Recovering from Covid at home

 

How did I get covid?

I work at a school of 3000+ students so it was inevitable that I would eventually get covid, especially as I have contact with 12 classrooms, teaching literacy skills. 

I had a meeting on Tuesday about my work and, later that night, I received a phone call from the person I had a meeting with that she had just tested positive for covid.

That was Tuesday and by Thursday afternoon, I was starting to feel unwell. 

That night, the headaches, fever, body aches, and sore throat started. Followed by constant coughing.

My covid vaccination history

I had my booster 3rd vaccination 3 weeks prior to this. It was awful. 

I had a different booster to my first two vaccinations, which were Astra-Zeneca. The booster was pfizer as it had the omicron elements added. 

The symptoms were quite severe for a week. I went back to work the following week but it was very difficult getting through the day.

 I went home and just collapsed on the couch as my headaches were bad and my body was aching terribly. 

The following week I felt better and that's when I had the meeting and contracted covid. Neither of us had been wearing masks and we sat quite close to each other.

 I had taken mine off as I was working in my office and simply forgot to put it on, as we were not always wearing masks at school.

Living with Covid.

I had a fever for 2 days and occasionally afterward. The sore throat took a week to subside but I had facial numbness on the right side of my face. Even my ears!  I liken it to getting a strong injection from the dentist to numb your mouth. 

I could not stop coughing and eventually tore a muscle along my left rib cage, which made coughing painful. My back also hurt from the coughing. 

The coughing was unproductive and the tickle would not go away. 

At night, I started to wheeze as I lay down, and my nose would block up, making breathing difficult. 

The headaches were constant for one and a half weeks.  Sometimes, they would subside for a few hours but then they would come back. 

Same for the body aches and pains and exhaustion-just carrying the groceries they had delivered to my kitchen left me breathless. 

I think I started to panic as, unlike colds and flu, you do not get cumulatively better each day. When you think you're getting better, boom! Back to square one. 

As I'm older now and need medication for blood pressure problems, and I have a history of cancer, I was quite worried as I kept hearing that I needed to be monitored as things can change quickly with covid. 

I suppose, at the back of my mind, I was anxious thinking I might be the one it changes to the dangerous level. 

The fact that a healthy school teacher in her 40's had died on her second day of being tested positive did not allay my subconscious fears. 

So the psychological effect of covid is quite impacting on mental health, along with the need to isolate when sick.

Getting over covid.

My doctor just said 'take panadol and rest' but it wasn't working. 

I was really panicking about my endless cough so my daughter bought me some Benadryl and some vaporizers to help me breathe at night. 

I put eucalyptus oil in the water to help me breathe and stop the coughing. 

I also used Vicks Vaporub (this is my 'go-to' for many things-read my post on its other uses that will benefit you) under my nose and on my chest to help open up my nasal passages and help me breathe.

I drank copious amounts of lemon tea, laced with Apple Cider Vinegar. Our chiropractor advised us that this would help. 

A few days after I had initially contacted my doctor, he rang me to check on me. I think he heard my foghorn voice, as my chest was congested, and he finally prescribed some antibiotics and Ventolin. 

I was wheezing slightly when I went to bed but found that the Vicks Vaporub and vaporiser helped to stop the wheezing. 

Covid practices in Australia

In Australia, we have to contact the relevant government department when we have a positive covid result. They put you in contact on a daily basis with doctors and nurses, who call you each day.

I cannot even praise them enough as they helped me enormously through a difficult time. 

This was such a great service for me as the doctors and nurses ring you daily for a week to monitor your symptoms.  You can extend this service if you feel the need. 

Unlike doctors in these finance model clinics, they have all the time to chat with you. I needed that as I was waking up at night in a heightened state and they could talk me through it. 

They gave me the number for the Nurse On Call, which is a 24-hour access number, in Australia. 

They sent me medical equipment e.g. oximeter to measure my oxygen levels, at no cost to me. They informed me how to get my meds delivered and my groceries, and asked if I needed any other type of help.

They asked about mental health issues as people are not coping with being ill and being in 7-day lockdown. They were great as my doctor only has a few minutes to talk about the essentials I needed and how I felt. 

Where I am now with Covid.

It's been a week and 5 days since I became ill. 

I am not suffering headaches all day long but just get occasional twinges throughout the day.

I am not challenging myself with physical activity but still get very tired. Some nights I sleep well while other nights I just can't sleep and feel anxious. 

I am still coughing but it is bringing up small amounts of phlegm and it's more settled. But my back is still hurting, my chest still feels heavy, and my voice is still a bit hoarse. 

