Hello 2021 and the one post I didn’t think I would have to write 🙂

Welcome back gfs! I hope you all had a happy holiday + a blessed start to 2021. A lot has happened since my last post (clearly). We actually decided to move back from CA to Austin TX. We missed it here so much and are so happy to be back to our “roots’. We were however welcomed back with 2 positive Covid tests – one for me and one for Bryson. Not the warmest of welcomes we expected – lol!

As I write this I am on day 10 and feeling a bit better today! I wanted to write this post to share my experience, supplements I took, things I ate, what I watched during quarantine, what my naturalist and my doctor told me and anything else I can share to serve as the post I wish I had on my first few days of this sickness. Anxiety can be one of the biggest things with Covid so my hope is this post can help ease some of yours if you’re recently Covid positive or have a loved one that is. Please remember this is simply my story and what I did. I am no doctor and cannot recommend for you or your family. Always consult with your doctor or naturalist if you receive a covid positive test.

Let’s start from the beginning…

I know one of the big questions you might have is how we got exposed to Covid? We aren’t 100% sure but we did put ourselves at risk with our move which was within 2 weeks of getting the symptoms.

I have heard from a few in the medical industry that symptoms can take up to 14 days after exposure to develop so my best guess is from our move. We ended up having to fly with our cats (someone drove our dogs as it was safer for them than going under the plane) and we took 2 flights to get from CA – TX. We were of course very careful, wore our masks, used hand sanitizer and wipes on everything. Its hard to know 100% what got us sick but I am just assuming it had to do with the travel and move. We are not aware of anyone else who had Covid that we came in contact with.

My symptoms

My symptoms started last Tuesday the 12th. I woke up that morning with a horrible migraine that I couldn’t shake. About 2 days before that Bryson was complaining of allergy like symptoms. He is super prone to allergies so we assumed the move back welcomed those back for him (Austin is super bad with allergies – especially where we are). With my headache I also felt super tired, had stomach issues and just overall not my best. I decided to start Bridgerton that day (highly recommend) and let myself be lazy. I looked up symptoms of Covid and decided to try for a test the following day.

The following day I woke up without the head ache but still tired, stomach issues and congested. It was that day I also lost my taste and smell right before my Covid test. Once that happened I was almost certain I had it. I went for the rapid test (after having a video call with my doctor) and within 15 minutes I had the positive test. Bryson also did the lab test that day which ended up coming back positive as well within 3 days. We did both tests just to be sure. From that day forward (day 2 for me) my symptoms continued to change. Here’s a list of everything I had;

• Migraine / headache (day 1)
• Stomach issues / diarrhea (days 1-5/6)
• Fatigue (day 1 – present)
• Congestion (day 2-present)
• Loss of taste and smell (day 2-present)
• Shortness of breath (day 3-present)
• Slight cough (started day 10 as congestion breaks down)
• Muscle aches / pains (day 1-10)

Those have been all of my symptoms so far. I am day 10 so hoping no new ones moving forward. I haven’t had a fever at all which has been good and I am thankful for that!

My Supplement routine

Again I want to preface this as this is simply me sharing what I took. I am no doctor but I did get recommendations from my naturalist and my chiropractor both of which I trust fully with my health. Please always consult with your own doctors or medical help before following this routine.

I am a huge fan of supplements and have always talked to my naturalist and chiropractor on what I should be taking. Thats why as soon as I got sick they were the first I contacted. I knew they would know what was best for me as I have seen both for over 2 years now. I started and followed this regimen starting day 3 and knew I was infected. These amounts are for someone (me) infected. Not preventative amounts.

• K2D3 10,000 IU a day – vitamin D – my pills are 10,000 IU so I took 1 pill a day with food.
• Vitamin C 4,000 mg a day – vitamin C – I take packets of 1,000 mg 4 per day spread throughout the day.
• Zinc 100 mg a day – my pills are 54 mg I took 2 pills a day with food morning and afternoon.
• Aspirin 300 mg a day – baby aspirin I took 81 mg 2-3 a day. This was for aches and pains as well as *I heard* it can help to prevent blood clots which are a concern for those with Covid.
• Immuplex 4 pills a day – immune support I took 2 pills in the morning and 2 in the afternoon with food.
• Iodine drops – I took 10 drops a day in water.
• Artemisinin 2-3 pills a day – microbial balancer I took 1 pill morning, afternoon and night with food. Once my diarrhea was gone I dropped down to morning and afternoon only.
• Sinatrol 4 pills a day – my naturalist said this is a good one to keep the sinuses clear and drainage moving. I took 2 in the morning on an empty stomach and 2 before bed on an empty stomach.
• Quercetin 4 pills a day – the train that drives Zinc and Sinatrol into the cells from what I was told. I took with Sinatrol morning and night on an empty stomach.
• Melatonin 6-10mg – I was told to take 10mg a night before bed but I got scared and only did 6mg a night. Worked great! 🙂
• Berkley Life 4 pills a day – this is great for the heart. I took 2 pills in the morning and 2 in the afternoon with food.
• Sinus Tone – This is a holistic dropper which I took 1 full dropper 3 times per day with food.
• Lymph Tone – This is also a holistic dropper which I took 1 full dropper 3 times per day with food.

