{"id":3183,"date":"2020-08-22T01:00:49","date_gmt":"2020-08-22T01:00:49","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.fitmotherproject.com\/?p=3183"},"modified":"2020-09-04T02:22:17","modified_gmt":"2020-09-04T02:22:17","slug":"covid-comeback","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.fitmotherproject.com\/covid-comeback\/","title":{"rendered":"COVID Comeback: A Coronavirus Recovery Story"},"content":{"rendered":"

Editor's note: Recently one of our writers, Holly Smith M.D., was diagnosed with COVID-19. She has since recovered and is doing well. Here, she tells her story.<\/em><\/p>\n

My COVID Comeback<\/h2>\n

So, a little background on me. About five or so years ago I found the sport of triathlon and was instantly hooked.<\/p>\n

When I first started, I was just looking to finish a sprint triathlon.<\/p>\n

Fast forward to five years later and I have now finished eight full ironman triathlons and 15 half ironmans, including two 70.3 world championships.<\/p>\n

And this was the year I was hoping to qualify for the Ironman World Championship in Kona.<\/p>\n

After missing it by just one spot in my last race of 2019 in Panama City Beach, I was hungry to start the racing season.<\/p>\n

But COVID-19 had different plans.<\/p>\n

When the coronavirus pandemic began stretching across the globe, it changed so much for everyone.<\/p>\n

With lock-downs in place, many have lost their jobs, while others have lost loved ones.<\/p>\n

I realize sports and fitness are not on as big of a scale as these things, but it is still a major part of people\u2019s lives.<\/p>\n

And for many, with gyms and pools shut down, this has caused a big change in how people are finding ways to stay fit.<\/p>\n

For me, all of the major events I had planned so far have been postponed, including the 70.3 World Championships in New Zealand.<\/p>\n

I was also supposed to run the Boston Marathon in April which is now canceled completely.<\/p>\n

It has been tough to continue training with no races in sight, however, I got some great news at the beginning of June.<\/p>\n

There was going to be a small Olympic length triathlon in Florida about four hours from where I lived!<\/p>\n

There were going to be tons of social distancing and health parameters in place, so of course, I jumped at the opportunity and signed up right away.<\/p>\n

COVID must have been watching though because two days later I came down with this nasty virus.<\/p>\n

I had been doing everything right.<\/p>\n

I am also a physician and have been doing telemedicine during this pandemic, so I basically have been reciting the CDC guideline to patients for the previous three months.<\/p>\n

I wore a mask out everywhere, kept my distance, and only went out to the store when necessary.<\/p>\n

Even with restaurants and bars reopening, I stayed at home, knowing that it wasn\u2019t worth the risk.<\/p>\n

But it just takes one sick contact to pick up this virus, and unfortunately, it happened to me.<\/p>\n

At first, it seemed like I was going to fight it off.<\/p>\n

The first five days or so felt like the typical bronchitis I get every year.<\/p>\n

I had a low-grade fever of about 100.5 for one day that went away and a dry cough.<\/p>\n

But on day 6, the bottom dropped out.<\/p>\n

I woke up in the middle of the night burning up with my sheets drenched in sweat.<\/p>\n

My whole body ached and I could barely walk down the stairs.<\/p>\n

For the next seven days, I experienced these symptoms.<\/p>\n

My temperature hovered around 101-102 degrees.<\/p>\n

It would come down for a couple of hours with Tylenol and then shoot right back up again.<\/p>\n

And the dry cough was absolutely brutal. I coughed for minutes at a time with no relief and severe chest discomfort.<\/p>\n

It was a hopeless feeling not knowing when the symptoms would start to improve.<\/p>\n

And it was mentally taxing as well.<\/p>\n

I was used to getting up at 6 AM on the weekends to go for a 20-mile run. Now I couldn\u2019t get out of bed before noon.<\/p>\n

And even then, that was just to try to make myself eat. I checked my oxygen levels with a monitor every day and never had any issues with oxygenation.<\/p>\n

However, I wondered if at some point I would need to go to the hospital because my symptoms were not showing any improvement.<\/p>\n

Around day 12, my fever finally broke, however then I developed severe dizziness and nausea.<\/p>\n

Some viruses, like the flu, can cause inflammation in the inner ear, called vestibular neuritis, that can have similar symptoms. I am assuming COVID was responsible for this as well.<\/p>\n

I could barely lift my head up without the whole room spinning. Another hopeless feeling.<\/p>\n

