For the first time in over 3 weeks, I left the house. It was interesting to finally see what the local area was like in lockdown. But more interesting was going to the local Covid-19 hub for additional testing to find out why I so breathless today.
Today was weird. I had lung capacity, at least as I measured with the flow meter. But just having a conversation was leaving my breathless. By mid afternoon I called the GP. they made the appointment at the Covid-19 hub at a nearby hospital to check out my bloody oxygen levels – that's apparently the important number, more important than how much air you're getting in. Since I couldn't walk or drive, they sent an ambulance to pick me up and take me there. With the understanding that if anything was awry, they'd take me on to hospital.
So I charge my phone and collect all my meds to take with me, get my shoes on and wait. All the while my brain is telling me that if things do go wrong this will be the last time I see my family, since no one can come with me or see me in hospital. I try to not think of it, but do make sure I say goodbye before I go.
When the ambulance comes, they want to take my readings in the house before they take me away. Bloody pressing, temperature, that sort of thing. Then they give me a mask and off I go.
It's like a weekend out there. Lots of things are closed, but there are plenty of people out and about. The biggest sign that things are different were the well-spaced queues outside the post office and grocery stores. I saw a dozen or so people wearing face masks, but most people were not. Signs outside the park warning people to keep distant. And many "We're closed" signs on shops.
Once at the Hub I was asked to wait outside for the doctor to collect me. I waited at first in the ambulance, but it was a nice day, so I waited outside the front door with the paramedic from the ambulance a coupe of meters away. The wait was pretty short.
The doctor was wearing a mask and plastic sheet of his clothes, just like the ambulance people. Plus he had goggles over his glasses. He took my vitals and blood oxygen levels, and everything looked good. My chest also sounded clear. He thinks it's the lung lining being irritated from all the horrors it's seeing (not his words) and that it'll be like this possible for a few more weeks. This virus is slow to get over. and even afterward, my lungs will still be tight for a while. So unless my energy levels drop drastically, it looks like I'll be ok to ride this out.
I guess it's closer to the 45 days some of the early reports from Asia were saying instead of the 7 days we're being told in the UK. Which makes me (sigh) potentially at the halfway point.
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