It Finally Got Me

I knew it right away–the monstrous headache and nausea coupled with congestion and coughing. No ordinary cold or allergies, I quicky found a home test. A few minutes later two bars appeared, confirming I had COVID. In my immediate family only the oldest (me) and the youngest grandson had avoided the dreaded virus all these months and years. But it finally got me!

My son encouraged me to call my doctor and get started on Paxlovid immediately, which I did. That evening I took my first dose, then returned to an unmoving position in bed, sick as I have ever been. For two days I remained so, barely eating or drinking. At least the headache was gone, but the best I could do was drift in and out of sleep, not wanting more than for the day to turn into night and back again.

Ever so slowly I improved; my nose stopped running and the nausea faded, though I remained dizzy and had no appetite. Dry toast, applesauce, were my staples and, realizing the dizziness was probably in part due to dehydration, sipping water became my routine. At one point I took a shower but had to use the grab bars to avoid falling, something I had never experienced before. Then, after five days of Paxlovid something shifted, and I knew I was going to be okay.

It's been 12 days since I came down with COVID. I took my first walk today in the early morning fresh air–not a long walk because I’m still not up to par. Looking up into the blueness of a sky overlaid with high-drifting white cloud streamers, I felt a familiar surge of latent joy mixed with gratitude: I am alive and growing stronger every day. As if to commemorate my newly healing self, a crossing guard at a nearby grade school held out her flag for me in the crosswalk, laughingly greeting me as if I were one of her charges. A good beginning to a better day and many more better days ahead.

I don’t know where or when I was exposed to COVID; it could have been anywhere. I routinely wear a mask but, unavoidably, there are times I don’t. As one of my exercise buddies says, it's all around us now. It's just something we need to get used to living with. Hopefully it will lessen in severity as time moves forward, but other nasty viruses are sure to follow. Meanwhile, I will continue to enjoy life as it comes to me, savoring each moment with unchecked abandon.