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New Year’s Day 2023. No Covid-19 rebound.
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Today, 11 October 2022, I finally stopped testing. After 9 consecutive negative results. I am well. No Paxlovid rebound.
Things and places no longer smell slightly burnt. Food tastes just as good except for my favourite curry noodle which is no longer as tasty.
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Day 8: Finished Paxlovid yesterday. I feel well. Tested negative.
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Day 6: A turning point? I woke up at half past nine in the morning. Felt like shit. Or in the words I told my wife yesterday, I felt HALF PAST DEAD.
At least, I tested negative.
Negative! That opened up possibililites. I had been obsessed with testing negative, and now survival mode swung from a hanging-on passivity to an active pursuit of plans formed for days while lying on my bed.
I cleaned up, changed clothes, drove the 10 minutes to the clinic of my family doctor and showed him my negative result.
He gave me a painkiller in the butt for the pain in my throat. The injection was 3 times more than the jab that I had got in my arm days before which lasted just 10 hours. This should last 2 days at least.
He gave me more antibiotic for my throat infection. My throat infection is almost gone anyway.
Then I bought some pao (dumplings) and a cold herbal drink which I consumed with pleasure. No pain. NO PAIN! 😀
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Days 4 and 5 were a struggle. The painkiller lasted 10 hours, and after that, it was back to fighting the intense pain just long enough to swallow the Paxlovid (3 pills morning, 3 evening), the antiobitic pill twice a day, and the paracetamol three times a day..
The Paxlovid brought diarrhoea, slight but nevertheless shitty, and meant washing clothes and the blanket in the washing machine.
And always, I sat on the porch or lay in bed, waiting and waiting, for a negative test.
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Day 3 was the worst. The sore throat kept me from drinking any water, let alone swallow the pills for fever and pain.
At 2am, Sept 28, I choked and spluttered out the two Paracetamol pills swallowed about 30 mins before.
On Day 4, Sept 28, I went to the big Government hospital to ask for a painkiller for my throat. The 2 doctors could see the logic of my reasoning: If I could not swallow any medication, I would not recover.
One injected my left arm with a painkiller. The other began a series of tests: breathing, oxygen level, blood pressure…
Finally, an unexpected response from one doctor: Uncle, we will prescribe Paxlovid. That was unexpected. The prescription of Paxlovid is not easily approved in my country. (Uncle is a term of respect.)
I have taken my first day’s morning dosage, and the night dosage will be in two hours.
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weehingthong 