CoVid-19
It’s been a full week since Mitchell took a PCR test. The next day it came back positive. Thankfully we’d already been quarantining ever since Ava and I became symptomatic on Monday, December 20, 2021. Today is the first day I actually feel most like myself since getting sick.
Before having CoVid-19, I did wonder what it was like to experience it. Most of the people we knew that had it were the ages of our parents or grandparents. It seems that this time it is our peers, those in their thirties, that are testing positive. I felt compelled to jot down our experience as well items we found helpful to have for those who may also be curious and want to be prepared.
Everyone in our family that’s eligible is fully vaccinated. We, unfortunately, did not have our booster shots before getting sick. Theodore is 3 years old. He experienced the mildest symptoms: a cough and a runny nose. No one in our family has known comorbidities. Ava has a more complex medical history so I have always made sure she has her inhaler script filled. Mitchell and I are in relatively good health with normal bloodwork. We both try to stay fit (I write that knowing full well one of us loves looking at home gyms in their free time while the other loves looking at recipes of desserts).
Our combined symptoms were: fever, headaches, nausea, vomiting, stomach pain, diarrhea, fatigue, shortness of breath. The most frustrating thing for me was the cyclic nature of the fever. I have never had a fever keep coming back so relentlessly after so many days. At one point, I was just sick of being sick.
And because I’m a lover of lists, here are the items we found helpful:
As a healthcare worker, Mitchell always gets exasperated when I claim one of the kids or I feel warm. “Yeah but did you check your temperature? What’s your temperature?” Having a thermometer was handy when Mitchell’s fever shot up to 103.4. Through chattering teeth, he told me that if it kept climbing to 104, I would have to drive him to the Emergency Department as that’s organ failure territory. We have an oral thermometer as well.
We also kept our thermometer and medicine in a shallow Tupperware and moved it around whenever we needed it. It was handy to have everything in one location.
When our fevers were at their worst, we were alternating between ibuprofen and acetaminophen every three hours. We noticed that taking medication around the clock when we were going through the worst part helped keep our fevers relatively low. Mitchell says there’s a belief in medicine that you don’t chase pain in the hopes of managing it. Be proactive.
Fevers dehydrate you. We had a ton of Gatorade and Liquid I.V. on hand. We also had saltine crackers, rice cakes, hard pretzels, and fresh fruit on hand when we were vomiting and couldn’t keep much down. When we were nauseous, I also put a lit glowstick in a bucket before lining it with plastic bags so that you could see the bucket in the dark.
Clean clothes
Something I never really thought about until we went through having the coronavirus was clean clothes. Every time our fever would return, we would shiver and sweat our way through it resulting in damp clothing. So we frequently changed our clothes (cotton long sleeves, long pants, and socks). No one has the time to fold when they’re sick. Wash, dry, and dump those clothes in a designated clean hamper.
I personally try to stay away from one use items if I can help it so I’m doing a slight cringe just listing disposable plates. It was honestly a life saver when we were so sick though. We had this EcoSave brand on hand from when our dishwasher was broken for several months.
Teas
Our throats were in so much pain so I brewed us tons of Throat Coat tea with heaping a spoonful of raw honey in every cup. I also love Starbucks’ cold buster so I made a lot of that as well. I used steamed lemonade, raw honey, Teavana peach tranquility, and Teavana Jade Citrus Mint. I’d steep in some Harney and Sons Moroccan Mint tea if I needed a little caffeine boost.
We were both extremely congested. Mitchell is the type to take a decongestant, blow his nose, and call it a day. I, on the other hand, enjoyed standing in the shower with these Vicks vapor tablets and breathing in the steam.
Exercise Gear
As the aforementioned avid reader of recipes, I’m inwardly groaning at myself for this bullet point but I stand by it. It was nice to do gentle, physical things after a few days of being febrile, exhausted, and sore. I found a yoga mat, and foam rollers of various sizes (large and small) to be handy to stretch and massage my body. I enjoyed these two yoga routines (one and two) the most when I feeling absolutely crummy.
With past quarantine experience, I knew it would be beneficial to have a lot of the kids’ favorite snacks on hand. It’s also a lot easier when the kids can have snacks that they can help themselves to relatively quickly instead of us prepping them. I’d just try and brainstorm things your family would need to be happy and comfortable while at home for a long string of time.
I am obviously not a healthcare practitioner. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to call your physicians and ask! I see firsthand how the pandemic has worn everyone down as a spouse and relative of healthcare workers. Please remember to stay patient and kind.
Wishing everyone a safe 2022!