Covid 19 and Self Care

Everyone is experiencing Covid 19 in some shape or form. I would like to write about my own experience having been a Non-Hodgkin’s lymph patient.

While the whole county was celebrating St. Patrick’s Day and welcoming refugees to Ireland and learning about the war in Ukraine, I was feeling unwell. It was not from any alcohol,  it was sore bones, a headache and a runny nose.  At 3pm,  I took an antigen test which was negative. At 21:00 on the same day, it was positive.

I got an appointment for the next morning for a PCR test which came back positive within 24 hours. I remained positive for 11 days. Those 11 days were an experience like none before, even when I was receiving chemotherapy treatment.

The impact of Covid on me was tiredness, and sore bones –  it even hurt while having a shower and getting dressed.

Sometimes I felt like I was in prison, with food delivered to the door by my family. Sometimes I would eat all the contents on the tray,  and other days I would just pick at my food.

One of the things I learned about (during this time ?)was my mental health,  and what I really need in life. We need to ask ourselves why is everyone in a panic to get things done.

Life is for living. Take every day as it comes. Enjoy the fun times. Cry through the bad ones. But the main thing is to look after yourself. Be kind to yourself .

Step back for a minute and have that 15 minutes on your own. Have a coffee outside. Listen to everything around you .