Well, January started off with a bang when COVID entered our house. Happy New Year, right?? Thankfully, we all survived and had relatively mild symptoms, although at times, I thought it would never end. I decided to do a blog post about it because one of the things that helped me tremendously while going through it was hearing about other people's experiences. My friend, Debbi and her family in California had just gone through it the previous month so she was a huge source of information. Most of all, I so appreciated her encouragement, especially on my hardest days. Can't thank you enough, Deb!
So here's how COVID affected my family...
Morgan- it all started with him on Monday, January 11th. He woke up with mild body aches and the feeling like he might be sick. He still worked all day in his home office. The next day, he had a low grade fever (100.4) and started coughing and sneezing. Still, he worked all day so it didn't keep him in bed or anything. Wednesday morning he decided he should probably go get a COVID test, just in case it was more than a cold or the flu. He had a nose swab test that morning. Over the next two days, his symptoms did not worsen.
In fact, on Friday he woke up and felt better so he was almost certain the test would come back negative. Wrong. That afternoon, he got his results. Positive for COVID. So much for quarantining! Thankfully, he was already on the mend and over the weekend, he just kept feeling better. Total sick time was less than a week. He never lost his smell or taste. In fact, he was eating ice cream at night, just to make sure.😄
Catherine- A massive headache woke me up at 4AM that same Friday morning. It felt like an elephant was sitting on my head. I don't suffer from migraines but my heart went out to all those who do. After taking some Tylenol, it slowly went away. I didn't have any other symptoms at that point but since Morgan's test came back positive, I thought I should probably get tested, too. I went that afternoon and got the same nose swab test. Over the weekend, I had some pain in the middle of my back but no fever or cough. In fact, by Monday, I thought, "This isn't too bad." On Monday afternoon I got my results and to my surprise, I was negative. Huh? Say, what? How can that be when we haven't been quarantining from Morgan AT ALL? I think I probably just tested too soon. The next day, I lost my taste and smell and from that point on, I went down hill. Although I never had any breathing issues, a cough, or fever, I was EXTREMELY fatigued. All I could do was lay in bed in a fetal position and sometimes, I'd get those massive headaches that lasted 4 hours. Even 3 Tylenol couldn't even touch it. Eating was purely out of necessity as there was no enjoyment at all without taste or smell. 😩 As for catching up on reading or watching TV? I couldn't do any of that because my brain was mush. I could not concentrate on anything. This lasted for another 10 days!! You guys, I can't remember the last time I was sick with a cold, let alone in bed for any length of time. When I had my hysterectomy a few years ago, I might have been in bed for 2 days but that's it. Every time I thought I might be feeling better, I got knocked down again. Not to mention, sleep at night was a big issue. I was tired but I just could not fall asleep. Man, I was a sight after two weeks! Finally, on day 14, the fatigue lifted (hallelujah!) but I still had headaches that would debilitate me for at least 3-4 hours of the day. However, I was glad to be up and with my family, not in bed. And then suddenly, on day 16 everything went away and I was back to normal. SO weird! I drank lots of water with electrolytes and tried to have bone broth when I could. My biggest symptom was extreme fatigue. Days 7-12 were the worst. I relied on prayer and texts from Debbi. She called me on day 12 when I was at my lowest and encouraged me that it would all pass soon. She experienced very similar symptoms with the same timeline so that was really helpful. After day 16, my taste and smell slowly started to return. I'd say I've got about 80-90% back now. I'm still experiencing some insomnia (I'm well into week 4 now) but it's slowly getting better. My brain fog lifted at the end of day 16 and now I can read and concentrate again. No more awful headaches! Some other symptoms I experienced: extreme cold and hot (but no fever), dizziness when I was laying down, and numbness in one hand. The only meds I took were Tylenol, Ibuprophen, Melatonin, and Tylenol PM. The 2 sleep aids did not work for me. My family typically takes loads of vitamins so we were already taking plenty of vitamin C, D, Zinc, Magnesium, and a multivitamin.
Faith- The day after I got tested, both girls woke up sick. Faith had classic flu symptoms which included low grade fever, body aches, chills, sweats, and a cough. She also had trouble sleeping at night and this girl typically has no issues with sleep. After a few days, like me, she lost her taste and smell. It took her about 8 or 9 days to get back to normal. Slowly, her taste/smell came back and she's totally recovered now.
Grace- Grace woke up feeling sick the same day as her sister (just a day after me) but she had very mild symptoms. Her first day she woke up with mild body aches and a sore throat. The next day she only had a sore throat and some sneezing. After 2 or 3 days, her symptoms all but went away and she was totally fine. She never lost her taste/smell. Thankful she was able to hold down the fort while I was in bed. She did school with Zach, made lots of meals, and cleaned up after everyone. Then she got to play board games and watch movies with dad at night. Super thankful for her and her sweet servant's heart. She said she got to feel like what it would be like to be a mom.😊
Zach- He was asymptomatic. Which means he was the only one without any symptoms so he was his normal, energetic, LOUD self.😏 Looking back, I remember him mentioning he had a sore throat one morning, the week before Morgan got sick but he only mentioned it once. Otherwise, he was normal so I didn't think much about it. It's quite possible that Zach had it first and gave it to all of us. He tends to touch a lots of kids at the park and playground.
A big shoutout to the girls for helping me with Zach, continuing to school him when I couldn't and just being good sports about being sick, the extra work, and all they were missing while we recovered at home.
Also, we used WalMart and Kroger delivery services and that was super helpful!
My take-away from our COVID experience... I can see why some people call it a lonely illness. When you're stuck in bed for days on end and it's hard for you talk to anyone, let alone think straight, you can tend to feel alone. Especially if you're really sick and isolated from family. Thankfully, we all got sick within days of each other so we didn't need to quarantine from each other. All in all, even though my experience lasted 16 long days, we all had what's considered to be "mild symptoms." I'm extremely grateful for that. I have compassion for those who have had to endure much more than we did. I also have a new respect for the illness as it affects people so differently. For example, I have heard of teens needing to be hospitalized with pneumonia and conversely, Morgan's 92 year old aunt, breezing through within a week, without incident.
Even though we have been careful, COVID seemed somewhat inevitable since so many people we knew had it. My hope is that by sharing our story, you will not be fearful but more informed and encouraged if you or someone you know gets it. Thankfully, with a 99% recovery rate, most people will recover at some point but it is definitely a weird virus to say the least, truly novel.
Lastly, something to note. Perhaps my experience with COVID lasted longer because I have a preexisting autoimmune issue? Not really sure. Also, for Morgan, there were some lingering symptoms he experienced like tingly hands and dizziness. They are gone now. For me, the only thing that lingered was insomnia. Nevertheless, we survived. Praise the Lord! Glad that's over.
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