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And She’s Back In The Game…

August 18, 2021 · by munchiesandmunchkins · Leave a Comment

Well it’s been a while hey?

Since having covid, followed by long covid my mind has been such a fuzzy mess that putting coherent thoughts down on the blog has been pretty impossible. But..finally I feel like I am at a point where life is slowly returning to normal. I still have rough days, some more so than others but I am getting there I think. It has been ten months since I got my positive test result and I am nowhere near full health or fitness but I will get there. I know in many ways I got off lightly, many people who have long covid can barely get out of bed, then there are the thousands of people that were lost to covid and its frightening to know that it can happen to people of my age who have previously been fit and healthy.

Life in general is slowly getting back to normal for all of us. I doubt that any of us will really get over what happened to the world this last 18 months but it has taught me and I am guessing so many of you such valuable lessons. It has taught me to want to make the most of my life, because it is just the one we get. It has made me more empathetic, yet also stronger. I am no longer the soft and often naive person I once was. I am firmer with people, I say no more often and I will not allow people to walk all over me. I have learned a lot about what I want in my life and more importantly who I want in my life, it showed me who are real friends and who were simply lurkers in my life.

I am determined more than ever to do more of what I want and what makes me happy at the same time as creating the best possible home and life for my children. And I believe I can do it. Life won’t be easy, it rarely is but if you make your days as happy and positive as you can then it changes your mindset and you find the harder days are a little easier to handle. I started forcing positive vibes into my day back at the earlier part of this year, I know that sounds pretty cheesy but I did. At first it was far from natural, we all know how easy it is to mope and let yourself wallow but the more I did it the easier and more natural it became and I realised I was starting to catch myself on those low days and I had found ways to manage it now.

Here are a few things I do to start my day positively:

Blast some feel good music, me and the girls love a kitchen disco in the mornings and we often play music on the walk to school and have a bit of a sing. Don’t underestimate the power of music and how it can transform your mood.

Eat a little better, now I don’t mean go on a diet and I definitely don’t mean cutting out favourite foods. Just think more about what you are eating, maybe on the weekend you know you will be going out for a sumptuous BBQ feast or all the snacks at the cinema so perhaps for a couple of days during the week you eat a little less red meat or sugar. What we put in our bodies affects how we feel. None of it for me is about losing weight, purely about helping my mind.

Get fresh air every day. Before I became unwell I was walking between 15-20k steps a day as well as attending a gym. I was the fittest I’d been in years and then suddenly I was struggling to breather and for about 4 months the furthest I walked was to the end of my street. By late Spring I was managing the school run and actually started to enjoy it again and I will never take being able to go for a long walk for granted again. I am still not back to being as fit as I’d like but I don’t put pressure on myself and as long as I’ve done something that day, even if it’s a ten minute walk then I feel better for it. I don’t need a perfectly toned body but I know how important exercise is for me personally and is a big factor in me having good mental health.

Avoid too much time with mood hoovers. I imagine not everyone knows what I mean by this but in your life you will definitely have mood hoovers or drains. People who only ever see the bad side of life and sometimes even seem to enjoy wallowing or being negative. You cannot avoid them altogether, perhaps they are members of your family or lifelong friends who need your support. But if your mental health is fragile and let’s be honest after the last two years it is for a lot of us then you do sometimes need to put yourself first and that is not selfish. Read that again. Putting yourself first is not selfish. Sometimes it is absolutely necessary. Remember the stronger and happier you are then the more likely you’ll be able to positively impact those around you. Be the change. I know it is very cheesy and almost Tony Robbins esque but it is true.

Find something that truly makes you happy and do it often. For me this is cooking and creating. Maybe for you it will be a certain game, going to a special place or even your work.