My work entails me going up and downstairs to 12 different classrooms. This amounts to 10 kilometers of stair walking in 3 days. 

I have a Health app that I used to measure my walking at school.

There is no way I feel ready for work at the moment as a healthy person can get quite breathless with the distances walked at this very large school. 

I'm hoping to be back on board next week!

Have you had covid?

What's your experience been like?

* update: Been back at school for two weeks and am absolutely exhausted and having difficulty thinking as I am still having headaches! 

So glad I am having an Easter break and resting. This covid is crap.

**further update: had to have another covid test as headaches severe and spent last night shaking with cold sweats, then alternating with burning up with fever. It's been 5 weeks now since the original positive tests. 

 I had to revisit my resource  How To Keep Your Brain Mentally Fit? as it doesn't feel great at the moment. It's a free resource.

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Cold Sore

How to get rid of cold sores quickly 

 Cold sores are a common viral infection. They are tiny, fluid-filled blisters on and around your lips. 

After the blisters break, scab forms that can last several days, or even weeks, and they can be quite painful.

They are also called fever blisters.

My experience with cold sores.

My very first experience was when I was about 4 years old and we had been to church. My parents decided that they would like to visit friends, after church. 

I was absolutely starving as  I hadn't eaten since breakfast and it was going onto lunchtime.  

Thankfully, our family friend offered me some delicious Hungarian Csabai sausage, without bread, and sweet tea. It was delicious and I scoffed it down but I broke out in huge blisters on my lips later. 

I still get these blisters if I eat this sausage without bread, when I'm hungry.

 Strange- I can eat it without any side effects when I'm not particularly hungry but I get blisters if I eat it when I'm hungry. So that indicates an allergy for me.

However,  they usually pop up on my lips before a viral infection, such as the flu.  They will appear a few days before I get sick with a viral infection.

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Best cold sore treatments: 

I seemed to be plagued with cold sores since then so it was important for me to find treatment for them as they were painful and embarrassing. 

For me, they lasted about 3 weeks until the final scab healed.

I found the ointments and creams from the chemist to have problems.

A popular treatment was Zovirax. I used that for a time but found that it dried my lips out to such a degree that my lips were painful, cracked, and bleeding for weeks.

I looked for other solutions.

Garlic 

Mum's old fashion home remedy!

As soon as you feel that tingle, you cut a garlic clove and rub it on the spot that is tingling. This will actually reduce the size to a small, hardly noticeable lump or it may go away completely. 

You will feel the sting of the juice on the spot. I don't use it if I'm leaving the house as it's very strong when applied to the lips. 

Petroleum Jelly 

My mum discovered this when she became very sunburnt. She was very fair and her lips were covered in blisters, even though she did not usually have cold sore blisters. 

She rubbed petroleum jelly (which was one of the Gods in our medicine cabinet) all over her lips. The pus started oozing out and they healed very quickly.

This works like a dream so I stopped using Zovirax and used it instead.

You will notice the ooze as soon as you apply it. Sometimes, a large cold sore would be flat by the morning and completely healed in 3 days. 

No painful, cracked lips and no more cold sores for 2-3 weeks. 

Vicks Vapor Rub

One day, I felt the tingling but I didn't have any petroleum jelly. So I substituted it with Vicks Vapor Rub!

You have the added benefit of menthol. It works well.

Zinc

Once I started zinc tablets, it was bye-bye cold sores. It's amazing how well it works, and it's great for your nails and hair, as well.

Paracetamol and rest

When you get a cold sore, you may be coming down with a viral infection (like me), or stressed. 

The pain does affect you as, in my experience, my brain feels quite foggy and just not right. There is a distinctive mild pain I feel until I get a fever or the viral infection rears its ugly head. 

So bed rest and paracetamol will help you in this stage of your illness. 

I hope these hints help you with those very annoying cold sores. 

Has anyone else experienced cold sores related to allergies?

Has anyone been using any of the above remedies?

What are your go-to's with cold sores? 

I'd love to hear your comments. 

 

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How to lower your blood pressure naturally

 

 

How I lowered my blood pressure significantly with a natural remedy

I would like to share my experience with hypertension/high blood pressure and my management strategies that helped me overcome it. Yes, I went beyond high blood pressure and was in the hypertension zone.

While taking medication to get me out of the danger zone, my search for other remedies helped me find a natural remedy that I incorporated into my daily regime successfully.

I trialed days of taking medication and ginger and compared them to days that I took medication only.

The results when taking ginger were always favourable.

