COVID KITS AND DAILY LIFE

These pictures represent what my life has become. This box arrived and when I opened it; I was shocked. Bottles of hand sanitizer, bottles of shampoo and body wash. Bottles of hospital grade disinfectant. More thermometers and oxygen reader. Oh, what's this; paper plates, forks, knives, spoons, cups and what is this? Blue bags...wait! There are hospital grade trash bags! 

Oh if this doesn't make you understand the seriousness of having Covid, I don't know what will.

Daily life won't be the same for a while because what the news doesn't tell you is that your life will be different.

You can't use your regular dishes because even though you will wash them, you will contaminate them once you put them away or take them from the dishwasher. You can't share a bathroom with ANYONE because you will infect them if they use the bathroom after you. You must wear gloves when you decide to cook because you can infect the pots and pans. Check your oxygen because you don't want to go below 95%. Check your temperature because you don't want to go an higher than 100.4. Use the shampoo and body wash because it will help with the irritation you feel when you get that Covid rash.

Oh this is insane. I never heard of any of this on the news and I guess it will make for boring television to share all of these details. 

The nurse tells me that when I run out of these supplies that I need to IMMEDIATELY call for more. 

I don't want to make that call but this is day 30 of what I thought would only be 14 days. 

Wrong! 14 days is a "on the low end" the range is 14-21 and longer depending on when you get the other symptoms. Yeah, they don't announce that on the news either. 

I'm such an over achiever that I have 14 different symptoms. It's no wonder they haven't found some that they didn't think were symptoms. 

I can take the chills and the heaviness. What I can't take is not being able to smell or taste. I have burned up at least three pots because I'm so tired that I fall asleep while cooking and since I am not smelling the burning of food; I only know that the food is burned when the smoke alarms start going off. Tasting food is out as well. So all I feel is hot and cold in my mouth. I know what it should taste like and I try to remember but it is no use.

Even though I have no taste; I still put sugar in my coffee and add cream. Why? Habit....I sit and try and enjoy the coffee but it's no use but I continue to drink coffee every day. One cup in the morning followed by two or three cups of teas during the day to knock off the chills.

I shower at least three times a day because my body hurts and the water makes it feel a little better. The steam from it helps open up my nose from the congestion. 

I was sent elderberry for tea and it helps. My FB friends are the best! I was able to type all of these blogs during moments of energy. 

You have to take the small things when they come because being in isolation is the loneliest feeling.

 

Covid is not something I would ever wish on anyone. 

 

WHAT DOES COVID LOOK LIKE?

Our lives are now dictated by this little machine and a thermometer.

We have to take our temps and our levels four times a day.

He has no symptoms so he has to do it as a precaution.

Me on the other hand, I have so many symptoms that my nurse has said I'm on "over achiever".

What symptoms do I have? I will try and go down the list and describe when I actually got them. 

Jan. 23, I got a monster headache. The headache continues even today, Feb. 10. 

Jan. 24th, I began to sneeze but as long as it wasn't back to back sneezing, I wasn't concerned.

Jan. 28th, I got a sore throat and began to cough uncontrollably. I still have this cough on Feb. 10.

Jan. 30th, the sneezing got worse. Is that even possible? Yes, I would sneeze at least 10 times in a row and become so stuffy that I was now breathing with my mouth open.

Feb. 1st, I am now feeling like I dragging around an extra 200 pounds. I can barely walk 25 steps without almost falling down. My legs feel like I have walked up 100 steps. My breathing is ragged and I'm feeling like I'm coming down with the flu.

For two days, the heavy feeling stays with me. Lying down is not helping. It makes it worst. I feel like I'm drowning by weight. I can't get comfortable. I can't lie on my back or on my side. I can't take it but I push on and try and get some sleep. Thank goodness this goes away by Feb. 5th.

I wake up on the 5th to a snotty nose, chest congestion and new rashes on my back and face. What in the entire world is happening? Is this cold taking a different form and causing this new reaction on my skin. My hands are so dry that I have used an entire bottle of NIVEA lotion (16 ounces) in two days. 

My hair is now brittle and dry. Dry like I have been sitting under a dryer for hours with no moisture. Dry to the point that I am scared to brush it. 

Wait, what's this. A damn cold sore! Yep; that's just what I need! This huge bump is sitting in the middle of my top lip like a trophy. Blistex aint helping this so I apply a warm cloth and hope that it helps it dry up. 

