The last thing you want to hear is that inflation has gone up another 0.2% while you are battling this strange and still mysterious illness; even though humanity knows more about it nowadays. The tears flowed a couple of times in voluntary isolation. Just cry a river if you need to.

"I can hear your very strong, and it's okay to have moments when you cry and let out the feelings." - Beyond Blue Counsellor

"You have a great work ethic after having Covid so recently. No wonder you had to lie down for a bit." - My Ex / Platonic Best Friend

Life can be unfair. It was fun to party hard at a clients 20th anniversary (that is how long they have been in business for, and this short-term client was my last full-time employer before going out on my own) recently, because we could not do any of that in bars and nightclubs for a couple of years due to you know what. And lo and behold, I came down with a sore throat, thinking it was only due to talking and mingling over loud music for three hours, with people that I have not seen for the last few years.

It was a great reunion; yet this unwanted present exactly a week later, with a "cold" that seemed to be a bit more unusual with each and every passing day made it in the realms of being bittersweet.

As bitter a pill as this is to swallow; with Covid circulating (yes, we have to fully live with this virus now; yet it is still doing some damage) - the time has come to be more mindful about outings, without impacting the quality of your life. It (life) is short after-all. It turns out that we are all fragile and vulnerable at the end of the day.

Covid can be random, and weak immune systems aside; how come some people get Covid multiple times in a short time frame, while others have not had it at all, and may never get it?

An unexpected Covid diagnosis can (and does) pull you back to square one; even if you feel on top of the world (if so, lucky you). It is no different to buying a new bed, and waiting for your old bed to be disassembled, in order for your new bed to be assembled. And for the new boxed mattress to fully inflate. No different to waiting to have another bath, upon your bath tub being re-siliconed. On the morning of testing positive for the third time; I finally plucked the courage to set up my profile on Hinge (a dating site). I already hearted a few men, while ironically swiping left (and utmost rejecting) those men that made heartless, insensitive comments such as (ironically by one man) F*!k Covid 2.0 in his profile. True story. As quickly as soap removes dirt a few hours later; I had to pause my profile, and re-think the dating game, while my platonic friendship with my last ex is somehow getting stronger and stronger. That profile is still on pause. The direction around my business is changing, and you might redecorate and/or declutter your home when you get better as well.

It is ideal to not make any major life and business decisions while you are going through your Covid recovery. From first hand experience, do not go surfing while your lungs are as unreliable as some mail delivery services are. Rest as much as possible. If you are able to work and move around, and live a normal life; then again, please count your blessings. The power of gratitude is never underestimated. This was a powerful question asked by a Beyond Blue therapist while in isolation recently; and from that, the power of gratitude carried a lot of weight:

"I'm glad to hear that, thanks for answering those questions Justine. Again, it's important to remember it's okay to be feeling like this. COVID and isolation is challenging in itself, and the fear of it being long again will being on these anxious feelings. I can hear you've got all the right strategies, and it's important to keep up with these each day. What else do you think would be helpful for you over the next few days?" - Beyond Blue Counsellor

Meditation and exercise are also sweet strategies in recovering from Covid, and especially when it is not your first infection. When referring to exercise, just walking is fine. It is evident that walking is great for our heart and lungs at the best of times. If you opt for more challenging workouts; just remember that it is ok if movement is difficult in some workout postures and poses. For example, if you can usually do 20 chest presses, and now you can only do a few; do not be hard on yourself, and just respect that quota. For example, in yoga a few days ago (as at the time of writing this) yours truly could not do any tiger curls, whereas such a pose is normally second nature to me. Again, when you think you do not need any rest, is the moment that you need a little more of it.

Listening to music is powerful in and of itself. There are some powerful songs out there that remind us about the quality rather than the quantity of the people we hang out with, and to anyone who is either immunocompromised, or who just cannot catch a break with this virus (like yours truly - and the proof is in the pudding below) - there is definitely hope/a light at the end of the dark tunnel. You become a stronger and more resilient person; yet it sucks having to deal with this plague; although for many the symptoms are becoming milder and milder, depending on the mutations at the time.

This song is all about healing on the Covid journey. Any form of movement and productivity is a blessing for sure. One story of someone having the courage to share their journey is a bright spark for another. Remember, nothing is permanent. Song titles: Fix You by Coldplay, and Celebrate Life by Eelke Kleijn. Thank you so much to Vocal Media, and to all of you wonderful readers and subscribers for allowing me to share this with you all.