I linked what I could find on my Amazon page to make things easier for you girls. If you have a naturalist in your area, an apothecary, etc you can always find things locally too! Wholefoods also has a great supplement section! Austin girls go to Alive and Well – my fav for supplements and they can also ship if needed! They have everything you need.

Aside from these supplement I did take 2 Tylenol the first day when I had a headache. I also used Mucinex day 2 but stopped after the supplements stated working. Lastly I loved Vick’s Vapor Rub under my nose and a Breath Right nose strip when I slept – seemed to help open my nose a bit!

Next my BFF during Covid has been my pulse oximeter blood oxygen saturation reader I ordered off Amazon the beginning of 2020. One of the big things that caused my anxiety was the thought of not being able to breath or get enough oxygen. I did have shortness of breath (worst for me was day 5-9) but this little reader helped keep me positive. I was told it was best to have oxygen above 96. I highly recommend ordering one (mine linked here) to keep track of your oxygen. It just helps ease your mind above anything. I was told if it got to 92 or as low as 90 to go to the hospital. Just what I was told again always consult with your doctor or healthcare professional!

What I ate

I was told to keep your gut hot by my naturalist. The first few days all I had was soup. I loved chicken noodle, chicken and rice and chicken tortilla. I also drank a ton of teas – Breath Deep and Peppermint by Yogi. I also drank chicken bone broth 1 x day when I had the hardest symptoms (day 3-9). Bone broth from what I’ve heard is great for the gut and overall health. I avoided all cold foods and drinks. I heard that recommended from a lot of people on IG as well!

I also had crackers, tried a tortellini pasta with cooked spinach, hot oatmeal, toast with coconut oil and strawberry jam (even tho I couldn’t taste it lol) anything really to allow me to continue taking my supplements. Its so weird – you really don’t crave food when you can’t taste it. I stopped drinking coffee as it didn’t seem worth it and coffee is my favorite thing ever. I also drank a lot of water – all day everyday! That is key I am told!

What I watched

One of the other big questions I got asked aside from how we were doing is what we did to pass the time. Bryson – lucky for him loves working on his computer so he did that the entire time somehow. He also didn’t get as sick as I did tho which is weird because he’s always sick and I never am!

I watched a lot of good shows – I started with Bridgerton (10/10) on Netflix and crushed that within the first 2-3 days. Then I started Dynasty (6.5/10) on Netflix which is good but so much drama and a little much sometimes so I eventually switched to One Tree Hill (MY FAV growing up on Hulu). I also watched Sex and the City Movie on Netflix and a little Office on Amazon in between when I needed a good laugh.

What my Doctor said

On day 7 I did another video call with my doctor and he recommended for me to keep an eye on my oxygen levels with the reader I mentioned above. He mentioned day 7 being a “magical day” that sometimes people can have issues. He mentioned if the oxygen got to the low 90s to start the steroid pack he prescribed to me. He also prescribed me an inhaler to help with breathing. I am on day 10 and still have not used either but it is/was nice to have both incase! I always recommend contacting your doctor if you or someone you know has Covid to get personal recommendations!

Like I said I am on day 10 now so hopefully I am on the mend and over the hills. I am hoping to get my taste/smell back sometime soon. I even tried the ol’ burnt orange trick today but forgot to add the brown sugar. I will link an article here to reference what I am talking about (lol) this is a Jamaican remedy that has gone viral online.

Well that is all I can think of for now to help – if I think of anything else as I get closer to feeling better I will add that here too! I hope this blog post helps you find some advice with Covid. It is just a mystery virus and I know how much anxiety comes with it. Do your best to avoid getting sick. I am someone who prides myself on being healthy and it took me down harder than I thought it would. If you have any questions on my experience you can always DM me (@jenniferxlauren) or email me [email protected]. Happy to help share more!

Hugs to you all and wishing you all a safe and healthy start to 2021!