Two stripes on the RAT test confirmed my suspicions, after a night of fevers and body aches. COVID positive. Painful muscles and joints, headache and some hyperalgesia.

I make it a habit to expose myself to some suffering daily with 30 seconds of a cold shower each morning to wake me up. Twice a week I go and train Brazilian Jiu Jitsu. Through this sport, I have learnt to keep calm in uncomfortable situations. Fighting against painful joint locks and against choking attempts has built my resilience.

Today I feel that I have overdosed on pain, which has persisted despite my taking Paracetamol and Ibuprofen. Putting up with pain is exhausting which I had some inkling of from the many patients I have cared for. A doctor needs to have some suffering experience to understand what their patients are going through, but today’s lesson has been a bit too long and unending.

I am hoping for a better tomorrow.