Finally, three days later, the dizziness subsided and the fevers had been gone for 72 hours.<\/p>\n

I still had a cough but it was improving. And while it felt good to finally be able to move around somewhat, I was nowhere near back to “normal.”<\/p>\n

The next week, I struggled to get back to “being active.” At this point, that just entailed getting outside and walking.<\/p>\n

I slowly began running and biking again but was nowhere near the level of fitness I had been at before I was hit with COVID.<\/p>\n

I would run a half mile and feel completely wiped out. It was extremely discouraging, and at times I just felt like giving up.<\/p>\n

Then I remembered how much I loved being active and decided I couldn\u2019t let this virus win.<\/p>\n

I went ahead and decided to run the triathlon I had entered before COVID struck.<\/p>\n

It was one of the toughest races I have ever done.<\/p>\n

From the beginning of the race, I knew my body just hadn't fully recovered yet. But I managed to finish, and that gave me hope that I was going to eventually make a full comeback after COVID.<\/p>\n

Since there was another race in two weeks, I would have a chance to prove this to myself. I was not going to let this virus beat me!<\/p>\n

Over the next two weeks, I focused on easing my way back into my training. I knew I couldn\u2019t rush things too much even though I was eager to get back to my pre-COVID fitness.<\/p>\n

I slowly increased my workout intensities while incorporating smart recovery sessions. On top of this, I really focused on my nutrition, especially after tough workouts, knowing that this would enhance my muscle recovery.<\/p>\n

Two weeks after that first race, on the exact same course, I was able to improve my time by nearly 10 minutes and finish second overall in the women\u2019s division.<\/p>\n

It was an amazing feeling to know that with hard work and determination I was starting to feel like my old self again!<\/p>\n

While I\u2019m still not back to 100%, I feel that I am almost to that point.<\/p>\n

It has now been almost two months since I first came down with symptoms, and I still have a nagging cough that pops up every now and then.<\/p>\n

However, my energy levels are nearly up to where I was pre-COVID, and that has been amazing. A month ago I didn\u2019t think I would ever get back to that feeling.<\/p>\n

COVID was, for me at least, pretty brutal. I am actually one of the lucky ones though.<\/p>\n

I never had to be hospitalized and my breathing was never compromised. I think that leading a healthy lifestyle and being active likely helped in this regard.<\/p>\n

My love for fitness gave me the drive and motivation to not give up when I felt like this virus was going to defeat me.<\/p>\n

I know that following a healthy lifestyle and being part of a community like the Fit Father Project and Fit Mother Project is something that further inspired me to get past this speed bump in my life named COVID-19.<\/p>\n

I realize that there are still some people out there that think this virus is a hoax, or that it\u2019s just another flu.<\/p>\n

While not everyone will have as severe symptoms as I did, my case was 50 times worse than any flu I have ever had.<\/p>\n

This virus truly can affect anyone no matter how healthy you think you are.<\/p>\n

And while we shouldn\u2019t lock ourselves away and live in fear, we just need to practice safe, common-sense principles moving forward.<\/p>\n

In doing so, we can continue to live full and healthy lives both physically, mentally, and emotionally.<\/p>\n

As we continue through these uncertain times, my best advice is to continue to practice safe social distancing, wear a mask, and avoid crowded places.<\/p>\n

And above all, be kind and considerate to others.<\/p>\n

This craziness will pass with time and we will all be stronger and more appreciative of everything we have once that happens.<\/p>\n

I know that I am, and I will never take my health or fitness for granted ever again because I saw how quickly it could be taken away.<\/p>\n

\n

\n
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<\/div>\n
Holly Smith, M.D.<\/div>\n
B.S. Dietetics, NASM-PES Certified Trainer<\/span><\/div>\n

Writer, Fit Mother Project<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n

Holly is an osteopathic physician, runner, triathlete, and fitness and nutrition enthusiast.<\/p>\n

She is board certified in nephrology and internal medicine, has a bachelors degree in dietetics and is a certified personal trainer with NASM-PES certification.<\/p>\n

Holly has completed four full ironmans, twelve marathons, countless half ironmans, olympic distance triathlons, half marathons and numerous other road races.<\/p>\n

Holly joined the Fit Father Project in May 2019 as a regular writer, contributing articles on health, wellness, exercise, and nutrition.<\/p>\n

She has also recently qualified for the 2020 World Championships for Ironman 70.3, in New Zealand!<\/p>\n<\/div>\n <\/div>\n\n <\/span><\/p>\n

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