Find five positives in every day. You may think this is an impossible thing to do especially when you are going through a rough patch but don’t think these five positives have to be monumental things. Here are a couple of examples of positives I have found in the last few months:

Really good coffee

A walk by the river

The bubble of laughter from my girls when I do something daft

Being able to walk and see my parents

My favourite songs

Mastering a new recipe

Reading a quote that resonates

Fresh bedding

The fairy lights in my garden

The comforting feeling of a tight hug from someone who loves you

A beautiful butterfly landing on my lavender

None of these things are huge things, to some they will seem almost mundane. But keep counting those little things and just breathe it in. List them in a book, on your bad days look back at them and see how many of them were in that day without you even noticing. Life is brief and we ignore so much of it. Soak it up. Love, live and laugh a lot.

I have a few new recipes planned for this month so keep your eyes peeled and I really hope you are all doing well. feel free to comment with any recipes you’d like me to post or any ideas you have for me. Take care.

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Filed Under: Life ·

An Update

June 16, 2022 · by munchiesandmunchkins · Leave a Comment

In April Munchies and Munchkins turned 10. I’ve been deliberating for a while as to what to do with the blog. I’ve poured so much of myself into it over the years but recently I’ve felt like I’ve lost my voice a little and I did come close to just stopping it all. After all websites aren’t free to run and maintain and when you aren’t monetising your blog as much it can seem wasteful. But after some thought I realised that the blog means a lot to me, it has saved me at various times over the years from going to a dark place and I have had some quite frankly incredible experiences from it.

A lot has gone on in my life over the past few years, lots of changes, some good, some bad but one thing I realised is that I really miss writing. I still have fairly awful brain fog and concentration since having Covid in 2020 so my writing is not quite the same these days, at least not in my opinion but that isn’t going to change unless I focus on it. And I miss it, so here I am fingers on the keyboard ready to ramble at you about everything and nothing.

I do aim to be sharing recipes again soon because I am slowly slowly getting back in the kitchen more and the usual stories about life and issues I feel are important but right now this is really just me saying hello again.

My life right now is happy in so many ways, I am not in the best of health but I have sort of come to an acceptance that this may be life for a while and I have so very much to be grateful for. Like most of you probably the last two years have taught me a lot, a lot about being alone and coping alone with big issues and in a way I’m glad it happened. I am stronger person mentally than I was before. And even though I now no longer have to ‘do life’ alone, having someone in my life who I know is my rock and that I can depend on completely, I can draw strength from that time and I’m proud of myself.

Those of who are long time readers of the blog will know I have two wonderful daughters, now 8 and 10 which seems crazy when I remember writing their birth stories on here. They probably won’t feature so heavily in the future, they’ll pop in here and there but they are getting older and not likely to want their mam discussing them online too much which is absolutely fine with me. But they are children who I am constantly extremely proud to call mine. Empathetic, funny, loving and kind which are to me the most important traits we can have. As with all children they require lots of my time and strength ( and at times patience) but they are no trouble..yet. I’m also really happy and secure in my relationship, my partner is fully supportive of both me and the girls and I couldn’t really ask for more, simply put he makes me feel loved and happy every single day.

Anyway enough of my cheesy waffle, hopefully you’ll be seeing more of my posts pop up on your feed and your email inboxes and I really look forward to interacting with you all again. Finally.. a big thank you to every one of you has reached out when I’ve had hard times these last few years, I appreciate it more than I could tell you.

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Filed Under: Life ·

Father’s Day Gift Guide 2022

June 8, 2022 · by munchiesandmunchkins · Leave a Comment

*Items have been gifted for inclusion in this post*

In just a few weeks we’ll be celebrating our fathers and partners on Father’s Day. It’s always hard to find the perfect gift which is something other than beer and socks, although in my experience they are always well received. I’ve rounded up a few gift ideas which might just make shopping that little bit easier this year.

Firstly we have some great whiskies and rums from Bring Me Drink. If you’ve not visited their website before you can find all of the usual staples such as Jack Daniels and Captain Morgan’s along with some slightly more unusual bottles like Bumbu rum ( a firm fave in our home bar ) and Timorous Beastie Scotch Whisky.

