i am elderly and terrified as I have been told i may have covid

[chinadoll19]

I had my second pfizer jab on 29th April. I was fine for a week and then started to feel ill, I thought I had a temperature but I didn't. I was sweating all the time and feeling very hot. Now four days later I have a raised temp and am very anxious. I had thought all this was probably side effects from the jab. I rang 111 today and spoke to a covid health advisor. She said it was a bit of a long time after the jab to be having side effects, and was concerned about the temp. She felt I could well have covid and I have to book a test. I have ordered one but I feel quite hopeless at my age. I don't have a cough. She said if I have it it will probably be mild as I've had the jabs. The second one won't have kicked in yet though.

I have been staying in for a year, and the only place I could have caught it was at the vaccination centre. I told her that and she said people were catching the virus at the centres. Nice one! I thought I was doing the right thing having the jab, now I'm not so sure if it has caused me to have the virus by going for the vaccine.

Has anyone had side effects that didn't start until a week later, and maybe had a temp, or had the virus and owing to jab had a mild dose.

I have read that but also some bad cases even though they've had two jabs.

All the effort I have put in to protect myself and now this. I am writing myself off. I need some hope.

[MyNameIsTerry]

It's been a tough year and despite doing everything you can sometimes things just happen. It must feel like a kick in the stomach but you have taken the right steps to head it off even if you get it. The 1st dose from the vaccine will have given you lots of protection and much reduced illness even if you do get it.

I think the best thing to do is get that test out of the way. They play it cautious when you mention temperature or coughing. My mum has COPD and asthma so is coughing a lot daily. This meant when she was ill they played it extra cautious and did a Covid test even despite thinking it unlikely. She had a temperature too. She didn't have it and it turned out to be the chest infection the nurse thought it would be.

I think you have to keep it as rational as possible until that test tells you. Temperature issues can be caused by various things. If you do have it then it's likely mild because you have protected yourself.

Your anxiety is likely trying to hint at all the bad things. That's just what it thinks is the right thing to do, to raise the alarm. But consciously you get to look at the facts and decide it is over reacting and acting without proof.

If your symptoms do get worse they are there to help you. That doesn't mean the worst is happening but could just mean some reviewing and advice in how to alleviate symptoms.

And remember the success of the statistics. We have gone from a very worrying situation for people of your age group to hospitals getting back to normal and mortalities are low. So people in very poor health are being protected unlike before vaccination started and we could only protect them to a point.

Many elderly people beat Covid even before vaccination so don't write yourself off because of your age. My mum had pneumonia on top of COPD, asthma, hypertension, etc (like so many older people have a list of conditions) a few years ago when was mid seventies, and at that age that can be complicated as I'm sure you know, but a week of treatment and she was getting back to normal.

So what will you do now? Will you accept you have to wait and based on how you feel perhaps you are ok? Will you distract yourself from worry and catch it when it's trying to get you obsessing?

I hope you feel better soon and everything goes ok.

[pulisa]

NHS 111 will of course be ultra cautious and the only thing you can do is take a covid test so that you know where you stand re the temperature. I know that the waiting is really hard though. You would have been incredibly unlucky to have been infected at the vaccination centre but as Terry says, if the test does come out as positive then you will at least have some antibodies in your system to dampen down the symptoms.

Don't do any "research"...Concentrate on your own wellbeing and get the test done asap. Please let us know how you are doing and try not to let your anxiety "write you off". Remember that you have a temperature which needs assessing but nothing more and this could be down to other routine issues.

We are here for you if you need support or advice.

[Scass]

I hope you are doing ok today & that your test has arrived. It’s so unlucky if you have caught it, but there are also other bugs doing the rounds as well.

Keep talking to us throughout if you want to, we are here x


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[chinadoll19]

Thank you everyone for your replies. I now have the test and will do it tomorrow. My temp is higher today and I am feeling horrible. I don't have a cough. Not yet anyway. Living on my own I always find it difficult when I am ill. I'm doing the minimum but still have to get something to eat and wash up.

I could take some paraceramol, I hate taking tablets but will do if this goes on.

I will keep in touch, it helps to talk.

[pulisa]

Please take the paracetamol? It will lower your temperature and make you feel better. Take some tonight because there's no point in waiting to feel better if paracetamol can help you now.

[NancyW]

Chinadoll, you could also have a different virus that's not covid at all. Hope you feel better soon.

[chinadoll19]

Thank you everyone. Here's an update. My covid test was negative so that is good news. However I am now left with wondering what is causing the fever. I looked it up and wished I hadn't, I read that it is cancer that causes these fevers. I hadn't thought of that as I didn't know. So now I'm panicking again. I don't have any other symptoms only the temp. I have lost more weight again today, I try to tell myself, I feel ill, have no appetite and am forcing myself to eat, not eating much, sweating all day and night, feeling anixious and that is the reason, but my brain doesn't believe that. I am adding things up, my stools were a normal colour in the toilet but on the paper it is bright yellow the last two days.

I was a bit encouraged first thing today, my temp was normal, lowest its been for a week. I felt better, however it has gone up again this evening and I feel ill and hot and sweaty again.


To me there are two scenarios

1: temps, no appetite, weight loss, possibly the yellow stool thing equals - cancer

2: it all just means I have some sort of bug and not eating much for the weight

Any thoughts my brain only seems to be able to think one way

Thank you

[Pamplemousse]

To me there are two scenarios

1: temps, no appetite, weight loss, possibly the yellow stool thing equals - cancer

2: it all just means I have some sort of bug and not eating much for the weight

Any thoughts my brain only seems to be able to think one way

Thank you

Oh, I went down this rabbit hole a few years ago, when I thought I had pancreatic cancer. Turned out the orange blobs I'd seen in my stools were not undigested fat, but the 'husks' of my slow-release Metformin tablets - and my sudden weight loss was both my anxiety driving my metabolism into overdrive as well as my not eating. The orange colour was from only eating "comfort food" - lasagne or cottage pie.

I lost a fair bit of weight but as a diet plan, I don't recommend it... and as you can see, I'm still here.

[Scass]

I’m relieved you don’t have covid. Also good that the fever seems to be going. It’s likely you’ve had something and now it’s on it’s way out. Hope you feel better soon


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk