There’s more to surviving COVID than a mask and social distancing.
Take my word for it, my family and I just beat this disease and I am here to share my experience with you + give you all the healing tools and essentials that got us through it.
Our COVID experience
We aren’t exactly sure how we contracted COVID, but we are thinking we may have gotten it on a Friday and by Monday we began showing symptoms. If we are right about our exposure to COVID then the symptoms showed up fairly quickly.
My husband was our patient ZERO and was the one to start showing symptoms first. It started out with body aches followed by low-grade fever, diarrhea, night sweats, muscle weakness, shortness of breath, and chest pains. All of which happened in stages on different days with the fever and diarrhea lasting the longest. There was also a point where he felt back to normal for a few days only for the fever to come back for two days straight. Overall, it took his body two whole weeks to fight off this disease. He had it the worst out of all of us.
Shortly after my husband began showing COVID symptoms, my two kids started showing symptoms, but they were very minimal and only lasted about two days. Their fevers were very low grade, never going past 100 degrees. My son who has asthma, an underlying health condition, also threw up once on the first day. But other than that, they both have been doing very well since then.
As for me, I was considered asymptomatic COVID because I never got a fever or much of the other flu-like symptoms but here is what I did experience:
- a killer headache that lasted 3 days straight
- a slight cough
- unusually terrible breath
- night sweats
- loss of smell
(Pro Tip: Avoid sugar while you are getting through this virus. I found that whenever I would consume sugar, these symptoms would worsen.)
Was I truly asymptomatic? I feel like the answer here is NO and here’s the thing if you know your body you will know that something is off, I certainly did.
A few things about COVID that’ll give you hope
According to the WHO, COVID-19 is not an airborne disease. In order for me to infect you, I’d literally have to get droplets of my spit inside your mouth, eye, or nose through sneezing, couching, or spitting. Based on that, the theories of social distancing 6 feet apart and wearing masks should work.
According to Healthline.com, the majority of people who get COVID will experience mild symptoms similar to what my family experienced. I understand it’s hard not to be so scared of the virus, but please don’t worry yourself so much about it. Be safe and cautious but if you do happen to contract COVID, stay positive, and know that you’re going to be OK.
A positive attitude is the best medicine and it will get you through it.
The test for coronavirus was only slightly uncomfortable. It’s really nothing to be afraid of.
Speaking of testing, the case numbers are rising while the death rates are falling. That means our health care workers are doing a damn good job and we are showing some progress here. Let’s stop focusing so much on the negative and see the silver lining.
Lastly, this disease isn’t going to magically disappear. It’s either going to come for everyone at some point or some magical vaccine is going to arrive and save the day. But even flu shots don’t protect you 100%, so instead of sitting around being afraid of COVID, why not start being proactive about your health and do what you can to be as healthy as possible. HEALTH IS WEALTH!!!
RELATED: 13 Ways To Boost Your Immune System Naturally
Now let dive into it!
***DISCLAIMER: The following items helped me and my family get through COVID-19 but I am not a doctor or a medical professional. Please be sure to consult with your doctor to find the path of healing that works best for you.**
Thermometer. It’s important that you monitor your temperature, having one of these is vital.
Pulse Oximeter. This is a handy gadget that monitors your heart rate and oxygen levels and it gave me so much peach of mind! I highly recommend this!
Diffuser + any essential oils you love. I used eucalyptus essential oil daily to help us breathe and peppermint essential oil when my headaches started happening.
Humidifier. Having this running throughout the day made it much easier to breathe.
Vicks. In my culture, we use this for everything LOL!
Inhaler/albuterol treatment. If you have access to this use it, especially if you have asthma. **This cannot be bought, it has to be prescribed by a doctor.
Water, water, & more water! A hydrated body can combat anything. Staying hydrated is key.
Gatorade or Pedialyte. You may experience diarrhea, this will help you replenish the nutrients you are going to lose because of it.
Orange juice. Vitamin C helps to boost the immune system. We drank one glass every day.
Emergen-C Packs. These have 1000mg of Vitamin C and can be added to water or juice, which we did once a day. Even if you don’t have the virus I recommend adding these to your diet to protect yourself.
Emergen-C Immune + These also have 1000mg of Vitamin C + Vitamin D & Zinc. This is another supplement you should start taking even if you are virus free.
Zinc supplements. Zinc strengthens the immune system and is great to take when you are actively sick or at the first sign of flu-like symptoms. Source: Potential Role Of Zinc Supplements In Treatment Of COVID
Vitamin D from natural sunlight. If you are able to, get outside for at least 30 minutes a day. The natural sunlight is more healing than you know.
Melatonin. This is an all-natural supplement that relaxes your body, relieves anxiety, and helps you sleep. The stress, the anxiety, + the fear around having this virus is real. I highly recommend this because if you allow all that negativity to take over, you’ll feel sicker than you actually are. Source: Area doctor sees success in experimental COVID-19 treatment using Melatonin
Tylenol. EVERY 4 HOURS until your fever is gone. Even at night. Set alarms for every four hours to keep your fever down.
Flushable wipes. For the diarrhea, you’ll thank me later.
Sage. It’s antimicrobial and burning it daily cleanses any bacteria in the air. Don’t forget to crack your windows when you do this.
Disinfecting wipes. Currently, they are very hard to find but if you do find them, grab them! It’s best to clean and disinfect on a daily basis. This disinfecting spray will help too!
Final thoughts on getting through a COVID diagnosis
Beating COVID is possible with the right tools that will guide you through your healing and a very positive attitude! I hope this article helps you get there. Once again, please be sure to check with your doctor for the best treatment plan for you. Wishing you a speedy recovery!