I thought I was one of the lucky ones that had managed to dodge the covid bullet …
How wrong was I!
Nothing and no one can explain to you how bad this virus can make you feel. Just know that there’s light 💡 at the end of the tunnel and you will make it through to the otherside.
This brings me to the TOP 5 THINGS that helped me make it out the otherside.
#1. VIRTUAL DOCTOR
Once you test positive for covid you are required to register your positive results on the Queensland Health website https://www.qld.gov.au/rat-positive
It walks you through the process step by step. From there you will be advised to do an online Selfcare Check, if you’re unsure whether you should see a doctor or you can call the National Coronavirus Helpline 1800 020 080 https://www.qld.gov.au/health/conditions/health-alerts/coronavirus-covid-19/stay-informed/covid-care-self-checker
In my case, I needed to be admitted to a Virtual Ward. I had a doctor call me within 24 hours of registration to assess my situation and monitor my symptoms. Each day without fail, I received that call. Just knowing I had that someone, a doctor no less, looking after me was a huge relief.
I was sick, very sick during my isolation and required antibiotics for a chest infection. The doctor had the antibiotics, along with a pulse oximeter, couriered from the hospital, straight to my back-door. I can’t tell you how grateful I am to have had these fabulous people looking out for me. I felt safer knowing that someone would call me everyday, no matter what!
#2. DIFFLAM Throat Spray.
Your throat will feel like you’ve swallowed razor blades. No matter how much you try to not to swallow, it will still f#*@ing hurt. Lozenges are a NO! They say suck on a Lozenge and it will ease your pain! NO IT WILL NOT…. if you suck, you have to swallow!
Difflam spray (check with the doctor before using) has an ANAESTHETIC in it, which will 100% numb your throat so that you can swallow. It lasts for a few hours, giving you some relief to what otherwise is torture.
#3. WARM WATER
Warm water, trust me, is far better on a sore throat than cold water. I’m no tea drinker, however I was downing peppermint tea like it was my new best friend.
Here’s a little piece of wisdom I picked up many moons ago when I worked in pharmacy ⚕️. Take your medication with warm water, not hot water, just warm water, it helps the body absorb it quicker and it helps hydrate you faster.
#4. TISSUES
You are going to NEED tissues. Well I did anyways. A couple of large boxes of tissues got me through the toughest of times.
Because I had a chest infection on top of covid, I coughed, sneezed, snotted and dripped mucus for 5 days straight. My eyes didn’t stop running for days and during the night, WOW did I dribble. I tried piling the tissues on top of the pillow every night before I dropped off to sleep or I’d wake up to a cheek slimmed with mucus….eeeyuck!
#5. The good old SPEW BAG!, CHUCK BAG!
NO…. I had no vomiting! So why a chuck bag then you may ask?
These handy dandy bags are GREAT for disposing of your snotty tissues. With the mother load of tissues I’d use at one time and with no means of depositing them into a rubbish bin each time, these little gems worked well.
No loose snotty tissues in the bed covers to be washed with the next load of bedding. All those germs contained in that one deposible magic bag.
I hope my 5 TOP THINGS can prepare you in some small way should you find yourself 🎯 targeted by covid
p.s. I forgot to put on my bed on the list of things I couldn’t have done without during my covid experience. I was in need of sitting up to breath during the first 5 days, so without my beautiful bed, this would have been a challenge to say the least.
grandmother considered torture, she couldn’t watch her daughter in these things any longer, so she removed them from my mums legs, never to be worn again. Yes mum had a limp but during her late teens early twenties Mum was a dancer – yep she loved to Rock ‘n’ Roll. A “kick up ya heels kind of gal”. She also walked everywhere, the family didn’t own a car, so it was walk, bus or train.
one day. Mum was pushing my sister in the pram on the road, my brother and I were walking beside her on the footpath when mum tripped and fell to the ground scraping her knees to the point where they were bleeding. We freaked out of course, mum tried hard to get up but to no prevail she just couldn’t do it herself so she had us, my brother and I go to the house that we were outside of, knock on the door and tell the person that mummy has fallen over and she can’t get up. I can’t recall what happened after that.
The reason for three surgeries is because one was set wrong. She would come home from these surgeries with metal rods coming out of her ankle and lower leg and in plaster. Super scary looking.
Ding ding ding, the bells went off in mums head and guess which direction she pointed the doctors in – yep my direction……
couldn’t brush her hair or her own teeth; scratch her nose or even blow her nose; feed herself or simply take a drink; lift her arms enough to turn the page of a book, sign her name, roll or reposition in bed without help; then eventually swallowing and even talking became difficult. Then there was the excruciating pain that was persistent. Control of her own life was completely taken from her.
When I travel I have to leave all the good stuff at home. It’s impossible to take the necessary equipment from home on holidays. I just make do if at all possible. Or … hire it. By making do, I put extra stress on my body and find I lose strength quicker throughout the day and I have a lot more pain to put up with.
I want to travel Australia reviewing and rating some of these so-called accessible rooms so that anyone in a wheelchair looking to travel can book a room with absolute certainty knowing that the room will suit their needs and hopefully make a change to how we (Wheelies) holiday with no added stresses.
This is not is not acceptable ….
The Ibis in Adelaide has nice rooms, bathroom user-friendly, they will split the King size bed in two to accommodate you and your Carer. The room itself is rather small, I can see it being a problem for anyone who uses equipment to transfer and the bed is not off the ground enough to suit an under bed hoist.
Life's Journey on Wheels 