If you clicked on this article hoping to use it to support some sort of agenda, I hate to admit it but you're probably going to be disappointed.
When one Reddit user asked people to talk about their personal experiences suffering with COVID-19, they probably had no idea that they'd highlight one of the most perplexing aspects of our current pandemic. People's experiences are wildly different.
Some breezed through it practically without knowing they were sick. Others legitimately feared for their lives or stayed sick for so long that it started affecting their mental health as well as their physical wellbeing.
Obviously those who have lost their battles with this pandemic aren't exactly available to hang out on Reddit.
Faking It For Family
I had it in early April, probably from working at a quarantine facility where we didn't have enough PPE.
Loss of smell was my only symptom for a few days. Then mild productive cough. Then fatigue, body aches, and trouble breathing. Never had a fever, indigestion, etc.
The scariest part was that at that point, no one knew how to manage it. My doctor had zero advice other than rest and fluids. Didn't know what meds to avoid, expected progression, nothing.
My family and friends checked in a lot. They freaked out if I acted too sick, so I pretended my symptoms were much more mild than they were. I only shared my real symptoms with my partner and my doctor. In that regard, it was very lonely.
Difficulty breathing lasted about 5 days, then started to get better. Fatigue was the last symptom to disappear, it lingered about 10 days after I'd tested negative.
I'm 25, an EMT, and was working reduced hours when I got exposed. No pre-existing conditions.
Participating In A Study
sick 1980s tv GIF by absurdnoiseGiphyOur family had it, including two toddlers.
Toddlers: mild symptoms - mostly low grade fever. Recovered in a couple days.
Wife: fever, fatigue, loss of smell. Recovered in about a week.
Me: worse symptoms - prolonged fever, headaches, hallucinations, sweats, indigestion, general soreness. About 4 straight days of harsh conditions. Recovered in about 2 weeks.
I'm going to try to answer some questions:
- Yes, we were all tested multiple times. Our toddlers are 2 and 4 and due to the rareness of children contracting COVID, they are participating in a study about COVID in children. As an FYI to parents - watching your children get tested is NOT fun and my kids have been through it several times.
- Tough to describe my hallucinations, but I would have to say it was like I was daydreaming. I used to do drugs and it's nothing like that. Fever chills would interrupt it sometimes.
- My wife and I are in our mid 40s and relatively healthy. Neither one of us experienced breathing issues.
- My wife got her sense of smell back about a week after her negative test. She mentioned she could smell our daughter's farts.
- I don't know our blood types.
- I work from home full time and my kids stay home full time. My wife works from home mostly, but she does go to various hospitals a few times a week (she works in construction as a PM -- a.k.a. she builds hospitals). We're pretty sure she got at one of them.
- My wife got it first, then me, then both kids together. We don't smoke, drink, do drugs ( I used to) and are fairly healthy (work out at the gym and swim several times a week). The doctor said our healthy lifestyle probably helped.
- We do not have any lingering symptoms. We have all been tested for the antibodies and have donated blood (and our kids' bodies) to help with the recovery efforts.
- IDK what else to say except COVID is very real and can fck you up no matter your age. Stay safe people.
When The Doctors Get Sick
Initially dry cough.
Worsened with a high grade fever
Loss of taste and smell.
Difficulty breathing, had to go to the ED twice
Improvement only after 12 days.
Post illness shortness if breath and 5kg weight loss
I am a 33 year old Male doctor in Ireland. I was fairly overweight and had low T symptoms prior to this and had been on the Keto diet and exercise. I had prior to this lost weight intentionally. The hospital I worked in had a poor response to the pandemic with inadequate and improper PPEs.
This led to a HUGE number of medical personnel(and their families) getting COVID-19. Believe me we were pissed at the administration of the hospital.
I developed symptoms rather innocuously with a dry cough. The next day my wife also had the same symptoms. I got tested a few days afterwards and we both were positive. We were contacted by occupational health and surprisingly were told to isolate from each other, the reason being is that we 'may' have different strains of the virus. So I was in one room of my house and my wife in another.