Pairing up nicely with our alcoholic offerings comes the best soft drinks from Fentimans, we are big fans of the Curiousity Cola and the Ginger Beer. The Rose lemonade works well with Gin too.

Perhaps you have a cigar smoker in your life? Havana House have a massive selection to choose from, they sent us ADventura the explorer robusto grande cigar, it’s a medium strength cigar which has an Ecuadorean Habano wrapper draped over an Ecuadorean Sumatra binder, filled with tobacco aged for 5-7 years. I’m not a cigar smoker myself but my partner likes to smoke one on Fathers Day and special occasions in honour of his father who was a big cigar lover and passed away 15 years ago.

Not into a tipple or a cigar? Why not opt for some new clothes from Mainline Menswear? They have an impressive selection of designer brands and we particularly love this Fred Perry shirt which is perfect for summer events.

Perhaps your budget is a little smaller but you still want something they’ll enjoy and use? Why not opt for this shaving brush from Clear Confidence it’s plastic free, vegan and has a 1 year warranty.

Maybe some accessories are what he needs? Trendhim have sunglasses, belts and watches galore amongst many other things. We like these sunglasses, prices are reasonable too.

If he has a sweet tooth you could order some CBD chocolate from Cheerful Buddha, they have lots of varieties but the orange is our favourite.

How about this beautiful Santoku knife from Katto? I chose the Olivia version and it is a thing of beauty!

If your man loves to create the perfect BBQ spoil him with the best condiments from Rubies In The Rubble.

Finally if grooming gifts are his thing then why not get him the ultimate styler with the Style Master from Gillette.

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The 3 Best Cities You Must Explore in the United States

June 8, 2022 · by munchiesandmunchkins · Leave a Comment

Who doesn’t love traveling, right?

It is hard to find someone who does not relish learning about the traditions and the history of another nation while admiring all the impressive architecture and cool works of art that they get to see there. 

However, many travelers admit that deciding where they will go and making all the arrangements is stressful. And of course, they are right. It would be a shame to spend money, time and energy on a trip that you did not enjoy. 

In this article, we aim to help you avoid such a misfortunate by listing three cities in the United States that are totally worth the hype. You should make your life easier and rent a car with Enjoy Travel online before you even get there. This way you will not only have one less thing to worry about but also have the means to explore the city in the most comfortable way possible.

City 1: New York

I guess that this first item of the list comes as no surprise to anyone. The City that Never Sleeps has every right to be at the top of every such list because its sophisticated character is evident thanks to its typical urban setting and the central role that fine arts and fashion play in the city. It is worth mentioning that the most creative people in the country and in the whole world dream of moving to New York. Additionally, iconic American landmarks are found there, such as the Statue of Liberty, the Brooklyn Bridge and the Empire State Building.

City 2: New Orleans

New Orleans is a city that is full of life, music and dark history. New Orleans is mostly loved because it was the birthplace of jazz. African-Americans expressed their sorrow about their harsh and unfair life conditions in the country while they also found hope and solace through the music genre they called jazz. Besides music, New Orleans is considered one of the most haunted cities in the country. If you learn about the slavery-related habits and the art of witchcraft that was practiced there, you will be impressed by the history of the place.

City 3: Los Angeles

You should visit Los Angeles if you love summer. The weather is usually sunny and it rarely rains -even in the heart of winter. It is likely that you will see a movie or a TV series being filmed as all the major movie studios are there. It goes without saying that you might even get a glimpse of your favorite public figure, whether that is an actor, a singer or an influencer. You should also pack your swimsuit because there are amazing beaches near the city. The most popular beaches in the area are Santa Monica, Malibu, Venice and Long Beach.

*This post is in collaboration with Enjoy Travel*

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Date Night With One Fine Dine

November 3, 2021 · by munchiesandmunchkins · Leave a Comment

*Gifted*

Last month I was invited to try out the September Date Night package with One Fine Dine. One Fine Dine is an award winning fine dining experience that you can experience in your own home. All meals are delivered fresh and chilled with easy-to-follow heating and plating instructions on video or printed cards making the whole experience fun and interactive.

