It’s late afternoon on my eighth day of Covid. Dot is negative and seems on the way to full recovery. I am still testing positive and to be honest not feeling very good really. My head is swimmy and a bit clogged up, and I have muscle pains, especially in my lower back. I’ve just taken some paracetamol. My eyes are much better, and we’ve just watched The Manchurian Candidate – an excellent film, beautifully scripted. But to start at the beginning…

Last Wednesday I was not sure about the weather (it’s dull today, with a little rain), because both of us tested positive for Covid and were feeling pretty rotten, in a bad cold sort of way. We cancelled all sorts of things and received many messages from friends. I was sleeping in the guest room for a couple of days so that we didn’t keep each other awake.

We FaceTimed with David and Amy, and got a message from Oliver. Had a Hello Fresh meal and watched two films – an old black and white one called Lady of Deceit, and then Annie Hall. Both excellent. Managed to write Parish Pump articles, though I’m not sure about the quality. 

Thursday was pretty miserable. Didn’t go out, of course. Felt pretty rotten off and on, and so did Dot. Had a bath late morning. In the afternoon watched a documentary, largely in Russian, called Tango with Putin, about an independent TV station which had high hopes but eventually succumbed to Putin – though it’s still available on YouTube. Then after supper we watched Almost Famous, a really good film about a young guy trying to write about rock bands. Some excellent acting, particularly by Kate Hudson as Penny Lane. Bed early.  Eyes sore. Spoke to David briefly on FT. 

Friday was cool and Saturday quite warm – so I’m told. Didn’t experience much of it myself because I was feeling rotten – thought I was improving on Saturday morning, but then got worse again. Tried to let people know we wouldn’t be around on Sunday to fulfil our rota duties, and I think I eventually got through. Got quite depressed on Saturday – cold symptoms switching to other side. David keeps FTiming to check on us, and Amy got in touch too. She’s not too good herself, but tried to cheer us up. Norwich lost again. Saw Fort Apache, quite a good film with a crap ending. Yesterday saw The Bank Raiders, a good old film. Fed up.

Sunday – still indoors. However, by the end of the day I was feeling quite a bit better. We ate much of the chocolate dip that David bought  Dot for Mother’s Day. Watched quite a bit of football, plus all three episodes of the police drama The Tower, which I recorded last November. Turned out to be excellent: thoughtful and with a very good ending. 

Monday was mild. Very strange day. We both tested positive, but Dot felt quite a bit better than me. I had a dreadful night, felt depressed and quite ill. Kept trying to go to sleep but couldn’t. Walked a bit in the garden. Watched documentary on Dunkirk, an episode of The Split, which has improved, and an episode of Grace. Had long FaceTime with David and Chrissy, after which I felt better. Still had a very heavy head and a bit of a cough, but not so depressed. Oliver FTd while I was in the bath but had quite a talk with Dot. 

Yesterday I woke feeling better and thought it was all over. Dot tested negative, and I had a bath and then tested positive. Had expected call from delightful nurse (Cherry?), who told me I wouldn’t be able to have my gall bladder operation until at earliest midway through June, because there had to be a seven-week gap between onset of Covid and general anaesthetic – also a four-week ban on flying afterwards! However we had a long chat and I felt she really listened to my misgivings, especially as she looked at the ultrasound results and said there didn’t seemany urgent need. She is going to email the surgeon. I am going for preliminary bloods etc on Monday anyway, assuming I’m Covid negative. 

FTd David to tell him the news. Dot went to Morrisons and got us stocked up. I wrote a piece for the DCC objecting to new hymn books proposal, and Dot did likewise. She actually went to the DCC, which she handled very well, and I felt gradually worse, which was disappointing. Ended up with a very stiff back for no apparent reason. Prompted by a WhatsApp inquiry from Nikki, I had a longish chat with Ray and Chris. She has a catheter because of a kidney infection. There’s always someone worse off. Watched Masterchef.