Covid recovery update #2

 As of today, my taste and smell are up to about 90% or more, depending upon the thing I'm trying to taste or smell, so that's pretty nice. I'm also about 90% back to full muscle strength and general stability. My weight is hovering around 170, down ten pounds from my pre-covid weight, so that's good, too. I have some more weight to lose, but let's not to it via a pneumonia this time, 'kay? 

On the minus side, I've lost about 40% of my hair volume. This is not breakage, this is hair falling out by the root. Really disheartening, but according to a slew of other long-haul koofers this shall most likely stabilize and re-grow. Yay! In the meanwhile I'm taking collagen and silica and washing my hair with stuff that's supposed to stimulate growth. Baking soda "no poo" with vinegar rinse, some fancy hair growth shampoo and conditioner, etc. Once a week is plenty. My hair doesn't get greasy, especially at this time of year (cold), and I'm not swimming and getting all salty (because it's cold).

New symptom as of a week or so ago, gradually worsening: lymph node pain, left armpit, radiating out to lower rib cage and around to my back, all left side. Gets worse as the day goes on. At night I'm doing contrast hydrotherapy to flush out the nodes, which alleviates a LOT of the pain and helps me get to sleep. By morning it creeps back up to "annoying" levels, and I'm avoiding waistbands because after awhile they just hurt. I'm a sensitive flower now, for awhile. Whee. The plus side is that every day seems like a net positive gain, so there's that.