Having tried one or two similar experiences in the past with other companies I was excited to see what One Fine Dine brought to the table so to speak. Let’s start with the ordering process. The website is well structured and easy to use with each course having several options to choose from. You can choose your delivery date from any date Tuesday – Saturday and as well as food there are drink options such as wine and cocktails that you can add to your order. The package we chose from included an amuse bouche, starter, main, dessert, petit fours and a bottle of wine which we asked to switch to cocktails as neither of us are big wine drinkers. the whole package including delivery costs £195.00.

What did we choose?

For starters I chose the Goats Cheese and roasted pepper roulade for me and he opted for the trout.

For mains we both opted for the Free range Pork loin and belly which came with a selection of vegetables. I really enjoyed the ease of reheating and the explanations for plating were simple to follow and for someone who loves cooking it was really good fun to play about with the styling of the food on the plate.

For dessert I had the Black Forest Gateaux and he chose the Tropical Eton Mess. Everything is provided in perfect portions including the sauces and herbs.

Nothing goes to waste. I loved my gateaux but the tropical eton mess which of course I had to try was full of juicy flavour and so fresh. A special shout out for the yuzu gel and the macerated pineapple which I could eat by the bowlful.

To finish we had a selection of handmade petit fours which were just delicious.

We both agreed the best part of the meal was the main ( which in my opinion is how it should be ) the pork was just incredible and melt in the mouth. You would never have guessed this was a meal that we had reheated. It felt like it had been served fresh to our table and all in all it was a special dining experience and the fact we could eat it cwtched up in my living room just added to that.

You can check out the Autumn date Night package here or the Christmas option here which looks incredible.

*This package was gifted for the purpose of this review*

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Long Covid – Recovering From Covid 19

March 25, 2021 · by munchiesandmunchkins · Leave a Comment

Recovering from Covid 19 or Long Covid is not something I ever imagined writing about. I tested positive for Covid over four months ago via a home test. I’ve written about that here. At the time I was slightly worried but not overly so. I thought I may feel rough for a few weeks and then it would be done and I’d be immune for a little while.

Photo by CDCon Unsplash

However I was wrong and four months on Covid is still very much affecting my everyday life. Here are a few of the main symptoms which affect me every day:

Joint pain. All over but my legs in particular. Excruciating pain which feels like it is deep within my bones.

Endless fatigue. Just woke up = tired. Middle of day =exhausted. Mid afternoon= tired. Evening=knackered. It doesn’t matter if I rest more or rest less the fatigue is the same. It doesn’t seem to matter if I eat healthily or just junk.

Brain fog. Oh my word the level of distraction and confusion is insane. Just to give you an idea, I have been working on this draft for two weeks. Constantly editing completely random words or where I have clearly lost my train of thought.

Breathlessness. Whilst this has eased from the panicky times a few months ago it still affects me every day at some point.

Chest pain. My chest feels bruised and sore and almost like a heavy weight is on it most of the time.

Smell and taste. My sense of smell is still very much changed as is my sense of taste a lot of the time. Food tastes blander and my morning coffee often tastes like hot milky water.

Low mood/anxiety. This is a hard one to address some days but I try to get out in the fresh air no matter what the weather. Or I read things which can help pull me out of it or talk to someone.

Photo by Zach Reineron Unsplash

What am I doing to aid my recovery?

I thought it may be useful to put on here the things I am doing and taking to help my recovery process. I will update this from time to time.

  1. Supplements:

Vitamin D3 highest strength. All adults in the UK should be taking a vitamin D supplement through the winter months, especially now. I take the highest strength as recommended by my doctor. If you are also taking a multi vitamin make sure you adjust the strength accordingly.

Vitamin B12 oral spray. B12 is important in recovery of most viruses and can be absorbed better via an oral spray than as a tablet. It is more expensive but also more effective.

