The test result came back as positive for COVID-19 on July 10th but I had suspected I had the virus within 24 hours of my first symptoms.
I am so blessed. Fundamentally healthy, I am 64 years old and I do not smoke or drink. I am maybe 30 pounds over what I would like my ideal weight to be and I have seasonal allergies and migraine headaches that are managed through the use of botox shots. I am good. All in all? I am good.
The symptoms began as what felt like my usual summer cold. I did everything I was supposed to do - called my doctor and then my boss. I knew I would not be allowed to go to work because of the strict protocols in place and I accepted that all my hard earned hours of sick leave and vacation time would now be kaput. It is what it is - I am grateful to have a job.
It rubbed my immigrant work ethic the wrong way to have to take off work for what, in the past, would have meant a shot of DayQuil and a couple of tylenol but this is the world we live in today (I told myself, trying not to panic over my finances) and I am going to accept life on God's terms right now. I will be okay.
Within about 4 hours of my initial onslaught of stuffy nose and coughing I started to shake. The chills were flipping amazing. I went from that to being drenched in sweat. I took my temperature and it was very low grade fever - barely pushed 100 - but for the next two days I went back and forth between being so cold I couldn't stop shaking to having to change clothes and do laundry.
The Body Aches began.
Good Lord - everything hurt. I hurt from the top of my pointy little head to the bottom of my flat little feet. I took one Ibuprofen and that barely touched it. I couldn't sit, stand or lie down to get relief. The only thing that kind of helped was hot showers. I was not comfortable getting into the bathtub because I live alone now and if I could not get out (by this time weakness had started to hit) I did not want to flip out the fire department or my neighbors.
The test was done on July 10 - five days after the symptoms began - and I had the results by Tuesday morning. By then I knew in my gut. Getting it confirmed was good because I can take the time from July 10 to July 24 to make sure I am truly rid of this virus before going back to work.
I have laughed with a friend who told me that his brother in law would accuse me of being a crisis actor. Then someone on Twitter did accuse me of that and I had to really laugh. The lengths some of you will go to in order to just not have to face the fact that this is a horrible virus and it can really kick someone's butt and maybe kill people is amazing!
I am pretty sure I was exposed by someone attending in person meetings with unit-maskers but maybe not. Maybe it was at the grocery story. Maybe it was at the hardware store. My doctor told me that because I do wear a mask in public and because I limit my exposure to public places I have a mild case. He commended me for doing the best I could and then said something very telling.
"If only all my patients were reasonable like you".
He told me how tired he is - the political bs around this virus has him questioning the basic common sense of the average person. He could care less who I vote for, what he cannot understand is how flat out resistant people are to common sense, how angry they are at each other. He told me, "between the self righteousness of the maskers to the anger of the anti maskers, I am just about done with humans".
Not a good thing for a doctor.
I am so blessed to have the Faith Tradition I have - I have been able to really unite my pain this past week with the pain of Jesus on the road to the cross. As much as I have hurt, He hurt more. I am hopeful my pain will end and I know, because of Him, my pain has meaning.
My friends have been awesome. The crazies have dissipated and I don't have to worry about them. My good support system - family included - makes this trial easier to bear.
So my prayers are going out to those who are really alone. I am grateful. I am in isolation. I am in quarantine. I am not alone.
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