This variant is SO contagious, I had already developed the fatalistic certainty I was going to join the ranks after all this time - two vaccines and two boosters, notwithstanding.

Sure enough...

My older son was literally in the process of packing to leave after our holiday get together, when my home test came back strongly positive. (Two DARK lines. Kind of like an alternate pregnancy test). Fortunately for me, he was willing and able to stick around to see where the infection took me (his employer wasn't glad, but luckily there are lots of legal Covid protections insuring close family can be cared for.)

At first I thought I'd fight it off and (contrary to the weekend doc's strong recommendation) insisted on waiting overnight before beginning Paxlovid. Six hours or so later, though, I declined so rapidly, I KNEW I really had no choice. Woke up son near dawn, to help me take the first dose of Paxlovid - by then, I was actually too foggy to find and manage it.

I hadn't been keen on taking it, as among its myriad drug interactions (reputedly, about half of all meds!), I take two on the seriously contraindicated list (Xarelto for Afib and low dose off-label Seroquel on which I've long depended for sleep). I feared five sleepless nights. Pleaded to no avail for a few days of Halcion instead, to get through the Paxlovid period. (It's the only other sleep med I know works for me, and safe for short-term use, though habituating.)
Nope! And I'm mending well, despite reduced sleep.

It's remarkable not only how effective the Paxlovid was but how fast-acting. Every dose seemed to kick in within minutes (good thing, as I felt myself sickening right before each dose came due). Worried a bit as they gave me a reduced dose owing to a supposed kidney issue (not accurate). As it's almost done, I feel home-free (knock wood) and grateful.
Expecting a disagreeable but brief and uneventful rebound (expectation mostly owing to WTF reports! ).

Glad the Paxlovid is helping. Feel much better soon!

I don’t think mom-in-law had the rebound, but it’s hard to tell. She’s in assisted living, and was quarantined to her apartment for 10 days (state law for care facilities). Paxlovid helped a lot.

My major concern now is those I may have infected in that short, dangerous period before my symptoms showed. Unfortunately, that coincided with our Yom Kippur Break the Fast nosh - the only time we were unmasked. I've notified all my unlucky table-mates of my dx. Most unfortunately, though, THE most vulnerable, reported in her online "Caring Bridge" journal, that she just tested positive.

I've been following for years the hellacious story of dear Willa's ovarian cancer so I already knew she was facing new issues. She's been doing her damnedest to take advantage of every possible treatment (most recently, gamma knife brain surgery for a metastasis), plus checking out every clinical trial she might qualify for anywhere in the nation.

An eloquent writer, she's shared with us an engrossing combination of reminiscence and her philosophical evolution about mortality* (I've saved much of her bibliography list, along with names of intriguing local and international haunts that had escaped my notice). Reviews of shows she'd fit in (amazingly, some she even wrote while sick), she'd photographed and described gourmet meals she prepared (enabled by constant rests), and detailed delicacies, gifts and happy outings we've enjoyed vicariously.

Before her last round of chemo she even managed a trip to her beloved Paris - especially treasured, being head of Penn State's French department until her early retirement. Her physicians had given her firm encouragement to take advantage of (what they hinted was) her last window of opportunity. We've followed her multi-level travelogue: medical, spiritual, geographical, all developments presented in unpitying, intimate detail. What an admirable woman!

Now, though, she's finally been trapped by this international plague she's been determined to avoid, and in a pretty much maximally immunocompromised state.

I'm afraid she may not be eligible for Paxlovid owing to its many interactions, especially considering her countless exposures, including recent chemo. I looked into Paxlovid alternatives when I was afraid I myself might not qualify, and AFAIK the only comparable treatment is monoclonal antibodies. My weekend doctor made clear it was very scarce with long delays obtaining it. As with so many lacunae in local medical care, there don't seem to be any infusion centers near us.

In her journal, she wrote with anxious indignation that she hadn't heard back from her doctor to prescribe Paxlovid, despite many, many calls, some fast-tracked, marked urgent. I'm afraid that's because there's a problem with her eligibility and lack of access here. In my reply to her news, besides expressing prayerful concern (and unspeakable regret if I had inadvertently played a role in her infection), I included what I had learned about monoclonal antibodies downplaying difficulties. (She'll find out soon enough, if it pertains.)

With both Paxlovid (five days window) and the antibodies (seven days), the great thing is to begin either treatment within the maximum period after symptoms appear. I'm sure her physicians will know all that, and do their utmost to expedite getting her the antibodies if she doesn't qualify for Paxlovid.

Please send her your most powerful good wishes for weathering this new storm. WHAT terrible irony to be exposed to COVID on Yom Kippur, after standing all her previous onslaughts - relying on what she and team call her "Willa-Power." Taking all possible precautions til then, she'd even left Paris a day early because of a Covid related risk! Now this.

I am so very sorry to hear all of this.

I send my strongest, most loving wishes for you and your friends to recover soon.

Try not to be too hard on yourself. It was not your fault.

Yikes! I’m sorry you had to go through all of this.

Hope it all works out without complication!

Thank you all for your kind wishes!

The asterisk above* (re her musings on mortality), refers especially to recent intriguing considerations about what it might mean to lose about 17% of her otherwise expectable lifespan.

Did she have a right to feel short-changed about anything? What was an 83% life, anyhow?

She reminded us of previous speculations about death which she's been sharing from the start (beginning with the effect of her shock diagnosis, which still hadn't dampened her/ones previous assumptions about the opportunities and possibilities of time). Time continuing to stretch before her without an endpoint in the landscape of her life.

Then, as she meandered through years of painful treatments and news (shared and processed by us all), those assumptions were modified - followed by ups and downs of revised hopes, disappointments, apparent reprieves which were dashed, revived, gradually reduced to more modest hopes. All of which was processed through interpretations and re-interpretations of different doctors' comments.

