19/12/23 Over

Two more unarguable negative tests, yesterday and this morning. So I'm declaring myself Covid (and mask) free. And tomorrow I can resume my statin and amitriptyline, had to have eight days off them because of interactions with the Paxlovid.

17/12/23 Not such good news

 Today's test showed a very faint second line. It's not over yet...

16/12/23 Negative

 Paxlovid works!

14/12/23 Still Covid

On the evidence so far Paxlovid is something of a miracle drug. No side effects worth mentioning, and symptoms almost completely gone. Just an occasional chesty cough lingering on, and blood pressure still up by about 10 points both top and bottom (which still leaves me in ok territory). But I did another test this morning and still positive. Will try again on Saturday (2 days).

12/12/23 COVID

COVID. My wife and I have both avoided it for four years, but it has struck at last - and at just about the most inconvenient time possible, but that's another story.

I now get my free tests from the pharmacy (because I'm immune-compromised with a blood cancer). I took a test, it was positive, I tried to report it...

You can no longer report free-from-the-pharmacy test results online. I have no idea why not, but there it is. My most recent NHS letters and the gov.uk website say report via 119 (or 111, depending on which letter you read), or to GP. I tried 111, and got routed through a long and tedious voicemail system which eventually took me back to the beginning - you can't report these results online (or, it seemed, anywhere else in the system).

Tried 119. Same result.

Tried GP surgery. Usual voicemail menu followed by "We are experiencing an exceptionally high volume of calls..."

Despair.

BUT - phone answered by a receptionist almost straight away. I reported the result, she asked a few questions, went off to speak with colleagues. Within five minutes rang back, referring me to Infectious Diseases Unit at Basildon, where they will make decisions about anti-virals (my guess is that my symptoms so far are too mild for that, but have to go through the routine).

Now awaiting a call from Basildon.

Usual government/NHS mix of impressive efficiency and complete hopelessness.

UPDATE: Basildon called, I'm ok for antivirals and 5 days of Paxlovid will arrive by courier this evening. 10/10 to the NHS for that!

10/12/23 Various updates

 Nothing big has happened for a while, but...

Had some sort of infection for the last few days - cough, blocked-up nose, generally feeling lousy, energy levels minimal. Despite that scored 100 for both of the last two nights.

Still haven't seen the MRI report from the last scan - haematology are supposed to be sending it to me. I think I'll have to give them a nudge next week. But did talk about it with my haematologist, and short summary is no new lesions but a number of quite bad disc issues in lumbar spine - not something that has been commented on before. Scan has been sent to Stanmore but no action plan from anywhere yet. May have to wait until next Stanmore appointment January 18th for that.

Back / mobility has been bad for the last two days, which I'm blaming on stretching up to put some Christmas decoration up high. Was all lumbar region yesterday, bouncing up and down everywhere earlier today. I've put myself back on the Co-Codamol for a while, which does seem to be helping. And definitely feeling a bit more human now, even managed to shift a pile of paperwork that's been accumulating for months. And now to the kitchen...