Magnesium body spray. Magnesium is important for the joint pain most people with long covid experience. Magnesium can be taken as a tablet but absorbed better via a spray onto your skin.

2. Medication:

This is prescribed via my GP so obviously discuss with your GP what would be appropriate for you.

Pregablin. I started this on a very low dose as I am intolerant to a lot of similar medications. I am now on 100mg in the day and 150mg at night and its likely i will need that to increase. Side effects can be rough especially at the beginning of each dose increase and particularly if you are sensitive to meds as I seem to be. These side effects do ease as your body gets used to the level of medication.

Naproxen. This is a strong anti inflammatory. I take this to ease my leg pain as and when needed but generally 3 x a day.

Omeprazole. This is to protect my stomach from the Naproxen.

Paracetamol. As and when needed again to help with pain. I can’t tolerate stronger pain meds such as tramadol or cocodamol.

3. Apps and support groups.

I use the Covid 19 recovery app released by NHS Wales recently to log symptoms etc.

I joined the long covid support group on Facebook which has been great for feeling less alone in what I am experiencing.

I have downloaded word apps\games to try to help my brain get back to normal and fight the brain fog.

4. Exercise/mental wellbeing

I try to walk each day if I can. Most days I only walk to the end of my road, crazy when prior to covid I was walking 15 thousand steps a day and going to the gym. walking and being outside is vital to my mental wellbeing so I am really hoping to be able to walk longer distances soon.

I do stretches morning and night to try to help my joints.

I try to do some very light exercise at home if I am able to throughout day and if not just get up and down from sitting position as much as possible to avoid DVT. Clots are quite common in long covid sufferers.

I record my thoughts and issues in a diary called The Positive Planner. It helps to keep me focused and record my moods and pain.

I talk to my parents and friends\family about how I’m feeling but some days I very much need to not talk and that is also ok.

5. Diet.

I am trying to eat as well as I can but some days my body seems to crave all the wrong kinds of foods. Covid can affect blood sugars, taste buds and metabolism. I have recently increased my intake of fresh fruit and veg and have tried to cut down salty, overly processed foods. I drink water all day. No caffeine after 2pm and limited to two cups of coffee in the morning.

On the Long Covid recovery group I joined recently, I asked if other sufferers had tips on how to recover from Long Covid. This is what they suggested:

Rest, rest and more rest. This was said over and over again by numerous people. With some illnesses it is recommended to push yourself afterwards to build up your strength but this does not seem to work with long covid. Most people who do this appear to suffer relapses more frequently. What some people suggested is finding your limit and doing slightly less than that to let your body fully heal.

Photo by Sincerely Mediaon Unsplash

A healthy diet. Some people cannot tolerate dairy or gluten for example after having covid. Keep food diaries and if something upsets your system then eliminate it for periods of time to see if it helps you.

Breathing exercises. You can find these on many youtube videos and on sites such as the NHS. I found when I was very breathless that the only thing which helped was lying on my stomach.

Many people have found help via daily anti histamines. Discuss anything like this with your GP.

Keep hydrated.

Many recommended supplements such as I have suggested above. Again discuss this with your GP.

Try to remain positive and talk to people about how you feel.

Keeping an eye on general health by looking after things like ear care. You can visit clinics such as Auris Ear Care for ear wax removal which can help massively if you suffer from wax build up or hearing issues.

If you are suffering from Long Covid I’d love to know more about your journey and what you are doing to aid recovery. It is by far the worst illness I have had and I was previously fairly fit aside from an issue with my back. Don’t underestimate Covid and what it can do to you. Stay safe, protect your loved ones and don’t think that just because someone wasn’t hospitalised with this illness that it can’t have awful long lasting effects for them. Be supportive, help where you can and just be patient if someone you know is struggling with it.

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Filed Under: Life · Tagged: covid

Valentine’s Gift Guide 2020

February 7, 2021 · by munchiesandmunchkins · Leave a Comment

*Items in this guide have been gifted for the purpose of this feature.