We were both told to come to the hospital immediately if we had shortness of breath or worsening of symptoms. Twice in the space of five days I had trouble catching my breath at rest. The thing about the virus is that the breathlessness feels like you sprinted till exhaustion and are catching your breath...but you can't really. I felt this after a FEW steps and it is truly terrifying. Despite being a doctor and handling shortness of breath regularly, nothing prepares you for actually feeling it.
Both times I immediately told my wife that I'm going to the hospital possibly for some oxygen and nebulizers. Thankfully with normal pulse oximetry readings and chest auscultations I didn't need either. But I had Xray changes showing Pneumonia in my right lung and was told to take antibiotics (at that time hydroxychloroquine and azithromycin for five days). I only took azithromycin as being a doctor I was concerned with potential side effects of the hydroxychloroquine.
One thing that scared me a lot was talk of the death rates. Even though I am a Doctor and the death rate compared to number of people infected was low, I still would think 'what if'. TBH when I was on my way to the emergency both times with shortness of breath I was fearing it getting worse and thought I could have died. Even afterwards I was frightened of getting worse a third time.
I rested a lot, drank plenty of water and avoided fizzy drinks. I stopped the Keto diet and focused on eating whatever I could to get energy, but I had a loss of appetite and the famous taste and smell loss. It is a strange side effect, it starts gradually and lasted for about four days before it gradually and completely resolved. You all would be surprised at the texture of many foods (some foods being 'sticky', 'sandy or coat the roof of your mouth quality). I couldn't believe how bad pizza and chicken tenders could be with this.
Throughout my infection I had a fever in excess of 37.5C(99.5F) for 12-13 days! It is so draining along with the cough. Initially it was dry but as i was recovering i would cough up flecks of pinkish purplish stuff in off white sputum. The cough itself lasted for five weeks and shortness of breath a week or so longer. But me and my wife thankfully are better, healthier and fully recovered. I haven't really noted any loss of stamina or weakness.
About my wife having COVID, she had mild symptoms in comparison to me and recovered quicker. None the less I was more concerned about her condition and would auscultate her (yeah I didn't listen to the occupational health about total Isolation, I wore a mask!) at intervals. The isolation from each other IMO was unnecessary and added to our stress.
I also was angry at the hospital I worked at for what had happened and how 70 of my colleagues were affected (yes 70 staff members!). The healthy staff members were severely overworked and at their breaking point. The worst part was that our administration started to call some of us back after a week of symptom onset! They didn't care at all, they just wanted the institute to run, even if it killed us. I thank God nobody out of us died. Naturally the ill will amongst us all remained and in a few months, en masse, 24 doctors from the department of medicine gave notices. They could only replace half of the number, quite frankly THEY DESERVED IT.
So. Much. Sh*t.
I sht my pants twice over three weeks. Then I sht five times a day, at least.
Dizzy, nausea, wake up to choking cough like trying to vomit, lasted a few hours each day.
That's it for me.
Chalk up one more for the pants sh*tting club. It was crazy.
My wife and I got her 80+ year old parents a long pacific cruise last Christmas. They left in January and we picked them up from the airport in early March. They were both coughing a lot. They stayed with us until they felt good enough to go home.
Her dad (had 3 preexisting conditions) ended up in the hospital with an initial pneumonia diagnosis but never went on a ventilator. Tested positive. Her Mom had a cough and headache. Also tested positive.
Mid March, my wife, my kids, and I, all got a bad headache for a few days. We were all really dizzy on the third day.
They all recovered quickly, but I had the only case that evolved into 2 weeks of constant constant sh*tting. I don't know where it came from. I was convinced my body was extracting sh*t from the air.
May Need A New Career
I tested positive 23rd of June. I'm still not back to work. I work in thermoforming, with a factory with no air conditioning. My doctor refuses to approve me to go back. I can't walk around for more than an hour without being sopping wet from sweat. Before covid, I worked 12 hr shifts in some heavy heat, that building could get over 100 degrees easily.
Started out with a cough, then got SOOO much worse. Runny nose, high fever, coughing, mucus with blood. Felt like my chest was being caved in, and legs and arms felt so weak. Actually sh*t the bed a couple of times because I literally couldn't move.
Became dehydrated, and vomited and passed out. Woke up at the hospital covid ICU wing. The covid had advanced to pneumonia. About 60% of right lung was filled with fluid pockets, left about 40%. Loaded down with antibiotics and oxygen. Got released 3 days later thankfully.