And if it couldn't get any worse....just wait until next weeks update. 

A DAY LIKE NO OTHER

Monday, February 8th was like no other.

Our phones never stopped ringing. The minute the results were known, his doctor called him. My doctors called me.

Covid Response Teams are at our beck and call. 

Covid Care Kits arrived within hours. Oxygen monitors, thermometers, wipes, hand sanitizer, masks. 

We have all of that. We have more than enough of that.  Do you see our stockpile? 

We were ready? So how is this possible. How can WE have Covid-19?

We went into the store with masks and gloves on. We made sure to keep Germ-X in our cars and used it like lotion. We wiped our food down when we brought it home. Every package was wiped with a disinfecting wipe. We took it out of the original package when possible. We made sure to spray LYSOL on all packages coming from AMAZON. 

We made sure that anything that came into contact with us; was wiped, sprayed and sanitized. 

I felt like we were being judged. I felt like we did something wrong. 

Wait a minute; I know I did everything right. It was the people at the store; with no masks that did this. It could have been the gas pump that I touched before I remembered my plastic gloves. Hell, it could have been the keypad that touched my credit card at the store. 

Lawd, now I need to wipe down everything in my purse. It's not enough to change my purse every time I go out. I need to now wipe down everything that was in that purse when I was out.

I need a bubble. That's what I need. 

There is nothing more that I could have done but now here we are. 

We need food for at least a week. Because he doesn't have any symptoms, he is allowed to go back to work on Tuesday, Feb. 16. 

Me on the other hand, I have to be symptom free for 24 hours and then my quarantine will begin. 

Yep; they don't tell you that on the news. 

Lucky for us, his niece calls and says she will go to the store. Lucky for us, my daughter calls and says she will go to the store. Yay! 

We feel bad about it but at the end of the day we are thankful.

His niece calls, comes to the door; masked up and he hands her the card. She leaves for the store and we are happy.

My daughter calls. "I'm outside with your food. DON'T open the door. I'm going to bring the food, leave it at your door and leave. Open the door once I'm back outside." 

I'm just happy, I comply and then I run to the window like a little kid. I knock. She sees me, she waves, I wave and I wait. I hear the knock on the door; I look back out the window and see her and then I know I can open the door. There is our food and water. 

Wait, let me wave goodbye but she is already pulling off. I stand at the window, looking like a little puppy who got left at home. 

Then I laugh. 

Because hey, if I don't, I'm going to start to cry.

THE RESULTS ARE IN

It's Monday, February 8th and the test results are in.

Recap.

I've been dealing with this nasty cold for over a week and finally gave in and called my doctor on a Friday night. I took my Covid test on Saturday, February 6 and here we are.

All caught up? 

It's now 9am and my phone dings, signaling that I have an incoming text. 

I check and see that my Covid results are in.

I open my email and see the large bright red exclamation point and the words CRITICAL in the corner.

This can't be good.

I read the words, "You have a POSITIVE Covid-19 test result"

Nope, I couldn't have read that right. So I re-read it. Over and over and over and over.

The words never changed. I couldn't believe it. I'm positive. 

Then my phone rang. MD COVID it said and so it began.

"You will be assigned a Covid response team. You will be sent a Covid Kit. You will have a nurse checking in on you every day. Do you have a way to check your oxygen level? 

Wait What. 

Do you have a way to check your oxygen levels?

Sure, I have that just lying around the house. No, no I don't have a way to do that. Should I? 

"We will send you one" 

That phone call lasted two hours. Two hours set my world upside down. Turned everything into a rush.

You need to have someone get your food for you. Do you need food? We can send you some. Do you need meds? Well not yet but we will send that to you as well. Do you need transportation? We can arrange that as well. 

I was sick enough that when I did my first oxygen check, within 2 minutes of uploading it, a nurse called and told me to immediately call 911. Instead I had him take me to the ER. 

I felt like I was in a movie. I had to go because I have asthma and because my breathing was labored. They wanted to keep me. I can't do it. I can't be alone for days at at time. 

That is where my mind went. I told my children and they started calling and sending messages, via our family chat on FB. 

Why didn't you stay? You need to go back. 

They didn't understand the terror that I felt. I wouldn't even get to see them. I couldn't have my phone because they will take it. 

No, I will go home. I want to be around things that I love and people that I love. At least I would be able to say goodbye. 