It’s coming up to that time of year. Fluffy teddy bears and heart shaped ballots galore. If you are a traditional gifter then maybe that will be your go to but maybe you want something a little different for the man or woman in your life.

I’ve got a selection of gifts that could be for the romantic lover in your life or even for a friend or family member you want to thank on this day of love.

Four Roses Bourbon

There is a romantic story behind Four Roses Bourbon:

It began when Paul Jones, Jr., the founder of Four Roses Bourbon, became smitten by the beauty of a Southern belle. It is said that he sent a proposal to her, and she replied that if her answer were “Yes,” she would wear a corsage of roses on her gown to the upcoming grand ball. Paul Jones waited for her answer excitedly on that night of the grand ball…when she arrived in her beautiful gown, she wore a corsage of four red roses. He later named his Bourbon “Four Roses” as a symbol of his devout passion for the lovely belle, a passion he thereafter transferred to making his beloved Four Roses Bourbon.

Makes it a pretty perfect love gift don’t you think?

Mermaid Miniature Gin and Vodka Gift set

These beautiful miniatures are a perfect gift for any spirit lovers. A bottle of salt vodka sandwiched between two gorgeous bottles of gin.

Big Dug storage brackets and cabinets

Big Dug have some great cabinets and storage units for the people in your life who want to get their sheds and garages in order. Not a traditional gift for Valentine’s but why not break the mould a little.

Red Letter Days have a variety of gifts from experience days and hotel breaks with 20 months in which to use them. Give someone something to look forward to after lockdown is over.

Love Leggings

I’ve been a fan of Love Leggings for a while now and have several pairs of the everyday style and now I have a pair of the lounge version. We are all spending so much time at home these days that loungewear is quickly becoming most peoples go to choice of clothing. Why not treat someone to some comfy pants!

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Christmas Gift Guide 2020

December 16, 2020 · by munchiesandmunchkins · Leave a Comment

It’s been a bit of a year right? For most of us Christmas just isn’t going to be the same in 2020. We may not be able to party and hang out as much as we normally do but we can still show each other that we care with calls and messages and gifts. Here are a selection of gifts for all the family this year:

Have a bird lover in your life? Henry Bell have some great products including this bird feeding station which I can’t wait to see the birds flocking around:

Pulse Gallery have a great range of prints and collectible trading pins for Disney fans.

Zippo have lots of stocking fillers with unusual lighters and outdoor gadgets including this amazing heat bank which I love!

Yubico have released a seriously cool product this year, a small USB key called the YubiKey 5C which eliminates the need to remember all your online passwords!

For Gin Lovers you may not find a prettier bottle than this bottle of Mermaid Gin

Red Letter Days are perfect for those last minute gifts. With a range of gifts from experience days to this two day hotel break gift box. This year I think we need things to look forward to more than ever and with the experience vouchers lasting 24 months they are perfect!

Sous Chef is one of my favourite sites to browse for unusual foodie gifts for friends and family. As well as the luxury sweets and foods like these amazing Lakrid’s:

There are also really unique pieces of crockery and gorgeous knife sets:

For those wine lovers Independent Wine have some great options including this Marchesa Maria Bella from Massimago.

At this time of year in the current state of our country I’d also encourage you to look at smaller businesses in your area who are adapting the way they operate. Restaurants that may be offering DIY kits or wine and cheese hampers etc. Look out for ways you can support your independents. I’ll be updating this post shortly to include some of my favourites.

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Filed Under: Christmas and all things festive ·

Testing Positive For Coronavirus

December 7, 2020 · by munchiesandmunchkins · 3 Comments

Like most people I spent March and April of this year scared that my loved ones or myself would contract Coronavirus. We saw frightening scenes on the news. Heard stories of people dying on ventilators in hospital and it was generally a frightening time for all of us.

Photo by Adam Nieściorukon Unsplash

As time went on and we began to get used to living in this strange new world I began to become less worried for myself and really I only focused on protecting others from getting it. I focused on my general health, worked out more and walked 10-15k steps a day. I felt in pretty good health. 