My cough still had not stopped. It's gotten better, but I still have fits where I can't catch my breath. I now have to use an inhaler and tessalon perles. I can taste most things again, but majority of my smell is still gone. I have to go on Friday for a stress test, my heart isn't right. While I was at the hospital, my heart started to pause while I was sleeping or something like that. Can't work, running out of savings.
If anyone knows any desk jobs in Charlotte, hook me up! I don't know if I'll actually be able to go back to work in my factory at all right now, and we need paychecks.
Y'all I'm high 20s in age.
Pretty Mild
Male, 30, no pre existing conditions or other significant risk factors.
Day 1: slight sore throat and a little coughing in the morning, couldn't really ever "wake up" from the morning.
Day 2-4: fatigue, body aches, headache that made it hard to process information, pretty mild respiratory symptoms.
Day 5-7: slight fatigue
Day 7-10: no symptoms
I had a very mild case
The Smell Of My Pillow
I had it in mid march (New York Resident) and am fine now.
First 3 days (Friday-Sunday) I had extremely mild symptoms. My throat just didn't seem quite right. I was sneezing due to the window's breeze more easily than I should have, since it was too early for allergy season. I also inhaled the water I was drinking multiple times over the weekend. I noticed, but thought I was being paranoid.
Day 4 (Monday), they sent everyone home to work from home at around noon. I waited in a crowded grocery line (since this was the day they started limiting how many people could enter). Around 3 hours later it had clearly spread to my lungs from the upper respiratory track. I could feel the fluid in my lungs. My breathing wasn't steady (felt like sandpaper rubbing on sandpaper) and it was clear I was sick.
I started coughing up sputum on day 5 (Tuesday). I'd cough once, clear the fluid from my lungs and breath normally, and then it'd slowly get worse over the course of an hour until I coughed again. Repeat.
Day 6 (Wednesday): Fever. This was the first day I actually felt sick. You know normal fever symptoms, fever, muscle aches, sweating, etc.. I called out sick (remember working from home at this point anyways).
Day 8 (Friday): Was feeling better. Halfway between better and sick,. I resumed working.
Day 9 (Saturday): Woke up to the smell of my pillow, and was promptly weirded out. I didn't notice when my small/taste disappeared, but I definitely noticed it came back... Everything from my pillow, my shirt, the wooden table, etc. smelt. It wouldn't be for another week or two before the loss of sense of smell/taste symptom was discovered so I had no idea what was going on at the time. Anyways, at this point I felt better again.
Day 10+: A bit of coughing persisted for a couple days after that, but I felt healthy again. I never even came close to needing to be hospitalized, though, so lucky me.
- dubanx
Pool Water
pizza pool GIF by Party Down SouthGiphyFever, terrible headaches, sore eyes, fatigue, cough, shortness of breath, loss of taste and loss of smell. Also had this weird burning sensation in my nose (similar to when you get pool water up your nose).
How Long Every Day Felt
Girlfriend and I both [25 y/o] tested positive for COVID in late March. No pre existing conditions, we are both in excellent shape and eat healthy as well.
I was sick for 28 days straight. Longest most taxing illness of my life.
Over that time I had 3 different rounds of fevers and couldn't get out of bed for most days.
The thing about Covid was just how long every single day felt. There was a couple times I felt so sick I wasn't sure if I was going to make it.
My girlfriend was sick for a solid 10-12 days but was not nearly as ill as I was.
I had fully lost my sense of smell from Covid. Until 2 weeks ago when I fell 6 feet and got a severe concussion.. my sense of smell returned. Crazy and makes no sense to me, but I am incredibly thankful to be able to smell trees and flowers and food.. man!
Anyways, now we both have antibodies and are feeling back to strength. We ran 27 miles this past Saturday.
- ouijib
COVID Improved Things
My response might get buried ... but I had these warts attacking my hands and fingers for years. Lasers, freezing, squaric acid, all kinds of stuff... nothing worked. Then I caught COVID in March, I was sick for two weeks... stomach problems... persistent cough... my running ability was impacted clearly for a while... but whatever happened in my body literally killed every wart I had. So I am in the minority in saying COVID definitely helped me.
