Well, so far it helped the symptoms ease off. Or at least what it was supposed to do. I have no basis of comparison, thank goodness!! But I had a couple days needing no naps, a lower fever, less runny nose, and a return of my nose in its proper function. I even think I can taste a few things a little bit. I don't count myself well though.
There is a bit more coughing, kinda like a "regular' cold, where the lungs are the last to get involved. The throat periodically is sore and the voice gravelly. I am also back to needing a daytime nap. I thought to get an actual temperature before the Doc's call, dug out the thermometer, stuck it under my tongue... 106! WTF? It must be broken, sitting in the bathroom in the summer heat after the one window was opened. To be sure, I tried to shake it down. No joy. Shake harder. Still no joy. OK, getting serious, I drew a glass of water from the freezer door, dunked the thermometer in it for a minute, shook... still 106. Good thing it's broken, or I'd expect to be dead.
My doc, via a phone consult, wants a chest x-ray from me. He also supposes I can be out and about so long as there is a good mask involved. So while cancelling my scheduled club business for the day due to both caution and brain fog, I drove Rich a few miles and back, both of us masked. In return, he ran into a store for me for a single purchase. I even tried to follow doc's orders, but they wouldn't give me an x-ray without proof of a negative covid test. (How do sick people get imaging done?) So, back home, go through the process, and wait for it... wait... wait... Dang! Positive again. The second line was fainter than the first test, but still, a definite positive. So I'll check my status again Monday, see if I can get the x-ray then, and if not, call the doc and tell him I'm trying. Meanwhile the home covid tests are running out. I may show up in Doc's parking lot so they can run out and test me in my car. If they still do that of course. And this is before Steve may test positive and need testing either way.
Since I still have it, and they don't do a second 5-day dosing of Paxlovid, I recalled something I heard months ago about when you get covid. The worst damage is supposed to be from the cytokine storm when the body over-reacts. Slowing down or stopping that process takes an easy, cheap, combination of two common OTC meds. Both are generic now. One is Pepsid AC, the other Zyrtec. There are two different ways the body over-reacts and each fights one of them. I already take generic Zyrtec, aka cetirizine, twice daily for allergies. The Pepsid is now in the arsenal, to take each morning. Otherwise I take my usual meds, except my statin. It can't be taken with the Paxlovid, and Doc wants me to wait an extra day before resuming it. In addition I add an arsenal of vitamins and minerals which Doc heartily approves of, especially now. Lastly, I alternate between Tylenol and ibuprofin to keep the low fever down. I figure I feel as well as I can, considering. And amazingly Steve still shows absolutely no symptoms.
Close to bedtime, and time to take out the dog. Have to find a minute between rain showers though. We seem to have a band that while narrow is moving along its length so they keep coming. And coming. Hooray! Except for getting the dog out.
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