Getting the Coronavirus- A Personal Story

So it happened. All the precautions my spouse and I took. Staying in our “bubble”, utilizing grocery delivery, masking up for essential outings, not going out to eat, not engaging in social gatherings… But eventually, we contracted COVID-19.

I thank God, we survived. We didn’t experience the severity many families have. But the experience touched our lives in heart-breaking ways.

First, let me state that getting the virus is no fun. We did not require hospitalization. We didn’t need treatment – outside of home remedies. Unlike the seasonal flu, where you typically feel bad for a period of time, then increasingly feel better. The coronavirus hits you, knocks you out, then stays. You get better in waves. You think your symptoms are getting better- but then it comes back. It’s like a roller coaster. For us, this went on for a month. You wake up in the morning, really not knowing if you are going to be able to function or not.

Mentally it’s tough as well. We all see the numbers of people dying from this. My spouse and I are analyzers. So when our chest felt like an elephant was sitting on it, our brains naturally went to “Wow, is this it?” “Am I going to need help breathing? Am I going to need a ventilator, or need hospitalization?” There are a lot of mental gymnastics that your mind goes through. Worrying for valid reasons.

Then there’s the non-productivity. We were both so tired all the time. Headaches beyond belief. Makes it difficult to function. Body aches. I had this weird rash and my spouse lost his taste and sense of smell.

The good news is that this happened back in September, and after a month, our symptoms had pretty much disappeared. (Although, it’s December and he still can’t smell.)

The heartbreaking part for us is that our parents are elderly, and in assisted living facilities. Because of this, they can have no visitors. One has dementia, so face time and virtual meetings are not possible. Staff has been great, but they don’t have the capacity or time to help with these things. So our loved ones are left mostly alone. No meals or activities with their “inside” friends. The rehab specialists working with our loved ones have seen such a decline in the overall health of residents. They’re not physically or socially participating in events due to restrictions. Sending care packages and making regular phone calls helps, but you can hear their loneliness over the phone. They understand the risks of seeing loved ones, so they comply and follow the rules. But it is heartbreaking to watch.

So for us, contracting the virus was bad…but watching how it effects loved ones and other families with more serious and fatal outcomes, is truly heartbreaking.

We don’t know at this point if we have enough antibodies to avoid contracting this again. Or if it will “resurface” at some point in the future. But what we do know is that we will continue to be vigilant in doing our part. Masking up, washing hands and doing everything we can to help stop the spread of this.

In the meantime, we send blessings and love to all those affected by this pandemic.