Covid-19 didn’t kill us, but it wasn’t for lack of trying. This is our experience.
Updated: Jun 17, 2021
The Husband and I are now among those nameless, faceless numbers I have been writing about for months.
I tested positive for the dreaded Covid-19 last month as a surge in new cases arrived in Erath County.
It was two weeks of hell, but I am happy to report that while the #rona didn’t kill us, it wasn’t for lack of trying.
PURE MISERY FROM START TO FINISH
My first inkling that something was amiss was feeling unusually tired.
Life had been busy, so I chalked up my need for a nap to being a little rundown.
The next day I woke up with a runny nose and headache. The constant sneezing convinced me that I was dealing with a pesky head cold so I gulped down some DayQuil and waited for it to pass.
It didn’t.
THINGS TURN UGLY
I woke up on Day 3 with a head that felt like a bowling ball. It pounded with each step I took and every bone and muscle in my body ached.
I took aspirin by the handful and drank NyQuil by the gallon.
By now, The Husband was starting to feel bad.
Later that morning I stumbled into the kitchen and discovered that my taste and smell had vanished into the night.
I went back to bed and cried a little, then started calling around for a rapid test.
‘WE’RE BOOKED, BUT COME ANYWAY’
Finding a clinic with a rapid test in stock took some time, but I finally found a nice lady in Dr. Clayton Roberts’ office at Stephenville Medical & Surgical Clinic who told me they were offering same-day testing.
Although the appointments were booked for the day, she told me to come anyway.
(I think my blubbering tugged at her heart strings.)
The Husband hauled me to the clinic in my Christmas pajamas (I was wearing them, not him) and we were met with a long line of vehicles I assume were filled with patients like me.
We pulled to the back of the building and were greeted by the amiable Dr. Roberts.
He was super friendly and I believed we were on our way to becoming besties until he stuck a stick up my nose and scraped my brain with it.
I didn’t like him much after that.
Less than an hour later, I got the call that I was positive for Covid-19.
I was too sick to do any more crying, so I slept for the rest of the day.
DAY 4: THE PARTY KEEPS GETTING WORSE
After a 12-hour sleep, I woke up feeling completely exhausted. I could barely drag myself out of bed and I hurt from head to toe.
(The Husband was now just as sick, so life in the VB household was super fun.)
To add to the misery, some gastrointestinal issues joined the party and zapped what little energy I had left.
We slept most of the day and treated our symptoms with over-the-counter medication.
When the chills became too much to manage, we took turns soaking in a hot bath.
HOPE ARRIVES (FOR ME) ON DAY 6
After another long sleep, I woke up feeling slightly better. The body aches had eased and for the first time in days my head stopped thumping.
But The Husband wasn’t as lucky.
As my symptoms improved, his worsened. His fever spiked and the body aches kept him on the couch.
When his breathing became labored, I called Dr. Kelly Doggett who did a telemedicine visit and promptly placed him on an antibiotic as a precaution. (There was concern that he was developing pneumonia.)
The meds seemed to help and he finally began feeling better on Day 14.
THE BIG TAKEAWAY
They say there’s a lesson in every experience, right? Well, here’s mine.
Covid-19 is nothing like the flu. It’s debilitating and scary - and it’s very, very real.
The Husband and I are pretty healthy people and were surprised by the force in which the virus leveled us.
To tap into my inner Valley Girl, “Dude, we were sick.”
Thanksgiving, this year, brought a newfound appreciation for our health. We are grateful that we have recovered and are anxious to get back to enjoying the festive holiday season.
Meanwhile, we hope that each of you will take precautions to keep yourselves, families and neighbors safe.
And we pray that a vaccine will soon become available.
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