It has now been about 7 months that I initially visited the doctor and found out I had hypertension.

My readings are now consistently excellent and I attribute that to the natural remedy I used.

Note: I am not a medical practitioner and I do not advocate that you do not follow your doctor's advice, regarding blood pressure medication.

My History with Blood Pressure

As a young woman, I had excellent blood pressure readings. So good, that the doctor always commented on it. My father was the same while my mother always had high blood pressure.

More recent history with Blood Pressure readings. 

As I’m older now (67), I was starting to struggle with walking, getting up and down from sitting positions, and having swollen feet and ankles. This had started to get worse over the years and I put it down to aging and arthritis.

High blood pressure never occurred to me. 

However, in 2020, I had a relatively easy, non-physical job during the pandemic, teaching a student 1:1, with multiple mental health diagnoses. 

It became quite stressful when students returned to classes after our covid lockdown as he had substantial issues with making friends and his high-level misbehaviour and aggression were impacting my wellness.

Each day felt like I had been climbing mountains-extreme tiredness, muscle and joint pain, foot and ankle swelling. I also had vertigo.

There were many times I just shut up and didn't tell others how bad I felt. Upon reflection, I should have prioritised my wellness.

At work, they had provided me with a special chair to make it more comfortable and easier for me to get up and down. 

Finally, I went to the doctor and told him how each day was such a struggle to get through and my symptoms. I thought anxiety and arthritis was impacting my body.

He took my blood pressure and I was shocked-it had gone past high blood pressure, and was in the hypertension zone ie. almost 200/99. 

He prescribed medicine as he said I was risking a heart attack or a stroke. I am not averse to taking medication but I usually do research and see if I can try natural methods.

The doctor said that, if I did not take the medication, he would take my Driver’s Licence away from me. He wanted me to understand the seriousness of hypertension. 

Taking blood pressure medication

I started taking the tablets and, slowly, my blood pressure started to come down but it was still erratic. Also, I started to cough and this usually became worse on going to bed each night. 

I remembered my mother taking her medication and how she coughed so badly over a few months until her doctor realised that it was this particular medication that made her cough.

She was quite angry as she had been going to the doctor about her persistent cough for many months and her ribs hurt from coughing. She had many sleepless nights too.

So I told my doctor about my coughing and he changed it to Telimarsartan and slowly my cough disappeared.

Previous medication was Perindopril arginine 10 mg.

A Natural Remedy for Blood Pressure problems. 

I have always been interested in natural remedies for ailments so I researched natural remedies for blood pressure problems online.

Although the medication I was taking took me out of the danger zone, the readings were erratic and not low enough for my liking.

It would sometimes be in the high 140’s, then jump up to 150’s and 160’s. 

I read that ginger was good for blood pressure so I bought a jar of ginger and drank it with my tea in the mornings. I put half a teaspoon of crushed ginger in my tea.

Whenever I drank ginger tea, my blood pressure dropped to 130’s! Same as when I was a young woman. 

I would highly recommend taking ginger in some form, if you have blood pressure problems as it consistently works for me. 

Note: my blood pressure is excellent now (7 months later), even if I forget to include ginger each day. However, I will still include ginger throughout the week in my tea or in my cooking.

Other things to action with blood pressure problems:

Exercise

Keep mobile, even if it's only a walk each day.

When I was tied to my computer with online teaching, my blood pressure was always higher. 

One day, I went out shopping and came home exhausted from all the walking.

I was surprised when I took my blood pressure reading as it had dropped to 130’s, at a time when my blood pressure reading was in the 150’s daily.

Although I felt very tired, the walking had helped my blood pressure drop substantially. 

Adequate sleep.

As you get older, I find that you develop a different sleep pattern.

I wake up earlier and, even though I stay in bed, I do not sleep deeply. 

When I am at home, I try to have a ‘nanna nap’ in the afternoon. If I'm super tired after work, I will have my 'nanna nap' when I get home and then wake up to cook dinner, etc.

I'm making adequate sleep a huge priority.

On days I am working, I try to get to bed in a reasonable time.

If I’m super tired, I lock my phone so no one can disturb my sleep, including all the notifications you get online. 

Stress. 

Try to control your stress and practice mindfulness and positive thinking methods, such as developing the daily gratitude habit.  (It takes 30 days to develop a new habit).

The nature of the job I was doing in 2020-2021 was extremely stressful and impacting on my sleep and my mindset.

Teachers who work with very challenging students can suffer great stress.

If they are working in a Special School environment, they are given extra support and timeout, for their mental wellbeing.

