I followed the rules…and I STILL got Covid.
I follow the rules.
Mostly.
But in the case of Covid-19? As SOON as a vaccine was available, I signed up. And within just a few weeks I found myself sitting in a vacant JC Penney in the Eastfield Mall along with hundreds of other people.
By the end of April, I was “fully vaxxed”. I remember seeing all the ads that said once you were vaxxed you could ditch your mask! I could not WAIT for that! It had been a year of wearing it and I was over it like the rest of the country.
May, June, July, August, September, October and most of November? I was good! I wore my mask in social settings and continued to wash my hands.
The weekend of November 13th, I attended my first event where masks were not required. I still wore mine, but to be honest, once I arrived and saw everyone else all dressed up and NOT wearing a mask? I put my mask in my purse where it stayed for the rest of the evening. I ate and drank and socialized and pretended to socially distance as I did the electric slide with 100 strangers.
Fast forward a few days later.
My throat is scratchy, but not more than it had been in the past. But by the following Friday night, I felt like I had been hit by a train. I was sick.
On Monday morning I ordered an at home test from Walgreens and within 30 minutes I had a positive result. I called my doctor and was told to self-isolate for ten days and to call if my symptoms got worse.
All I could think about were the horror stories I had heard about people collapsing and dying at home from Covid- so I was scared! But instead of being afraid, I made a plan. What would I need? And how would we get it? By sundown our porch was filled with supplies from our village: homemade soups, candles, paint night supplies, even a pair of Tom’s shoes!
So now that we have survived Covid at home, I wanted to share what we used so that you can stock up in case Covid arrives at your doorstep.
Oximeter. This measures the oxygen in your blood. I tested myself every few hours the first few days to makes sure the number stayed above 95.
Advil Cold and Sinus: I would get the one from behind the pharmacy counter. I took this for 5 days straight and I feel like it kept my symptoms at bay.
Thermometer: This is how I kept track of my temp. You may already have one at home.
Fresh Juice: There is an awesome fresh juice place in my area so I ordered juice and picked it up curbside.
Door Dash: This app saved us! We could have items delivered within an hour!
Final tips:
When you are tired, rest. The fatigue I felt during Covid was something I had never felt before! So when I was tired, I rested.
Let your village know you are sick. I know, you’re strong and independent, but take it from me: Covid does NOT care. Not one bit. So I don’t want you to be stuck feeling so sick you can’t even care for yourself. If someone asks if they can leave something on your porch, say YES and then send them a list. Do NOT feel bad about it. I had friends delivering everything from cheese puffs to wine to homemade soup.
When you are able to, get boosted. If you are like me you may be on the fence about getting boosted since you caught Covid after being “fully vaxxed”. But we all know our chances of survival are better if we are vaxxed and boosted. So do it.
