For over three years, Mari and I managed to successfully avoid the covid virus. Recently, our good luck ran out when first Mari, then I, contracted the virus. Based on our experience, I can assure you, covid is everything it is reported to be. It is not pleasant.

Mari awoke on Monday morning, feeling achy. By the afternoon, she was feeling quite ill, and so she tested herself … and tested positive. At that point, I was fine.

The next morning, I awoke feeling a little achy, but otherwise, I was okay. That evening, I tested myself, and it was negative. I thought [hoped] that I had managed to dodge the covid bullet.

The following morning I again awoke feeling achy and felt achy all day, with no other symptoms.

On day four, I woke up feeling much more achy. Then, in the afternoon, I developed a sore throat. At first, it was mild, but by bedtime, it had gotten much worse, so I took a couple of extra-strength Advil [ibuprofen]. I woke up in the middle of the night experiencing extreme pain, especially when I tried to swallow. I took two more Advil and went back to sleep.

The next day, day 5, I awoke feeling extremely achy and the sore throat got progressively worse throughout the day. I took four Advil every four hours and they had very little affect, except when my PD meds were on. At bedtime, I took four Advil, thinking that was enough to get me through the night, but it wasn’t. I awoke during the night in extreme pain, so I took four Advil after which, I was able to get back to sleep.

When I woke up in the morning [day 6], my throat was still hurting, so I took four more Advil but they had no affect in reducing the pain, at least, not until my morning dose of levodopa kicked in. Then it eased off somewhat. I took four Advil every six hours which again did little reduce the pain, except when my PD meds were on. Also, I again woke up during the night in significant pain but went back to sleep after taking four Advil.

On day seven, I awoke feeling not quite as achy, but with the same level of pain in my throat. By mid-afternoon, the pain had thankfully subsided somewhat. At the same time, my off-meds PD symptoms were much worse. My gait was really stiff and I was very unsteady on my feet. I took four Advil at bedtime and managed to sleep through the night.

By dinner time on day eight, the sore throat was almost completely gone, as was the achiness. During the day, I developed a really dry mouth, and I started experiencing some mild dizziness. I also started feeling a little more energetic … although, not back to normal … and I was walking more fluidly.

On day nine, the sore throat was almost completely gone, but I felt light-headed all day. I also continued to experience a dry mouth. I was walking more fluidly. In the afternoon, I developed a sinus cold, which I assume was connected to the covid virus.

On days ten through twenty, I continued to experience a sinus cold and the PD symptoms I experience continued to be worse than before covid. I had significant difficulty walking on the road, and I had to forgo my walk several days … although, in part, due to the road having plenty of loose gravel after being recently graded. I was also feeling quite lethargic.

On day twenty-one, I went for a road walk and my gait was improved.

By day twenty-two my health was pretty much back to what it was pre-covid, and there was a slight improvement in my PD symptoms, although, not back to pre-covid.

In summary, my experience with covid was quite unpleasant … although, it wasn’t nearly as challenging for me as it was for Mari. I experienced a sore throat, achiness, sinus congestion and lethargy. My PD symptoms were also worse. Whereas, Mari experienced a sore throat, fever, dizziness, chills, headache, ear ache and extreme fatigue.

I think the PD symptoms I experience were made worse mostly by the distress and anxiety I experienced from the pain of swallowing due to the sore throat.

From a person experiencing Parkinson’s perspective, the symptoms I experienced, as a whole, weren’t too severe. Yes, the sore throat was intense and I did experience worsened PD symptoms, but compared to Mari’s experience, I did okay. Whereas the worst part of my experience lasted three days, Mari’s lasted over two weeks. I think the difference was that I took Vit C, Vit D and zinc, in order to strengthen my immune system, every day shortly after the pandemic started. Actually, I had been taking Vit C and Vit D, daily, for several years before the pandemic. I also had been eating sauerkraut and apple cider vinegar for improved gut health for years. [Sauerkraut and ACV promote healthy gut bacteria]. This is important because 80% of the immune system is in the lining of the gastro-intestinal tract.

I should also mention that Mari and I are not vaccinated.

The best advice I can offer is to keep your immune system strong with Vit C, Vit D and zinc. Also, keep your gut healthy with sauerkraut and apple cider vinegar.

In my next post, I will talk about why, as a person living with the symptoms of PD, I chose not to get vaccinated.

Wishing you a life of contentment.