Yep, you read that right. I have tested positive**. During this pandemic we have taken every precaution and yet, even the best efforts can’t guarantee you won’t catch it. I went about 2.5 years Covid-free, which I guess is good considering how often those I live with go out. You all know how little I leave the house and that I never eat out. We returned from our trip a couple of weeks ago (if you want to read more about that, click here). Before anyone starts asking, yes, we were masked the whole time and used sanitizer on everything we came in contact with, including the whole airline seat, belt, tray, etc. on the flights, as well as the room, and ship. My assumption is that I caught it during the flight home, but unfortunately there is no way to be sure. I also don’t know which variant this is. I’m slowly getting better (by that, I mean progress is happening “slower than molasses in January”), but it’s nothing I didn’t expect. This post is only about my experiences during the first week. I won’t be posting about the rest of my progress, except perhaps once I’ve recovered, as I don’t want it to become a focus for this blog.

We spent around 10 days in Alaska and Vancouver. Alaska was beautiful. The scenery and weather were incredible as were the locals. We got some freebies from the different jewelry stands, souvenirs from the outlet, and shot some incredible pictures of Alaska’s natural wonders. I must admit that Alaska is one of the last places I’d think to go. No particular reason–It just wasn’t on the list. Once we were there, however, it was incredible. The stops were: Icy Strait Point, where people could go zip-lining; Juneau and my personal favorite- Ketchikan. Ketchikan is where we got to see a lumberjack show. Even though it was definitely more geared towards kids, it was fun to see. Those guys really put a lot into the performance.

*A note about the following paragraphs: I wrote my experiences on the day they were occurring in order to give the most accurate description, hence the tense.

Day 1

As I mentioned, we did everything we could to stay safe, and then some. Sanitizing, bleaching, cleaning, etc. Someone else in our party was feeling a bit sick the day we arrived home. They, so far, have tested negative, along with the other three in our group. Hopefully it stays that way. I felt a slight fever coming on today and checked my temperature. It was 102.4°F. To be safe I took an at-home test that lit up like a Christmas tree. I currently feel like I have a bad flu: Stuffy nose, brain fog, and I’m losing my voice. I’m also sweaty and it is definitely more difficult to breathe. Did I mention that I can’t seem to fall asleep? Here’s hoping I feel better tomorrow. During our trip we tested every other day, including the day before we arrived home. ALL tests were negative for us, until today. The situation really makes you realize how others treat this virus, themselves, and others. I was reading that people on board had felt off, but never bothered to get tested during the cruise.

Day 2

I’m still awake. It’s almost 3:30am. I had the worst tickle in my throat that caused me to cough and heave for a few minutes. Everything is okay for now. I’ve been monitoring my vitals to make sure that things are on the up-and-up in that department. If you don’t have one, I highly suggest getting a pulse oximeter, just to have around. It can really come in handy. Anyway, that aside, I woke up with a very sore throat. That could have been caused by how I was sleeping. I took a nap for about an hour, and was wakened by the sound of someone doing yard work–weedwacker, hedge trimmer, mower…and then the drilling and sawing started. The closest thing I can equate to how I feel is a rollercoaster. Sometimes I feel better, sometimes it’s more difficult to breathe, and everything is overall very frustrating.

Day 3

The fever, as of this afternoon has not come back. It’s still slightly painful to take a deep breath in, and I have the usual post-nasal drip and sore throat from coughing. Someone here has decided to do the yard, which woke me up. Three days and only 6 hours of sleep is probably not doing my body any favors. I had an appointment with my GP today. After checking in the office called to check me in. It’s a counterproductive system. They also don’t take online payments, so I had to leave isolation to get my wallet otherwise I probably would not have the telemed call. Ugh. Update: I took the first dose of antibiotics and vitamins that were prescribed, so here’s hoping they help. I’m feeling better today, although my sense of smell is off due to the incredible amount of disinfectant being sprayed into the air (by someone in the house who likes to concentrate it right at my door). I still have my senses of smell and taste…for now.

Day 4

Today is the fourth day since my Covid positive results. I have three more days of antibiotics left and am starting to feel a bit better. That being said, I’m not sure if I’m actually feeling better or if it’s the medication talking. Since I’m stuck in the same room I thought I’d end up tidying up and that. Nope. I’m so used to pushing and overdoing things when I’m sick, but this time I’m really listening to my body. It’s so important do so, especially when it’s fighting such a forge in virus. Nothing is worth the possibility of making my condition worse.

Day 5

Today is Father’s Day. Normally I’d make dinner, but since I’m still self-isolating, that won’t happen. Maybe I’ll make up for it at a later date. Today I’m feeling slightly better. Breathing is a bit of a chore, as I knew it would be, but nothing is getting worse. I’ve been trying to let my body rest and sleep, which is proving to be difficult since people are doing work on the houses around us. I would love to be able to get some sort of work done, but I’m too lethargic.

Day 6

I’m almost at the 7-day mark since testing positive for Covid. I really wish I knew which variant this was. Even though I’m feeling better daily, it’s not exponential. That being said, any progress is worth celebrating. This cough may linger for months, which is something I’m prepared for…as much as one can prepare.

Day 7

Today I’m feeling not much different than yesterday. I’m tired all the time, have difficulty falling and staying asleep, and it feels like a never-ending sinus infection. Everything I have experienced/am experiencing is nothing unexpected. I’m grateful that I got medication from my GP when I did because it seems to have helped, even on a small scale. Quarantine has been okay, except that I really miss my fur babies. My princess sits and cries at the door, which is hard to handle, but having her in here is not worth possibly passing this on. Just a few days left of isolation. Let’s hope it goes by fast.

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That’s all for now. Peace & Love, always!

Note:

**If you have any questions, let me know. Please note that this is just my experience and it shouldn’t be generalized. If you think you are positive, be sure to test and contact your GP/PCP for next steps.