I had sinus congestion on September 23rd and just to be safe, I did a home Covid test. It was negative, so I went to work- we all mask at our desks so it wasn't a big worry. John had a fever that night, so we pushed Gatorade and Ibuprofen, but his Covid test was also negative.
Sunday night, before heading to work on Monday, I did another at home test that was again negative- which was good as I had a work project I had to get done on Monday.
But Monday was a rough day. I did not feel well and it got worse over the course of the day- I left early and on arriving home, did my third at home test of the week. And it was positive.
For the first time since the pandemic was declared on March 13, 2020, this illness got hold of me. On September 27th I did a proctored exam that confirmed that I had COVID-19. Bah Humbug!
Still, I consider myself truly lucky- I had my vaccine and first booster. When I was diagnosed, my Primary Care Provider prescribed Paxlovid, and five days later I was on Prednisone. But I did not have to be admitted to the hospital. I did not end up intubated.
But the cough, the insomnia, the aching bones and fatigue that is impossible to describe. I am using Vicks, albuterol, Reishi Mushroom tea with Rooibos and Orange Peel- which tastes worse than dirt but I need to do something.
I was out of work for another week- My FMLA ran through October 17th...And I went back to work today- and only worked a half day because I was exhausted. After speaking to my manager, we agreed to me working short days the rest of the week.
I am not a fan of this illness.
