I contracted COVID (Omicron) on January 4th and in the beginning, my symptoms were very mild - body aches, chills, and a fever for the first two days. This was a pleasant surprise for me…at first. Like I had read and heard about, sometimes the symptoms seem to be lessoning only to come back much stronger after a few days, which was the case for me.

On day four I started experiencing shortness of breath (especially at night) and a persistent heaviness in my chest – almost like I had to burp but couldn’t. The weird part was, I wasn’t congested at all – no runny nose, congestion in my chest, or sore throat.

After three days with shortness of breath (almost like a constant asthma attack), I took myself to urgent care and I was given a steroid and inhaler to help ease the symptoms – which worked. Then a new symptom appeared.

A Feeling of Malaise Began to Settle In

One of the symptoms that are commonly overlooked or not talked about is the overall feeling of malaise and uneasiness during recovery. At around day 10 of my recovery, an intense feeling of impending doom took over my life.  January weather is not fun – cold, dark, and foggy – usually gets me a little down, but this feeling was like nothing I’ve ever experienced. Maybe it was because I wasn’t recovering as fast as I thought I should?  I mean, I had an expectation that I would conquer this thing and move on within a week. Not so.

The Emotional Impact of COVID is a Real Thing

Recently a good friend of mine came down with the virus and he also reported a feeling of malaise after 5 days – very similar in intensity to my experience.  So, I decided to do some research on the emotional impact COVID has during and after recovery.  Here’s what I discovered; according to WebMD.com over half of the people who have had COVID suffered depression or some form of malaise. Psychological stress, isolation, and the effects on immune systems are the main causes. It’s a real thing.

Here’s How I Addressed the Feeling of Malaise

Once I was able to walk without having to catch my breath, I began walking every day. I discovered the more I got outside and tried to be a part of the living, the better I felt.  I made a point to turn off the news and focused on watching content that was fun and entertaining on Netflix, Hulu, and Prime. I also tried to stay in close contact (electronically) with family and friends.  All of this combined helped me to slowly feel better and come back to life emotionally. I typically feel pretty good between my ears, but the effects of COVID messed me up for a bit.  If you’re in the middle of this crap, hang in there it will pass.

Want to Live Off the Grid? Here's Your Dream Mountain Home in Waitsburg, Washington

Want to get away from it all? Tired of all the politics and negative news? Want to isolate from the threat of the pandemic? Well, here’s an idea nestled in the mountains near Waitsburg, Washington. Just imagine, no neighbors, no electrical bills, clean water, wildlife, and 90 acres of land to explore. This custom-built totally off-the-grid mountain retreat comes with 2 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, a large shop, and a guest cottage…well, sort of, it’s a converted RV.

Peek Inside the Legendary Paddlewheel Boat, the Emerald Queen

It took $15 million dollars to build the Emerald Queen back in 1995 and 26 years later it’s up for sale for $4.9 million. The Emerald Queen Casino that most of us know near Tacoma actually began as the Emerald Queen Riverboat Casino that was purchased by the Puyallup Tribe and docked at the Port of Tacoma. At one time this boat was full of slot machines, blackjack tables, and casino patrons.

 

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