Corona is real and very much deadly. For me it was tough indeed…All naysayers need to have a relook.
All eight to nine months into lockdown due to Covid 19 and working in the business of news it was but inevitable that I wasn’t aware of ‘how to prevent Covid’ and ‘how to handle Covid’.
Despite every due precaution I couldn’t avoid it and had my brush with covid 19 along with three others in my family in mid of October.
First thing I would emphasise to all those naysayers-who still vouch that Covid 19 is a deep down conspiracy for political and business purposes, loud and clear that ‘novel corona virus’ may or may not be an artificial, lab-generated virus but the threat and the effect are real.
All these months we, the media guys had been writing and talking everything about Corona virus and I thought I knew much of ‘how to handle Corona’, but when it eventually hit my family of four including me, my husband and two teenage kids the first momentary thought I must admit unapologetically was “oh shit”.
My husband was the first one to test positive and I was the next. He had slight fever and I had soar-throat for two days then my daughter, 13, and my son, 16 too had fever, so there were ample and obvious reasons for us to get tested for Covid.
The momentary shock later, I realised I could not afford to stay longer in the similar state and accepted I had no choice but to act fast, plan and strategise my covid journey.
Handling emotions during covid
My daughter broke down at the news and that was my time of making my choices of how I have to handle the crises. “Mom, what will happen now”, was her question to me. My son was more straight, “papa is asthmatic how will we handle it”, he asked. These two questions actually pushed me out of my shock and prepared me for the next step.
I realised the most important thing in such a situation is to think what is the happiest and most positive thing at that moment? Your mind is under tremendous stress and it may become difficult to be sane but then, is there any other choice but to see how we and our family is out of this situation, all safe and sound?
The first and the only choice in my hand was to be confident, be at peace and be happy- of course not for the situation but for the fact that whatever the situation would be we all would be together as we all had tested positive. And I started repeating to myself the famous dialogue of Bollywood movie 3 Idiots, “all is well”.
Yes, after having experienced covid 19, I can say the most important thing at that crucial moment was to take charge of yourself. That feeling of shock after testing positive and how one has to move further into ‘journey of covid’, I believe is the most important choice. It is indeed a very crucial moment, your choices are- either be confident about accepting and handling the situation or get scared, panic and sulk.
Even I, for a moment wanted someone-the healthcare worker or the doctor to console me, talk to me and explain me the nitty gritty of how we should handle the covid positive situation and the next couple of weeks or may be months. But trust me, corona as a disease is not a normal situation that is why it is called the ‘novel corona virus’.
The moment one is tested positive he or she is an untouchable. No doctor, no healthcare worker wants to come closure. It is impossible in such a situation to expect any emotional and caring hand or advice even though one needs it the most.
Being positive towards handling the covid positive situation is the most important key and advice which I can share now when all of us have moved out successfully from covid 19 situation.
While driving everyone back home from covid tesing centre I had my ‘to do list’ ready in my mind. Important medicines, food, supplements and essentials, home management and emergency phone numbers.
Handling Covid
After informing other residents of our building my first job was to plan how we would manage the household during quarantine period.
Stalk of necessary medicine, supplements, necessary equipment and food are most crucial requirements. My journalistic experience during covid came handy and I had that list already handy.
Thankfully my servant tested negative and he could supply me the food from his home and home-delivery of other stuff made half of my job easy. Many friends also pitched in for supply of fruits, food and other requirements and I would suggest there is no point refusing such generosity. It is very important help indeed when energy levels are very low and focus is on fast recovery.
The focus at this time should be on managing health and not on how and from where to arrange food and supplies, as there is another important area which need daily management, the cleaning and sanitising.
It is most important to watch the symptoms like fever, oxygen level, anxiety levels apart from other symptoms because corona virus impacts multiple organs and has multiple symptoms.
With Oximeter, thermometer, pulse reader, medicines and supplements I was all set for my journey into handling covid.
Thankfully by the time we tested positive kids’ fever had subsided and there were no other apparent symptoms which was a big relief to me.
I just needed to majorly handle mine and my husband’s symptoms and I had kids as an added hand to take care of the other home affairs
I had already started feeling breathless and fatigue by fifth day and my husband’s fever was high and he also had extreme fatigue. I thought I had to avoid the situation where both of us are hospitalised. That is where my struggle with our symptoms started.
By tenth day into covid while I was feeling extreme breathlessness my husband had fever again and his oxygen started fluctuating. He had developed pneumonia. That was another time when I was for a moment feeling shaky but “we had to fight it”, I thought and I drove my husband with the help of my neighbours to hospital.
This was indeed a critical moment while I was covid positive and feeling sick myself and wasn’t convinced to send my husband in an ambulance worrying how he would be handled and admitted.
My neighbours came out as courageous souls whofulfilled the formalities for hospitalisation of my husband.
Managing Covid situation
I realised being pro-active the moment we realised we might have Covid after initial symptoms helps.
Multiple times steaming, gargling, oil drops in nose and pranayama at least two hours daily divided in four sessions became my priority other than healthy food and keeping the house sanitised once we were tested positive.
My day started with hot water with few tulsi drops.
The next important daily routine was to check the oxygen levels and take recommended six minutes slow walk and check the oxygen level again to see if it drops or is stable.
The breakfast was good a amount of dry nuts and fruits and eggs to boost the protein intake and milk with protein powder along with fruits. Vitamins became my daily dose of medicines. My lemon and honey replaced by Vit. C tablets, Zinc, B complex became essential along with other prescriptions.
I never missed stretching exercise specially the tadasana and few other Yogaasan whatever my energy levels allowed followed by Pranayama.
I must admit it was indeed very difficult to manage and control the breathlessness and it seemed impossible many times to do Pranayama but there was no choice and after initial few struggling moments I was able to manage the breathing.
And trust me my first session of breathing exercise gave me confidence that I will be able to sail through easily and the Pranayama proved to be a big rescue and recovery tool.
Anxiety and Covid
Anxiety is part of covid symptoms in most patient and I too had it. My pulse was never below 100 and many times it reached above 120. I realised every time I did Pranayama it came to normal and that became my trick to manage it.
I was doing Pranayama around four to five times a day for 20-30 minutes each along with stretching excercises and changing postures recommended by the doctors which increases the lung capacity.
Since my oxygen levels were moving between 94 to 95 and it would jump to 99 after every session of breathing exercise and Pranayama my confidence levels boosted after every session.
Lessons from Covid
While it is true that corona react differently to different individual grit and determination to fight it and being positive are the most important tools along with medications.
I had been in touch with a family doctor who is practicing an inclusive approach and advising Allopath protocols while emphasising on Ayurveda for treating and handling covid 19.
Along with allopath medications I resorted to Ayurveda medications with doctor’s advice and the winner for me had been the turmeric and jaggery tablets which I made at home along with healing benefits of tulsi and home-made concoctions.
My recovery is attributed to combination of many things…positivity, being calm and at peace, Allopath, Ayurveda and home-made concoctions along with lots of prayers and good wishes from family and friends.
While kids kept my morale up by suggesting me webseries which I have been missing due to work pressure my son specially took a stand while preparing my husband to get admitted to hospital in those weak moments when I was shaky for a while.
I salute to the positivity and determination of my husband to get back to life, family and work.
And finally to all those who still believe Covid 19 is an agenda…let it be. We have to save ourselves and others for now. We will have more opportunities to tackle this issue once we are out of this pandemic..Stay Safe.