My derm was very clear with me when I first met him about treatment. He's like "We can freeze these and use lasers, but you need to know that this exists because your immune system is not fighting it off like it should". Maybe the Covid kicked everything into high gear and my immune system got the picture?? All I know is I can tap my fingertip on a table, it doesn't hurt anymore, and I can't believe they're gone. It's like a second chance to have hands
None Of The Same Symptoms
I felt like I had the flu and only got tested because of the pandemic. My flu-like symptoms lasted 3 days before I recovered but I've had no sense of smell for over a month
I had my daughter tested when my results came back positive and hers did as well. She, however, never developed so much as a low-grade fever
My girlfriend tested positive also, but her primary symptom was headaches
As someone who has had the flu twice and the swine flu once, either of those were much worse for me.
Terrified Of Getting Sick Again
Started off with a cough and then progressed to fatigue, chills, dizziness, and a mess of other symptoms I can't even remember. I never had a fever nor did I lose my sense of smell/taste.
The thing that was the hardest to deal with was the fatigue. I would debate drinking water because that meant I would have to walk to the bathroom (I have a bathroom connected to my bedroom).
It took about two weeks to recover although my cough hasn't gone away. Overall, it was awful. I'm terrified of getting sick again.
- FiboMath
Both me and my girlfriend had it. She got it first and then I got it like a couple of days later. It started with the throat not feeling right. And eventually I got a relatively mild fever. The worst part was probably the feeling that you're breathing, but your body is only getting like 70% of the oxygen it needs. Its not that I can't breathe, its just that it doesn't satisfy my body, if that makes sense.
I got all better approx. a little more than a week later. Then when I went back to work and was picking up a box of bananas to move them, my body reacted to it like I had been running on the tracks for an hour. I was beat after like one box. I move another, and I'm so tired I wanna lie down.
I told my boss I couldn't work because my body was exhausted when doing any physical work. 2 weeks after that day and I was all better.
But... something is different. I don't know if it's that my antihistamines are less effective or what it is, but sometimes it feels like I have something in my airways that needs to be cleaned or something. Like I want to cough it out cause its blocking the pipes, but its so far down, coughing doesn't help.
And also, I've had a brain fog every once in a while. More than usual. When it happens, it's like how you feel when the weed's worn off, but there's some of it in your body still. That kind of fog.
COVID Toes
Got tested only because in March upon arriving home from school 10 of my 12 roommates tested positive. I was positive but didn't even know I had it. I had some weird red bumps/dots on my toes that later became a known symptom but at the time I had no idea it was a result of COVID.
Also lost my sense of taste, but again did not know that was a symptom until after I had already recovered. I am 22 and know a lot of people my age who have tested positive, or after the fact positive on the antibody test and my experience is pretty similar with all of theirs as well
120 Days Later
120+ days later and I'm still experiencing extreme fatigue, random gastro issues, heart palpitations, aches and pains, random rashes, and no doctor wants to deal with it. 🤷♀️
I'm 26 female.
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Experiencing death is a fascinating and frightening idea.
Who doesn't want to know what is waiting for us on the other side?
But so many of us want to know and then come back and live a little longer.
It would be so great to be sure there is something else.
But the whole dying part is not that great, so we'll have to rely on other people's accounts.
Redditor AlaskaStiletto wanted to hear from everyone who has returned to life, so they asked:
"Redditors who have 'died' and come back to life, what did you see?"
Sensations
Happy Good Vibes GIF by Major League SoccerGiphy"My dad's heart stopped when he had a heart attack and he had to be brought back to life. He kept the paper copy of the heart monitor which shows he flatlined. He said he felt an overwhelming sensation of peace, like nothing he had felt before."
PeachesnPain
Recovery
"I had surgical complications in 2010 that caused a great deal of blood loss. As a result, I had extremely low blood pressure and could barely stay awake. I remember feeling like I was surrounded by loved ones who had passed. They were in a circle around me and I knew they were there to guide me onwards. I told them I was not ready to go because my kids needed me and I came back."
"My nurse later said she was afraid she’d find me dead every time she came into the room."
