By Pam (aka Gates) Johnson
It got me. After these many months of dodging the COVID bullet, the vaccines, the masks, the keeping my distance … it finally got me.
It all started the night before my birthday. I was enjoying a warm, cozy sleep when my nose faucet turned on at warp speed. Wha? No Kleenex in this house, so I grabbed a roll of toilet paper and a paper bag and returned to my Lazy-Boy to finish the night. Needed to get my rest for the birthday festivities soon to come. Except the only thing that came was a headache and a lot of nose stuff.
I got up and thought about getting dressed. But the headache and nose blow-out were getting worse. Had to admit it, I was sick. I wrapped up in my blanket, blew my nose, closed my eyes, blew my nose again, and tried to go back to sleep. No luck. Thought it might be a good time to take a COVID test.
I had a stash of test kits secreted somewhere in my bathroom, so began the search. In my virus haze, the tests remained unfound. Called my niece to see if she had any. She did, but it was expired. I didn’t care.
At this point, I had only enough energy to blow my nose and hope the tissue hit the bag when I dropped it in the general direction. Hydration is important, so I drank water, and you know the next step. On one of the many trips to the bathroom, I spied my test kits. Grabbed one and headed back to my chair.
My kit was expired too, but the on-call nurse said the expiration dates were extended, so I should go ahead. Shoved the Q-tip up my nose hole, put it in the little jar, and waited. About five minutes later, two bright red lines showed up. Well, it was official.
Let my family know I was out for any planned birthday celebrations and back to the blankets and chair. My daughter said it was okay to feel sorry for myself and even indulge in a little crying, so I did.
I sleep in my recliner in the living room with the window open and a fan on my feet. That night, I shut the window, turned off the fan, turned on the heat, and bundled up under two blankets and a comforter… and shivered.
The one thing I did do was get a prescription for Paxlovid, which may or may not have been a good idea. Feeling crappy continued for a week before I decided to call my insurance on-call nurse. I gave her the symptom rundown and timeline, and she said I should go to urgent care. COVID rebound.
Small problem. I was too sick to drive myself and nobody would let me in their car to take me to town. The nurse said, well, wait a few days and see how you feel. Excellent medical advice.
My niece works at a health clinic. She was an angel and checked on me every day. She told me about this new health service on-Island that will come to your house. I called, and within an hour there was a knock on my door. They did a good exam, ordered some prescriptions, and gave me a steroid shot (lucky me, I had an ear infection too). Told me to rest.
One week later, I was still feeling terrible so called the mobile health team again. Zip, zap, and they were knocking on my door. As I sat at my dining room table telling the physician’s assistant my problems, the tech was taking my vitals. The tech checked my pulse and gave the PA the side-eye, and checked my pulse again. They both got a worried look, then told me it should be over 50. Mine was 36. That’s when they brought out the EKG machine.
The EKG showed some anomalies, but not enough to warrant a trip to the ER. They also called the mobile x-ray guy, who came to my house that afternoon and gave me a chest x-ray while I was sitting in my dining room. My heart rate was up to 50, so they said I was okay on my own, and my doctor would call me, which he did.
Long story short, it has been three weeks of this mess, and I am now deemed not contagious and cleared for minimal activity. It’s been a pain in my Kazooie, but there were a few upsides.
Upside one: I have some really good friends and family who checked up on me every day, brought me soup and strawberries and grapes and orange juice. Thanks to you all.
Upside two: I was knitting a baby sweater which got finished and turned out pretty good.
Upside three: No appetite, so I lost some weight.
COVID ain’t no joke. Take it seriously.