Throughout, she managed to savor and appreciate every good aspect of her present life, ever evolving, gratitude for every morsel of love and support she received, and every season's smallest delight (though always returning to that ultimate solitude).

Which, we lived with her (and from which, I, at least, continued to learn).

Most recently as options thinned, her lessons led to this new calculus about what she might expect, strictly percentage-wise in life quanta (how novel!), compared to her "pre-mortality" perspective. And all changing unpredictably like this new illness.

I hope your recovery proceeds apace. It's fortunate that your son happened to be with you to lend help as needed. I've been thankful for all the help my daughter has provided during my extended knee issues, including opening her home to me and my wife while I've been restricted to a wheelchair.

Your friend sounds like a strong soul. The epitome of not going quietly into the night.

Big Al

Amanda, I'm sorry to hear you got sick and of your friend's trials.

Your empathy for your friend is extraordinary given your own recent experience. I wouldn't be too hard on myself if I were you.

It's everywhere now and constantly evolving.

I would also consider we are learning about this disease on a daily basis (as you've noted).

I learned today (along with many people I'm sure) Phizer never had data showing its vaccines stopped transmissibility. There's a clip of this. I watched it. I didn't catch the representative body where the gentleman asked the question but heard the unequivocal "No" answer.

Then I found this interview from the UK. There are people to whom this isn't news.

https://youtu.be/jysfsAJ6Ts4

Edit- here's the clip. It was the EU.

https://youtu.be/TMFrOIebS0k

The recent hurricane has put me in a kind of state of shock both witnessing the death and destruction and realizing it could as easily have been me.

My own feelings about this disease are similar. I feel as if it's a disaster against which one is essentially helpless.

You seem brave to me. My prayers for you and your friend both.

Sorry to hear this Amanda. Hope you recover quickly.

So sorry Amanda. Hope you are feeling better soon.

I did get an email from CVS just a day or so ago stating that their pharmacists are now allowed to prescribe Paxlovid. I wonder if your friend could try that route. https://www.cvs.com/content/co...s-lp-banner-paxlovid

Sorry to hear that the virus caught up with you, Amanda. Not surprising, as it seems to be exceptionally contagious; I'm sure we'll all get it at some point and probably more than once.

Also sorry to hear about your friend's battle with ovarian cancer. Sending her all the very best wishes for strength and peace as she continues her journey.

Many thanks from you all for your compassionate responses! Comforting.

quote:

Originally posted by Lisa:
So sorry Amanda. Hope you are feeling better soon.

I did get an email from CVS just a day or so ago stating that their pharmacists are now allowed to prescribe Paxlovid. I wonder if your friend could try that route. https://www.cvs.com/content/co...s-lp-banner-paxlovid

Thanks for the suggestion, Lisa! I'm afraid it's not just a matter of obtaining Paxlovid, though, as the reasons for not qualifying for it, involve potentially life-threatening issues. There's are reasons for determining eligibility.
Taking it with one of the seriously contraindicated meds, can (not rarely) kill the patient.

Basially, Paxlovid's interactions with one of those "forbidden" meds, drastically increases the amount of that med which is absorbed (or, depending, on the type of interaction) drastically reduces it. For example, if I had continued with the full dose of Seroquel I had been taking for sleep it could have done me in! If I had continued with the Xarelto, the Paxlovid would have led to a massive increase in its safe dose.

As for my friend, I have no idea what dangerous results might be caused by whichever of her many medications interact with Paxlovid (if indeed my fear is justified).

That's why I'm so anxious about her ability to find and be infused with the alternative, monoclonal antibodies. (I sure wish we would all hear from her! Or if not her, her son). I can readily understand why she said she was scarcely able to write now that the COVID was affecting her. That the short note she got out, was the last she would be able to compose for the foreseeable. It really can fog your brain.

I myself am disturbed at not feeling better from yesterday, now that I have completed my course of Paxlovid. Just what I was afraid of as a result of being given a reduced dose because of my slightly abnormal GFR (even though the results were artificially skewed). Damn! It's happened once before that I had even worse results because of dehydration (that's when I learned how important it was to be well hydrated when that test was given).

And all subsequent test results were normal, even super normal.

My most recent test, though, was "sprung" on me after a doctor's appt, when I so happened to be massively dehydrated, even super thirsty.

It didn't matter, until this Paxlovid issue. That skewing factor was ignored, supposedly to protect my kidneys (even though they had actually been normal when tested). Accordingly, they reduced the dose, though.

I tried to persuade the prescriber to give me a normal dose at least for the last few days (3 X AM and PM, instead of 2). I explained fearing I might not have knocked the virus out of my system by the time the script was through. (You aren't allowed to take more afterwards, well or not, nor can you take monoclonal antibodies after completing a round of Paxlovid even if you're still sick.)

Going by the book, despite my special circumstances, they refused.

And now, I am NOT completely well.
Hopefully, I will get rid of the remaining symptoms even without more medicine. Son is having to extend his work leave.

No one really understands Paxlovid, but it was approved for emergency usage because of the pandemic. One of doctors' main fears about it, is that because of incomplete dosing and factors contributing to mutation, it will soon be able to evade the virus. Sure hope not.

Hope you are better soon.

Have been staying in a nearby motel because of work going on at my place. Took the pup for a walk and ran into I guy I know fairly well. He was working on a fence in front of his home.
He shook my hand and talked a bit. Then told me he had COVID!! Nice, huh? So far I am fine.

I've read it has a bad reaction in with common heart medications (which I don't take but SO does).

I hope you feel better soon!

Edit-

"Paxlovid's dangerous interactions with heart drugs"

https://www.axios.com/2022/10/...ractions-heart-drugs