"It took months, and blood transfusions, but I recovered."
good_golly99
Take Me Back
"Overwhelming peace and happiness. A bright airy and floating feeling. I live a very stressful life. Imagine finding out the person you have had a crush on reveals they have the same feelings for you and then you win the lotto later that day - that was the feeling I had."
"I never feared death afterward and am relieved when I hear of people dying after suffering from an illness."
rayrayrayray
Free
The Light Minnie GIF by (G)I-DLEGiphy"I had a heart surgery with near-death experience, for me at least (well the possibility that those effects are caused by morphine is also there) I just saw black and nothing else but it was warm and I had such inner peace, its weird as I sometimes still think about it and wish this feeling of being so light and free again."
TooReDTooHigh
This is why I hate surgery.
You just never know.
Shocked
Giphy"More of a near-death experience. I was electrocuted. I felt like I was in a deep hole looking straight up in the sky. My life flashed before me. Felt sad for my family, but I had a deep sense of peace."
Admirable_Buyer6528
The SOB
"Nursing in the ICU, we’ve had people try to die on us many times during the years, some successfully. One guy stood out to me. His heart stopped. We called a code, are working on him, and suddenly he comes to. We hadn’t vented him yet, so he was able to talk, and he started screaming, 'Don’t let them take me, don’t let them take me, they are coming,' he was scared and yelling."
"Then he yelled a little more, as we tried to calm him down, he screamed, 'No, No,' and gestured towards the end of the bed, and died again. We didn’t get him back. It was seriously creepy. We called his son to tell him the news, and the son said basically, 'Good, he was an SOB.'”
1-cupcake-at-a-time
Colors
"My sister died and said it was extremely peaceful. She said it was very loud like a train station and lots of talking and she was stuck in this area that was like a curtain with lots of beautiful colors (colors that you don’t see in real life according to her) a man told her 'He was sorry, but she had to go back as it wasn’t her time.'"
Hannah_LL7
"I had a really similar experience except I was in an endless garden with flowers that were colors I had never seen before. It was quiet and peaceful and a woman in a dress looked at me, shook her head, and just said 'Not yet.' As I was coming back, it was extremely loud, like everyone in the world was trying to talk all at once. It was all very disorienting but it changed my perspective on life!"
huntokarrr
The Fog
"I was in a gray fog with a girl who looked a lot like a young version of my grandmother (who was still alive) but dressed like a pioneer in the 1800s she didn't say anything but kept pulling me towards an opening in the wall. I kept refusing to go because I was so tired."
"I finally got tired of her nagging and went and that's when I came to. I had bled out during a c-section and my heart could not beat without blood. They had to deliver the baby and sew up the bleeders. refill me with blood before they could restart my heart so, like, at least 12 minutes gone."
Fluffy-Hotel-5184
Through the Walls
"My spouse was dead for a couple of minutes one miserable night. She maintains that she saw nothing, but only heard people talking about her like through a wall. The only thing she remembers for absolute certain was begging an ER nurse that she didn't want to die."
"She's quite alive and well today."
Hot-Refrigerator6583
Well let's all be happy to be alive.
It seems to be all we have.
Trying to lose weight is a struggle understood by many people regardless of size.
The goal of reaching a healthy weight may seem unattainable, but with diet and exercise, it can pay off through persistence and discipline.
Seeing the pounds gradually drop off can also be a great motivator and incentivize people to stay the course.
Those who've achieved their respective weight goals shared their experiences when Redditor apprenti8455 asked:
"People who lost a lot of weight, what surprises you the most now?"
Redditors didn't see these coming.
Shiver Me Timbers
"I’m always cold now!"
– Telrom_1
"I had a coworker lose over 130 pounds five or six years ago. I’ve never seen him without a jacket on since."
– r7ndom
"140 lbs lost here starting just before COVID, I feel like that little old lady that's always cold, damn this top comment was on point lmao."
– mr_remy
Drawing Concern
"I lost 100 pounds over a year and a half but since I’m old(70’s) it seems few people comment on it because (I think) they think I’m wasting away from some terminal illness."
– dee-fondy
"Congrats on the weight loss! It’s honestly a real accomplishment 🙂"
"Working in oncology, I can never comment on someone’s weight loss unless I specifically know it was on purpose, regardless of their age. I think it kind of ruffles feathers at times, but like I don’t want to congratulate someone for having cancer or something. It’s a weird place to be in."