Life seemed to become more normal, nights out with friends resumed and the kids returned to school. It seemed we all had all learned to live with this pandemic. Cases dropped, the death rate in my area dropped to 0. I returned to my day job. Then slowly at first and then all of a sudden things changed again. Cases began to rise. We had to wear masks in shops, which although was the norm in most of the UK was all new to us in Wales and once again we were asked to stay away from other households. Pubs introduced curfews and restrictions and I realised that the time to be more careful was here. Not just with protecting others but also myself. I stopped going on nights out. The only sense of normality that remained was the gym but even there each machine was wiped before and after use and I always showered at home. I felt like I was doing all the right things. I still worried that my parents would get the virus so contact with them was minimal, no physical contact and only sat outside their home. I didn’t really worry that the virus would affect me if I got it. I thought naively it would be like a really bad cold.

It was at the beginning of October that one day I just couldn’t warm up. Then the next day I was full of cold. My nose was blocked, I felt kind of achy and tired. I stopped visiting my parents even outside just to be cautious. A few days later I had a cough, not a bad one but enough for me to order a home test. At this point I genuinely thought I was being over cautious then I lost my sense of smell and taste. I did really think this was down to my cold because my nose was so blocked. When my test result came back positive I was surprised but not worried. If anything I thought I’d get it out of the way. After all I was in my 30’s, a three times a week gym goer and I walked 15k steps a day. I had no major underlying health conditions and I was a healthy weight. I was sure this would feel like a nasty cold and then I’d be done, immune for a while at least and able to just get on with life. Unfortunately I was wrong.

I’m now nearly 10 weeks since I first developed symptoms, 9 weeks after my positive Covid result and my recovery is slow. Most days I get breathless at least 4 to 5 times, sometimes more. Sometimes it’s from putting washing in the tumble dryer or walking up the stairs. Sometimes it’s when I am sat watching telly and I haven’t even moved. My chest pain is still there every single day, my temperature still fluctuates throughout the days and nights and the joint pain, in particular my legs can be agonising at times. The overall feeling each day is one of extreme fatigue. Every morning I wake feeling almost hungover, groggy and as if I have really overdone it at the gym. I’ve barely seen anyone other than my two children in all of that time. I am very lucky in that my family and friends have helped with doorstep deliveries and helping with school runs as I’m not sure how I’d have coped otherwise. I have seen my GP five times, had blood tests, ECG’s and a chest x ray. I’ve had two strong doses of antibiotics, an asthma inhaler and am now on neurological pain tablets for the joint pain. I’ve taken more painkillers than I’ve ever taken in my life.

Some days I feel really low because it feels never-ending but I am also extremely grateful that this is as bad as it has been. For so many others the outcome is far worse. My recovery may be slow but I am, I think and hope, recovering slowly day by day.

But the real reason I wrote this post is to tell you that covid is very real. It doesn’t only affect the elderly or already sick. It can affect you or your families in exactly the same way as it has hit me. Yes I didn’t end up in hospital and for that I am thankful but it has had a significant impact on my life and will likely continue to do that for quite some time.

Here are the symptoms that I have experienced due to Covid. Read it carefully, be aware and stay safe:

Initial symptoms, day 1-3

Feeling very cold

Cold like symptoms, blocked nose and sinus pain. Lost some sense of smell but not all.

Aches all over. Similar to flu. Even wearing the softest of clothes hurt my skin.

Days 4-7

The cough began, not continuous but it hurt a lot when I coughed

Sore throat

Skin became more sensitive to the touch

Headaches

Days 7-10

My sense of smell completely went and my taste became impacted too.

My chest had begun to hurt a lot, it felt like I’d been kicked directly in the centre of my chest.

I had a temperature. It varied between 37.8 – 38.9 at its worst, this was whilst taking painkillers regularly.

The aches remained but my leg pain became a lot worse. It affected my sleep and I just felt in pain all day long.

