And Then I Got COVID…

I had started back to work at my new Walmart and was getting to know people.  I was enjoying the work.  I was keeping up on the housework and enjoying that too.  I started attending a new church and I liked it.  I was looking forward to a trip up to Rhinelander to meet my new granddaughter.  Ah, all was going well. 

On Wednesday I went up to Rhinelander.  I stopped at church and chatted with the secretary.  Then I went over to meet my granddaughter.  She was so tiny and beautiful.  I enjoyed holding her and talking to her.  I also enjoyed her older brother who is also my grandson.  I spent a couple of hours there before heading over to Walmart. 

At Walmart I saw some of my friends and chatted with a manager.  We shared pictures of our grandchildren.  I got lots of hugs.  It was great to be back yet not back since I did not work there anymore.  After stopping at Dairy Queen for dinner to go I headed home.  It was a great day.  My son stopped by after he got off work and we talked for over an hour.

Then next day I started feeling sick.  I was determined to go to work.  I had just started there I could not be sick.  I got my clothes laid out and put some leftovers in the microwave to eat something before I got ready for my six-hour shift.  I was having a hard time focusing on what I was doing.  I remember opening the fridge door to see if my food was hot yet, not once, but twice.  That is when I realized I was too sick to go to work.  I called in.

I ask Aaron if he would shop for me that evening.  He had gone to Rhinelander to see his kids.  I asked him to stop by when he got back.  I kept waiting for him while I was feeling worse.  He never showed.  I guess he was not feeling good when he got back to Wausau, so he just went home.  I told he I was getting worse.  Some time during the night he came in to check on me.  I never knew he was there since he has my spare key. 

The next day I could not get up.  I would wake up and use the bathroom but that was as far as I could get.  Finally, around 11am I managed to get up and called the clinic.  Somehow, I knew I needed to get tested.  I got an appointment and got an address for the testing site.  I put it into my map app and headed for the site.  It was in a warehouse on a back street.  I was still feeling a little confused.  I do not know Wausau that well.  Somehow, I found the warehouse and I found my way home.  I thought I should eat something, so I stopped at Wendy’s for a burger and frosty.  I ate because I knew I needed to, but I did not enjoy it.  Nothing tasted good!

Aaron came and got my debit card to go shopping for me that evening.  I had him get me frozen dinners.  I did not feel like eating for the first few days.  I would eat a little soup but could not finish much.  I just hung out on the couch and watched TV to distract myself.  I was sure it was COVID even though I had no results yet. 

My twin sister Barb had COVID a couple of weeks before I got sick, so I asked her about her experience.  She has symptoms for about a week, but it was a mild case.  She said it was better to get it over with to build up immunity.  Little did I know after almost two weeks I still am not well.  Saturday, Sunday, and Monday were a blur.  I did manage to watch church on my computer and the Packer game.  Monday, I kept checking the clinic website to see if my test results were in.  I knew it was COVID, but I wanted to confirm it. 

The Friday before I had put in for an emergency medical leave.  I knew if I did not, I would lose my job.  Initially I was off for a week, but I knew it would be longer the way I was feeling.  Tuesday morning the clinic website said I was positive.  Now I needed to inform everyone I encountered while I was in Rhinelander, I was positive.  Unfortunately my grandchildren and their mom, nana and older brother got COVID from me. My granddaughter only had a fever for a few days. The others in the household were sick for a week but are better now.

Every day I posted on Facebook.  I received a lot of prayers and love.  My twin sister ordered cough syrup and had it shipped to me the next day from Amazon.  A childhood friend called a local grocery store and had them deliver an assortment of soups and crackers.  I struggled throughout Wednesday to eat even a little.

Thursday was Thanksgiving.  I woke up with a queasy stomach and threw up bile.  I could not even look at food, even on Facebook.  I managed to keep down water and orange juice, but I did not eat at all.  I was thankful just to get through the day.

During the next few days, I would have periods of feeling okay but most the time I had no energy and a bad cough.  Nighttime was the worst.  I would wake up to use the bathroom and could not go back to sleep. 

So, it has been at least twelve days since I started feeling sick.  I still have no energy and still feel congested.  Yet, I am a long way from where I was a week ago.  I am looking forward to restored health and getting back to going out of the house.

Update: It has been three weeks since I visited Rhinelander. I still have a cough but otherwise I am okay as long as I do not do too much. I chatted with a doctor on Doctor on Demand and he prescribed a steroid. I am hoping to return to work this Friday.

One friend on Facebook said “I am sorry you have to go through this alone” when she saw I had COVID.  I told her I was not alone.  God has been with me the whole time.  Even when I wanted to give up He was there getting me through the toughest times.