Thankfully, although I was in a mainstream school, the school was concerned for my health and wellness and found a new position for me within the school. 

Lose Weight-especially around the waist.

Your heart doesn't have to pump as hard when you lose weight. It helps to manage those puffy ankles!

Eat a healthy diet

Along with increased exercise, this will help you to lose weight.

Limit your alcohol and coffee.

This is important. I had a very busy day, with lots to do online and I drank *!!**!!* cups of black Italian Espresso coffee.

I woke up at 4am feeling extremely unwell (it was scarey) and was not able to go to work that day. I will never do that again!

Limit your smoking.

Yes, smoking is not a great habit. I'm lucky it's not one of my vices as I've had some operations and the surgeon said I'm lucky not to have smoked as it can also impact on recovery from surgeries. 

I hope these reflections will help you, if you have blood pressure problems.

Get your  comprehensive High Blood Pressure & Hypertension Natural Strategies Checklist here

PS. I continue to have great BP readings! My doctor was dubious at first but is now telling me to continue with the ginger as it is working for me.

Ginger also has other great properties that help with inflammation and more. To read about it, you can find more information on this post What are the best delicious healing anti-inflammatory foods?

 

I’d love to hear how you cope and your story so I look forward to reading your comments. 

If you would like a checklist printout, please go to this link High Blood Pressure & Hypertension Natural Strategies Checklist here.

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How to help people in poverty

Do you want to help those suffering the effects of poverty in third-world countries?

If one of your New year resolutions is to look beyond your bubble and help others in poverty, this information from Michael Noetel a psychologist and senior lecturer in the school of behavioural and health sciences at the Australian Catholic University will guide you as to how you can help and which charities are most cost-effective ie. a high percentage goes to the charitable cause. 

 It only takes a few dollars to help. 

I have seen my friends very ill with malaria and parasitic infection. I have seen my friend's son lying on the dirt floor of a tribal doctor's hut, very sick with malaria. It's heartbreaking.

 Can you spare $5 to prevent a child from getting malaria or even less for other medication? Saving children from infections and blindness only takes a few dollars a month.

Can you afford a couple of dollars? 

 See this info here https://www.givewell.org/charities/top-charities

Thanks for taking the time to read this post. We need more kind people on this planet. 

What are the best delicious healing anti-inflammatory foods?

 

Best Delicious Healing Anti-Inflammatory Foods

In this post, you will find out the best delicious healing anti-inflammatory foods that help repair or keep inflammation at bay. 

 

 Your food intake is so important and you may notice the effects of not eating wisely. I feel much better, have less joint pain, and find movement less painful than a few years ago as I incorporate these foods into my diet, as much as possible.  

They also have other added health benefits that make it a no-brainer to try to include them in your diet, as much as possible.

I have also included a Weekly Shopping List that you can use so you can make sure you are including the right foods in your weekly buys. 

Sometimes, we have the best of intentions and the Weekly Shopping List can prompt you to stay on track with those intentions.

1. Coconut Oil

This oil from the fleshy fruit of the coconut is packed with such amazing anti-inflammatory properties that it has even been shown to stop the damage of arthritis.

2. Bone Broth

Not only is it one of the best anti-inflammatories around, but the collagen in bone broth also helps to rebuild your damaged joints to give them back that youthful feel.

3. Papaya, figs, kiwifruit, and pineapple 

These fruits are great sources of proteolytic enzymes, which reduce swelling, eliminate fibrin deposits that cause pain and limit your joint motion, and help you feel better fast. 

4. Green leafy vegetables

Leafy greens such as kale are rich in antioxidants like Vitamin A and C that stop free-radical damage, preventing premature joint ageing. 

 Eat dark green leafy veg (kale, silverbeet, rocket, spinach)  plays an important role in the management of inflammation. They also have higher levels of folate, beta-carotene and vitamin C. 

5. Beets

Another antioxidant powerhouse, beets help repair cell damage. 

     6. Grass-Fed Beef

With 2-3 times, grass-fed beef has 2-3 times more anti-inflammatory Omega 3s than conventionally raised beef.

It will reduce inflammation in your joints and get rid of those aches and pains.

7. Fatty fish

-salmon

-sardines

-trout

-mussels

-tuna

These fatty fish are rich in Omega-3 fatty acids that reduce chronic inflammation and inflammatory compounds to lower your risk of arthritis.

Mussels also help to improve brain function.

To get the full benefits of an anti-inflammatory diet, you should consume fatty fish 2-3 times per week. 

