Shakila
Shakila tested positive for Covid in December 2021. Since having Covid she is always cold, whereas previously she never felt the cold, even in the Winter. She feels more tired, has less energy and she has pains in her leg and back. Shakila tries to rest when she can but she wants to be strong to look after her teenage son and elderly mother so she tries to keep going. Her GP has prescribed medication and vitamins. Shakila was interviewed in June 2022.
Shakila lives with her teenage son and her elderly mother who she cares for. She is separated from her husband who lives abroad. Her elderly mother has dementia and has had a stroke. Ethnic background: Yemeni.
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Shakila had fever and the chills and lost her sense of smell when she had Covid in December 2021. Since then, Shakila is always cold whereas previously she never felt the cold, even in the Winter. On a hot summer’s day she will have the heater on. Her elderly mother had Covid at the same time but she recovered.
Shakila has pain in her leg and back and feels more tired. She has less energy and sleeps more; if she walks a bit she feels tired. She feels a bit better than the year before which she describes as “very horrible.” Her GP has prescribed medicine for pain and recommended she takes vitamins but she hasn’t been seen in person. She doesn’t like taking medicines and tries to fight it herself but these ongoing symptoms worry her.
She tries to rest when she can but she has to look after her son and mother. Shakila hasn’t told her son how unwell she feels but he helps her with the shopping and she tries to still be the mum she wants to be. She takes paracetamol for the body pains to help her keep going. Shakila is also her mothers’ carer; it is hard at times because her mother has dementia, so she can have bad moods and shout at her. To leave the house, Shakila has to ask her sister to stay with her mother. Shakila wants to be strong to care for her mother and son. She says, “even if I feel weaker, I try to do my things.”
Shakila has ongoing Covid symptoms and also cares for her mother, who has dementia.
Shakila has ongoing Covid symptoms and also cares for her mother, who has dementia.
When I feel better, I do otherwise I lay down on the sofa for myself, inside the blanket. I feel tired. Even my mum, she has dementia. She says, “Why you always sleep?” When I say something she forgets you know, dementia patient she is. So, yeah.
Yeah and when you are really tired, can you still do the activities that you need to do around the house like cooking, cleaning, taking care of your son?
I do rest, I have rest sometimes. I wake up, I do. I take paracetamols that give me my body pains that go. I do. I have to do if I’m ever tired. I have to do it because when you come from school, my mum, she need her food. Even carer comes to help my mum and me. Now she came and she prepares everything for my mum. Yeah.
Okay. So, are you the only carer, apart from the carer who comes in, you’re the one who cares for your mum and your son.
Yeah.
Do you have any other help other than the carer?
No, sometimes when I need to go out to do shopping, I call my sister to stay with my mum.
Shakila hasn’t told her son that she is still unwell, though he sees her struggling.
Shakila hasn’t told her son that she is still unwell, though he sees her struggling.
No, I don’t tell him that. I don’t make him know. But he can see me, I’m tired and he help me go shopping. He carry the bags for me and he helps, you know, yeah. But I, I’m trying. I’m not I’m trying to do my things. Even if I feel weaker, I try to do my things. Otherwise, you will feel disappointed. You, you, your confidence will go and you know, you have to try whatever you feel.
How are you feeling mentally about it all?
I feel like you know, there’s there, there’s no happiness like before we used to chill, we used to meet together. Everyone you see that’s afraid of death, travelling is restricted. There’s, there’s nothing happiness like before Covid. I used to go Turkey. I used to go to Dubai. I used to call him. Now is things that changed. On top of my mum, I have to look after her. She is ill. She had a stroke. She had dementia and now she had a stroke.
Oh my gosh.
So, I’m stuck.
Shakila hasn’t really been able to talk to a doctor about her symptoms. She says they are ‘not interested’ in Covid and prescribe paracetamol. She has stayed home for much of the past year.
Shakila hasn’t really been able to talk to a doctor about her symptoms. She says they are ‘not interested’ in Covid and prescribe paracetamol. She has stayed home for much of the past year.
So, have you been able to see a doctor or someone about your own symptoms?
You know, the doctor no see you. Just by phone, telephone calls. So, whenever I tell him my symptoms what I’m feeling, they keep for you the medicine, the pharmacy. You collect from there. No one sees you.
Okay. So, you haven't talked to a doctor face-to-face about how you’re feeling?
No. You know, now you can’t see your doctor, since the Covid, you don’t meet a doctor.
Okay. Yeah. And have you been able to explain to them over the phone how you felt?
Yeah.
What have they said about that?
I have a back pain, leg pain, this pain. They give me medicine on that.
Okay. Yeah. And has anyone said to you, this might be because of Covid?
No. They not interested in all these things about Covid or no. Whenever I have a pain, I call they say, “Oh, we left for you the medicine at the pharmacy go take it.” About the Covid, I had a Covid, I call the 911. So, they helped me. They say, “You have to go test it.” I test positive. So, I know what I have to do at home. I stay at home more than how many days I stayed home, more than fifteen days at a time. And more I stay at home because I was not that much recovered. So, two months I get fever, the same symptoms. I know this Covid come back again. I do the same medicine. I stay home. So, last year, I’ve been home, I’m home always. My friends they bring food and I give them money. They buy for me. They leave the house outside the door just you know.
And so, even now, when you are still getting really cold or maybe fevery, tired, you know, really, really tired and low energy, the doctors aren’t listening to you about that?
Just go buy the vitamins. Doctor will not give me vitamins. I have to buy vitamins and I have to eat nice food. I have to, I have to do not what they do for you. Even if you don’t eat, if I call they say no appointments. I have to do online booking. They will answer me after two days and doctor will call you after one week. So, that is stressing, you know. If you tell him he will give you medicine, antibiotic, or go buy he’ll tell you. I mean, vitamin go buy he will tell you. So, it’s better I do it myself. Buy things that make me strong.