– LizardofDeath
Unleashing Insults
"I remember when I lost the first big chunk of weight (around 50 lbs) it was like it gave some people license to talk sh*t about the 'old' me. Old coworkers, friends, made a lot of not just negative, but harsh comments about what I used to look like. One person I met after the big loss saw a picture of me prior and said, 'Wow, we wouldn’t even be friends!'”
"It wasn’t extremely common, but I was a little alarmed by some of the attention. My weight has been up and down since then, but every time I gain a little it gets me a little down thinking about those things people said."
– alanamablamaspama
Not Everything Goes After Losing Weight
"The loose skin is a bit unexpected."
– KeltarCentauri
"I haven’t experienced it myself, but surgery to remove skin takes a long time to recover. Longer than bariatric surgery and usually isn’t covered by insurance unless you have both."
– KatMagic1977
"It definitely does take a long time to recover. My Dad dropped a little over 200 pounds a few years back and decided to go through with skin removal surgery to deal with the excess. His procedure was extensive, as in he had skin taken from just about every part of his body excluding his head, and he went through hell for weeks in recovery, and he was bedridden for a lot of it."
– Jaew96
These Redditors shared their pleasantly surprising experiences.
Shopping
"I can buy clothes in any store I want."
– WaySavvyD
"When I lost weight I was dying to go find cute, smaller clothes and I really struggled. As someone who had always been restricted to one or two stores that catered to plus-sized clothing, a full mall of shops with items in my size was daunting. Too many options and not enough knowledge of brands that were good vs cheap. I usually went home pretty frustrated."
– ganache98012
No More Symptoms
"Lost about 80 pounds in the past year and a half, biggest thing that I’ve noticed that I haven’t seen mentioned on here yet is my acid reflux and heartburn are basically gone. I used to be popping tums every couple hours and now they just sit in the medicine cabinet collecting dust."
– colleennicole93
Expanding Capabilities
"I'm all for not judging people by their appearance and I recognise that there are unhealthy, unachievable beauty standards, but one thing that is undeniable is that I can just do stuff now. Just stamina and flexibility alone are worth it, appearance is tertiary at best."
– Ramblonius
People Change Their Tune
"How much nicer people are to you."
"My feet weren't 'wide' they were 'fat.'"
– LiZZygsu
"Have to agree. Lost 220 lbs, people make eye contact and hold open doors and stuff"
"And on the foot thing, I also lost a full shoe size numerically and also wear regular width now 😅"
– awholedamngarden
It's gonna take some getting used to.
Bones Everywhere
"Having bones. Collarbones, wrist bones, knee bones, hip bones, ribs. I have so many bones sticking out everywhere and it’s weird as hell."
– Princess-Pancake-97
"I noticed the shadow of my ribs the other day and it threw me, there’s a whole skeleton in here."
– bekastrange
Knee Pillow
"Right?! And they’re so … pointy! Now I get why people sleep with pillows between their legs - the knee bones laying on top of each other (side sleeper here) is weird and jarring."
– snic2030
"I lost only 40 pounds within the last year or so. I’m struggling to relate to most of these comments as I feel like I just 'slimmed down' rather than dropped a ton. But wow, the pillow between the knees at night. YES! I can relate to this. I think a lot of my weight was in my thighs. I never needed to do this up until recently."
– Strongbad23
More Mobility
"I’ve lost 100 lbs since 2020. It’s a collection of little things that surprise me. For at least 10 years I couldn’t put on socks, or tie my shoes. I couldn’t bend over and pick something up. I couldn’t climb a ladder to fix something. Simple things like that I can do now that fascinate me."
"Edit: Some additional little things are sitting in a chair with arms, sitting in a booth in a restaurant, being able to shop in a normal store AND not needing to buy the biggest size there, being able to easily wipe my butt, and looking down and being able to see my penis."
– dma1965
People making significant changes, whether for mental or physical health, can surely find a newfound perspective on life.
But they can also discover different issues they never saw coming.
That being said, overcoming any challenge in life is laudable, especially if it leads to gaining confidence and ditching insecurities.