8. Blueberries

The ‘secret’ anti-inflammatory in blueberries is quercetin. Quercetin reduces inflammation, boosts your immune system, and even fights off viruses. 

All berries are loaded with a powerful antioxidant (vitamin C)  that strengthens resistance to infection – and dietary fibre.   They are also lower in sugar, as well as being a good source of folate, potassium and disease-fighting antioxidants.

9. Alfalfa

Its high chlorophyll content along with vitamins A, E, and K make alfalfa a vital anti-inflammatory to add to your diet. 

10. Nuts

Walnuts and almonds are full of Omega 3’s that have anti-inflammatory effects.

Almonds are also filling so they are a great snack, and they contain both fibre and protein.

Nuts can also be used as a protein substitute for healthy meals if you want to cut down on your meat consumption.

Pistachios are great for eye health, as well as being anti-inflammatory.

Walnut oil is not generally used in cooking as it does not stand up to heat but it protects the heart and reduces inflammation. It has healthy monounsaturated fats.

NB: Oils have a bad connotation to many people. However, your skin and hair will love you for eating the right kinds of oils. As will your bowels! Oils also help with satiety ie. your feeling of fullness. Some vitamins are fat-soluble too. Your body needs oils to work properly.

11. Chia

These tiny seeds pack are nutritious and have the highest plant content of omega-3 fatty acids. 

They are also a good source of omega-6 fatty acids, high in fibre, especially soluble fibre and a rich source of protein

 

12. Ginger

Ginger not only helps reduce immune system reactions that lead to inflammation but also prevents cell damage.

It is also used for nausea. There are studies that point to ginger's ability to protect against certain cancers.

Some interesting reading Is Ginger More Effective Than Chemotherapy?

Try to use fresh ginger as it is higher in active components when fresh.

13. Shiitake Mushrooms.

These mushrooms reduce food allergies and sensitivities that increase inflammation while at the same time building your muscles and bones.

14. Avocado Oil

Avocado oil is low in polyunsaturated fats and rich in heart-healthy fats. It is delicious and suitable for drizzling over salads and vegetables.

Eating avocadoes also help reduce cholesterol absorption. 

15. Tumeric

Its active compound, curcumin, is a natural anti-inflammatory and, as it has powerful antioxidant properties, it has numerous other health benefits.

I use it regularly and even put it in my beverages.

Tumeric must be accompanied by black pepper to activate its properties.

There is a product you can buy online called Tumerix. It is a high-quality product, as you can see by its strong dark yellow colour and contains 6% curcumin.

This compares favourably to other products that have a much lighter colour and only contain much lesser amounts of curcumin.

It also contains black pepper so you don't need to remember it.

The black pepper is not obvious to your taste.

I am not an affiliate for this product but I noted significant relief from joint and body pains when using this product.

16.  Cinnamon

Cinnamon is rich in antioxidants which reduce inflammation. It has the added benefits of being antifungal, antiviral and antibacterial. 

17. Garlic

Garlic has been used for centuries best known for its anti-viral and anti-bacterial properties that help fight infection.

I think it's one of those all-rounders that you eat daily to prevent a myriad of complaints. 

Tip: buy good quality garlic. Where I live, the price is a good indicator.

 Previously I bought cheaper fresh garlic and it had a much lighter taste. However, I found that this product had been imported into Australia from China (which has zero health regulations as to the safety of food sold) and found out the dubious practice that they put the garlic through and I refuse to buy garlic from China. 

18. Olives

Its fat content of monounsaturated fats and anti-oxidants make it a natural anti-inflammatory, as well as recommending its use daily for heart health by the Mediterranean Diet. 

Buy Extra Virgin Olive oil as it has had minimal processing and its antioxidants may help protect from cancer, as well as being an anti-inflammatory. 

19. Orange vegetables and fruit 

Orange-fleshed fruit and veggies contain high levels of beta-carotene that help to prevent degenerative disease.

20. Gluten-free whole grains

These contain high levels of anti-oxidants to block inflammation.

-quinoa

-brown rice

-millet

-amaranth

-buckwheat

They have the added benefits of fibre and they are suitable to use as a plant-based protein in your diet.  

 

21. Red grapes 

The added benefits of eating red grapes for health, apart from reducing inflammation are:

-fighting disease

- assisting memory

- providing protection against cardiovascular disease 

- anti-ageing properties. For more anti-ageing tips, see 

 Don't want to forget to buy these items?

 

You can get your Weekly Shopping List here.

The more you eat foods that fight inflammation, the better your joints will feel!

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