Thanksgiving ... Covid Edition

 This year, Thanksgiving was VERY different in my household. We have a pretty big family so usually we are all over the place visiting as many people as possible. This year, we (mom and brothers) were only supposed to be spending it with my grandparents and my aunt. Shortly after making plans, my aunt was quarantined due to an exposure (but she’s negative all is good there!), and after that I was quarantined due to testing positive. My mamal had decided that she would deliver our meals to us, that she still thankfully cooked even though we weren’t going to be able to be together. Normally, Thanksgiving consists of eating meals with the family, playing bingo after dinner for prizes, decorating the family tree and watching  The Grinch (my favorite). This year, I spent the day in my room alone while everyone else got to spend time together upstairs. My mom brought down my food and put it outside my door, and for dinner brought me the left overs. I understand why things are the way they are, but honestly it didn’t make it any easier to do. 

This is day 3 of my covid quarantine and my symptoms have increased. I now have a sore throat again, as well as a low grade fever and a rash on my face and chest. Inhalers every 4 hours and Prednisone every day as well as cough medication and tylonal as needed, Drs orders. I have been on bed rest and have had a hard time doing any type of activity such as walking up the stairs or taking a shower. I also had to order a pulse ox finger monitor to monitor my o2 levels at home. Hopefully within the next 7 days my symptoms improve and I start to feel better so that I can get out of quarantine, but it’s not looking too promising. My advice of the day: wear your mask!!!

The Reality of Having Covid

On November 15, 2020 I woke up with a sore throat and stuffy nose. For the next few days I had what felt like cold and allergy symptoms. After about 5 days or so later I noticed I had a really hard time breathing as well as a cough, sore throat, stuffy nose, and was unusually exhausted. I could not sleep, but I also had a hard time getting out of bed to do anything. I called my doctor back at home and they scheduled me an E-visit to elk about symptoms. During my e-visit, the doctor told me all of my symptoms sound like just allergies, considering I was in the office every year around this time but she ordered me a test anyway for when I was moving back home. Over the next few days before my test, my symptoms started to worsen and I was having more and more difficulty with daily activity. the night before my test I was having to do a breathing treatment that I would normally do for asthma because I was having a feeling of heaviness on my chest. My lungs felt like they were collapsing. I got tested Monday the 23rd and got my results Tuesday the 24th where I received a positive test result. 

I was shocked, I followed every precaution, I don't go out, I wear a mask, and I wash my hands excessively. I was told I was high risk for the virus, so to take extra precautions, yet here I was testing positive. None of my friends that follow zero precautions and go out every weekend had tested positive but me, the one who is super careful got the virus. It's very frustrating. My experience with covid has been different than other people I have known who tested positive. Most I know had little to no symptoms and got through it pretty easily. The day I tested positive, my PCP called my mom and told her I needed to be brought in to the ER to check my lungs since I was experiencing the heaviness and "collapsing" feeling. I spent 4 hours in the ER at Children's Hospital in Cincinnati, Ohio where I got an EKG and a chest X ray. The EKG came back as normal, well as normal as it could be for me considering underlying heart conditions. The chest x ray showed something more cornering, there was a white spot on my lower right lung which could either be a collapsed sac or developing pneumonia. 

I got sent home after I was given a breathing treatment (24 puffs of albuterol and 8 puffs of atrovent) and was given medications to take at home and orders to follow. Every 4 hours I have to take 8 puffs of albuterol and 4 puffs of atrovent. I also was put on a. steroid to take in precaution for the possible collapsed sac in my lung. Other than that I was told to keep taking cough medicine and Benadryl as well as cough drops as needed. Im on bed rest, not like I can do anything else haha right? This is my second day in quarantine, I am experiencing headaches, fast heart rate, shortness of breath, cough, congestion, difficulty sleeping, and hot flashes. I started to lose some of my taste today but that could also be because of the congestion. I have 8 days left of quarantine MINIMUM. As long as I don't develop any new symptoms, all symptoms subside (aside from difficulty breathing because my lungs will take time to go back to normal), and I am fever free ( if I develop one) for at least 24 hour 8 days until Im out of my jail cell of a room. 

Being in quarantine has been difficult, even for only two days, because relying on other people for absolutely everything is notes for me. I am only allowed upstairs to use the restroom and take a shower. Food is brought to me and set outside my door so I can grab it. If I need a drink or literally anything from upstairs I am to ask my mom or one of my brothers which I have had a hard time remembering. So far being locked up in my room is not something I would want to do again and I cannot wait for this to be over. 

To be continued ...