A little over two weeks ago, Nikke Krize's sister Julie felt pressure in her chest. Then came the shortness of breath, the fever, and the dry cough. Julie's doctor told her she had coronavirus, and she needed to isolate herself and monitor her symptoms.
Julie Krize is an osteopath in Toronto. Normally she's very healthy, so when Julie told Nikke she felt pressure in her chest about two and a half weeks ago, she didn't think much of it at all.
"That night was the first night that I felt shortness of breath to a point where I couldn't lay flat to sleep, and it definitely was something and really stirred me," Julie Krize said.
Julie spoke with her doctor over the phone and was told she most likely had the coronavirus. Julie was told she could go to one of Canada's testing center, but there was a strong chance she would be turned away.
"Reading about the guidelines in Toronto, they were only testing front-line workers and people who work and live in vulnerable communities."
By this point, Julie also had a fever and a dry cough. Her doctor prescribed her an inhaler and told her to isolate herself and monitor her symptoms.
"I felt a soreness in my ribs and my lungs, and when I would breathe in, it would feel like a burning sensation. It felt like I could not take a full deep breath in."
Julie normally has healthy lungs. She is an amateur free diver, which means she dives underwater without breathing equipment.
"I can hold my breath for over four minutes, and at one point, I was having trouble holding my breath for 15 seconds without feeling a painful sensation in my chest."
Julie believes she got COVID-19 from community exposure. Her quarantine time is now over. It was a long two weeks, but she is finally feeling like herself again.
Julie is happy because she is finally able to go outside and go for walks. She wanted to share her story to show people you can recover from coronavirus.