I’m not going to lie; both of my encounters with COVID-19 were not pleasant..I first crossed paths with the virus in February 2020 — well before the world declared a pandemic and Canadian provinces invoked a state of emergency. I had no idea I had COVID-19, but I was sick as a dog..I barely got out of bed for at least five days. My fever was high, my aches and pains were enough to make you want to drug yourself into oblivion and my chest felt like I had a crushing weight on it for a week..At the time, COVID-19 was a “thing” but not a “real thing” here in Canada … at least not yet. No tests, no idea of treatments, just talk of a virus from China, and it was spreading..At the time, I chalked it up to a bad flu. I recovered after a couple of weeks — or so I thought — and returned to work. Within weeks of my return, the pandemic was declared and I worked from home from mid-March on..The weeks and months that followed were strange. I didn’t feel like myself. Along with feeling a heightened state of fear each day with constant talk of the pandemic and cases and hospitalizations and deaths and health restrictions and lockdowns, I felt tired. More tired than usual. Wiped-out tired..I rested over my lunch hour every day, workouts were a no-go and even walking my dogs kicked the crap out of me. I chalked it up to stress and the massive change of pace I experienced at the time working from home while my kids were homeschooling..The summer came, and although things were still a cluster of fear mixed with not knowing what was to come, restrictions were lifting, cases were dropping and life began to feel manageable again, although I was still so very tired..We took a week to relax in Radium and I remember feeling relieved at the time. However, during an afternoon hike, I knew something was really wrong..As we hiked, I started to be acutely aware of my heart beating. No, more like pounding out of my chest. POUNDING against my rib cage so hard I honestly thought those around me could hear it. It felt terrifying..As I climbed, my heart rate climbed to a point where I felt like it was going to bruise me from the inside. Along with that horrible sensation, my legs started to ache, but not an ache I’d ever felt before. Picture someone trying to force the contents of a fire hydrant through a cheap garden hose. It felt like the vessels in my legs were going to explode; that’s the best description I can give you..I had to stop; I had to sit down. My husband had to help me the rest of the way and for the rest of my weekend, I felt close to death. Through that time, I also noticed other strange sensations. Some nights I would lay for hours feeling my heart pound in my chest. My resting heart rate would hover around 115-125, not my normal 70s. My heart would pound so hard at times I could hear it and it would often affect my sleep..“Must be stress,” I always told myself..What else would be causing it? Life with this pandemic was upside-down and working from home with my kids’ homeschooling was hard. Of course, I was stressed..Generally, I’m fit and healthy, but that summer I realized that wasn’t the case anymore. I met with my family doctor in July and we started the long process of trying to identify why I was no longer fit and healthy and what the heck was happening to my heart..The first appointments were a stress test for my heart and blood work. The cardiologist followed up within a few days to tell me they found “anomalies” with my heart and wanted to plan further tests. My blood work showed my iron was extremely low..Next was an EKG, I was booked for a 24-hour heart monitor and scheduled for an angiogram — the soonest they could get me in was September..But, by the time September came COVID-19 cases were on the rise again, lockdowns were looming and many non-emergency procedures — including my appointment — were cancelled to ensure hospitals had the capacity to deal with a possible surge in hospitalizations..So, during my wait, I sought every bit of help I could find. I went to a naturopath for vitamin injections, got my iron levels up and — assuming my heart issues could be stress and anxiety-related, I visited a doctor that specialized in the treatment of depression and anxiety and got some meds..Thankfully, my angiogram was finally booked in December, however, by that time, much of the heart-pounding had calmed down. I was still feeling more tired than usual but was not feeling my little mini heart attacks anymore..Within a week of my procedure, the cardiologist informed me the angiogram showed no issues with my heart, structurally. I was OK. Phew, what a relief. Although I still didn’t feel like myself, at least my heart was OK..It wasn’t until months later the correlation was made. At the time, not much was known about COVID-19 and any of its long-term effects, like myocarditis, pericarditis and other heart-related issues. I was past it, and although I was not officially tested for COVID-19 in February, all my symptoms would suggest it was what I likely had. .Although it took the better part of a year to start to feel better, I recovered with what looks like no lasting issues with my heart..My second round with COVID-19 came more than two years later, April 2022. Likely a version of the Omicron variant, my illness was again not pleasant..As soon as I opened my eyes on a Saturday morning, I could feel they were sore and dry and my head was pounding. The rest of the day went downhill. I took a rapid test and landed a positive result..My fever climbed through the weekend nearing 103 degrees and again my aches and pains were unbearable without painkillers. .At the advice of a few medical specialists I had interacted with over the pandemic, I acquired Ivermectin on the off chance I contracted COVID-19 again. I started to take it on Saturday after testing positive..Luckily, through some connections, I was introduced to COVID-19 treatment doctors and was quickly provided an extensive treatment protocol, which included the purchase of a fingertip oxygen saturation monitor to ensure my lungs were taking in enough oxygen..The treatment protocol, based on my weight, included:.Ivermectin 30 – 50 mg per day (for stopping viral replication)Hydroxychloroquine 200 mg morning and 200 mg night (for stopping viral replication)Aspirin 325 mg morning and night (anti-inflammatory and thins the blood to help prevent blood clots that have been associated with COVID-19 infection)Vitamin D, C, Zinc and NAC and Quercetin daily (immune boosters)If breathing is laboured, budesonide (Pulmicort – a corticosteroid inhaler) when neededPepcid AC 20 mg with Claritin (loratadine – formulated without pseudoephedrine) 10 mg morning and night (for symptom relief and to create blockers for histamine receptors). Treatment-protocolIngredients of COVID-19 treatment protocol (Photo by Melanie Risdon) .(Please note: This was the protocol formulated specifically for me. I am in no way recommending this treatment for anyone — I am not a trained medical professional).I worked from home, rested often and, unlike my last bout of COVID-19, started to feel better by about Wednesday, five days after testing positive. I’m not going to lie, the first few days were rough, but after Day 5, I began to feel a bit better each day. Symptoms of a lingering cold persisted with a decent cough and runny nose for the next 10 days..My COVID-19 doctors checked in each day to make sure I was not getting worse and paid specific attention to my blood oxygen saturation. Had that started to fall, I was told, it would signify I was moving into the inflammatory phase of the illness and would need additional treatment with steroids, which thankfully never happened..The boss said, “five days symptom-free,” before I was permitted to return to work which had me back at work Friday. Although I remained working from home through my illness and recovery, it was nice to have a reason to get out of my pyjamas again..As for the idea there is no treatment for COVID, I personally disagree. The COVID-19 treatment doctors I know of have successfully treated hundreds of Albertans — the majority of them have been elderly..I wish I had known these doctors earlier when my father contracted COVID-19 back in October. He turned 70 in September and had a few pre-existing health conditions, which put him in a higher-risk category. Darwin Risdon was an advocate of early-treatment options and was frustrated those options were being restricted and suppressed..It’s possible that, without early treatment, his COVID-19 infection went past the viral replication phase and turned into COVID pneumonia. He was hospitalized, intubated and given Remdesivir, a drug currently being used in hospital treatment of COVID-19, but one that is extremely taxing on the kidneys..He was put on dialysis when his kidneys shut down and, after five weeks in hospital, he died. Would early treatment have saved his life? It’s hard to say for sure, but I sure wish I knew these doctors sooner and we could have tried..Melanie Risdon is a reporter with the Western Standard.,.mrisdon@westernstandard.news