Day 11+

The breathlessness began. This was the scariest of all of the symptoms and is still ongoing. Being unable to breathe properly panics you, I’ll never take it for granted again.

All other symptoms remained and other than the sore throat and cough which thankfully has eased and the temperature which is mostly ok they don’t seem to be going anywhere.

If you are in doubt about any symptoms you may have try and get tested, if you cant get tested at least isolate yourself to protect others. Some people won’t be able to beat this. We all have a responsibility to protect each other.

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Filed Under: Life ·

The One Where We Lost A Year

July 23, 2020 · by munchiesandmunchkins · 1 Comment

2020. I can imagine in years to come people sat down talking about difficult times and crazy news and saying yeah this may be bad but hey remember 2020? WOW.

Who’d have thought this year would turn out like this? I don’t know about you but I know that on January 1st this year I had a lot of big plans for this year. I was taking control of lots of areas of my life and I had many things I wanted to do. It seems pretty silly to look back and sort of mourn the year that we have almost lost because in the grand scheme of things myself and my family have been very lucky, we haven’t been personally affected really by the pandemic in terms of anyone being seriously ill. But yeah silly as it may sound it does seem that way, we have lost a significant chunk of time, time where we haven’t been able to be close with loved ones and friends and it almost seems as if some areas of life will never be quite the same. Although life is very slowly getting back to some sort of normality, there are still many things we can’t do and I still cannot hug my parents or have dinner at a friends house. I can’t curl up and watch a tv programme with a cup of tea on my parents sofa. Can’t eat inside a restaurant ( at least here in Wales), haven’t been clothes shopping since February, haven’t had a haircut in even longer. In fact for someone who travels so much my life has been contained within 4 miles for 5 months. It’s crazy and still sometimes feels almost surreal, anyone else still wake up some mornings and think woah what an absolutely bonkers dream?

I have learned to appreciate the smaller pleasures a lot more. A daily coffee in the garden where I have got to know all of my regular birds and whilst I often begrudge ordering myself a takeaway I don’t think twice about ordering them 150 fat balls.

  • oznorTO

I have started growing lots more veggies and herbs at home. and it tastes so much better when you know you grew it!

As a huge indulgence at the beginning of the pandemic I ordered a hot tub for the garden, I say huge indulgence when I actually got a pretty decent deal for £199 and whilst that kind of impulsive purchase is very unlike me it has made the experience a whole lot sweeter. I do some form of daily exercise, because I have the time for it. Sometimes I walk 10-15k steps a day, other days its yoga or stretching but something each day and my body is stronger and healthier as a result. I haven’t taken up a new hobby as such or learned a new language or written a book but I have baked A LOT, I have made major life decisions and I’ve started writing just for pleasure again. Not even pieces I want anyone to read but just writing for me, for the pleasure of it and because sometimes my stupid brain just will not switch off at night. I have worked on my friendships more, making sure to maintain contact when we weren’t able to see each other. I speak to my family more and I have tried where I can to make life easier for those around me, in small ways where possible and thats helped me to keep going.

I will admit there have been times, especially when I have been entirely alone at home on rainy days where I have sat down and had a good cry because for someone who actually loves to be alone I have at times been incredibly lonely. For normally being alone is a choice you make, these last few months that has been forced on me occasionally and it is an eye opener. I realised that although I am not someone who needs company all the time that I should seek it out more often and be more social when the opportunity allows it.

I guess this is just a bit of a ramble but I haven’t posted much lately and thought you may enjoy a little of what is going on in my life. I’ve got some exciting stuff to share with you soon I promise.

I’ll end with this, whilst this year has been hard on most of us I am thankful that my friends and family are for the most part happy and healthy. We all have managed to keep our jobs and yes we have seen the effect of this awful virus through members of the family who work for the NHS and through the news but we are all ok. I am thankful for that in more ways than I can say. I hope this time hasn’t been too difficult for you and yours. Feel free to say hey on my social channels, I do like to catch up with you all!

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