Truth be told, if I was going to die; I wanted to die at home. Not in a hospital, alone with strangers.

COVID TESTING

My doctor wants me tested ASAP. 

It's a Friday night and his office is closed but he tells me to get a test done at CVS. 

So I make the appointment and I have one for Saturday morning.

I have so much to do because I got a flat tire and need to get that fixed but I am still coughing and wheezing and sneezing like it's the middle of allergy season. I've gone through 2 full sized boxes of tissues and 4 small purse sized packages of tissues. I'm now resorting to the McDonald's napkins stuffed in my glovebox because I've run out. 

I manage to get all of the things done that I need to and make it to my appointment at CVS at 11am.

They give me the little brown bag containing my test kit. 

It consists of a long swab, a vial of some sort of liquid and a large gallon sized baggie with a sanitizing wipe in it.

The pharmacist gives me the directions on taking it and I'm terrified of sticking this thing in my nose.

"Make sure you push it up and not back." he says. "Make sure you go far enough that you bring a tear to your eye." 

Are you serious? Hmmm, how can I be sure that I am doing this right? Make my eyes water? If it's uncomfortable to do; won't I just stop SHORT of making my eyes water? Seems only natural that I wouldn't purposefully make myself cry.

It takes me about 5 minutes to decide to do this.

I take a deep breath and go in. 

"Go in as far as the scored line on the swab, Ms. Bowman" he says through the intercom. 

Wait, scored line? What scored line? How in the hell am I supposed to see a scored line with this swab up my nose. 

I'm panicking now and just as I am about to pull out that swab he says, "That's good. Now leave it there for 15 seconds." 

Wait what! 15 whole seconds. He's got to be kidding but he isn't because he holds up a timer. 

15 seconds is a helluva long time. Then his voice again, "Now turn the swab...roll it between your fingers 4 or 5 times. 

This has GOT TO BE a joke! But I do it and then he says, pull it out.

When I do...well let's just say, I swear I pulled some of my brain out. Well, I didn't really but I pulled something out of my nose and then he says, "Now insert the swab into your other nostril."

I swear I gagged, I really did. 

Now I have to put this nasty swab in my other nostril and do the same thing. 

Clearly I do because I look over and he is holding up the timer again. What I would like to do with that timer!

He then tells me to put the swab into the vial and to break it off at the score mark. 

I'm more than happy to do that. This torture is almost over. 

I catch a glimpse of him and he looks pretty disgusted too. Maybe he got a look at that stuff hanging off of my swab. Yeah..it was totally gross!

I put it in the baggie and then he LOUDLY says, "Put it in the bin and MAKE SURE YOU WIPE IT DOWN AFTER YOU DO."

Like dude...really. I felt just like a leper at that point. Good thing I was in my car and my windows are tinted. I wouldn't want anyone being able to identify that leper driving away.

He says it will take 2 days to get my results. 

So now...

I wait.

IT'S JUST A COLD....OR IS IT

 January 28th, I wake up with a stuffy nose. 

Nothing major; just a stuffy nose. I cough a couple of times but it's the tiredness that I can't shake.

I go about my day and decide to go to the grocery store. After getting dressed, I am to tired to go outside. 

Literally, I can't bring myself to walk about 20 steps out of my house to get into the car. I try at least three times and then I give up.

This is stupid I think but I figure I have more things to do in the house and decide to clean. 

I clean the blinds, drapes and then begin to re-arrange the living room. Halfway through I'm to tired to go on. I lay down.

That is major because I never, ever, ever lie down in the middle of the day. 

Before long, I wake up and see that three hours have passed. 

What in the entire world is going on? I NEVER sleep during the day like that. But I'm glad because I feel slightly better and have just enough energy to go to the store.

Right?

Wrong? 

I get into the grocery store and my legs feel like they have been weighed down by 200 lb weights.

Is this is what it feels like when the mob gets ahold of you? Lawd, I feel sorry for those men back in the 50's.

The day progresses but now I'm sneezing more and the cough is becoming pretty aggravating. 

Damn, I'm coming down with a cold. That's the last thing I need. 

I blame him...but I'm joking so I push on but the next few hours become pure torture.

It's January 31st and I am not feeling any better. 

I decide to call my doctor and he tells me to take a Covid-19 test. I make the appointment and things begin to go downhill pretty quickly.