T-Day 1: I started coughing this day. Major coughing fits. I was in the office and I felt like I was creating a huge ruckus. When I mentioned to my boss that I thought I would feel better if I could just stop coughing, he didn’t even know what I was talking about. I went home from work around 3 and when it was time to go the gym, which I told myself I was going to do, I just couldn’t see myself doing it. So I sat around. The coughing wasn’t quite as bad when I didn’t move, so I didn’t move.

Actual Day 1: This day I woke up and felt super sluggish. This is totally out of character for me. Usually I get up and get going when my 2nd alarm goes off. Today I snoozed it and didn’t get up until 7:09. Ok, ok, it doesn’t seem so late, but I did it – I got up. Then I started getting ready and I put on a pair of jeans, a t-shirt and whatever sweatshirt I had laying there – which is also uncharacteristic for me. Usually I would go hunt down a clean sweatshirt. I went in to the bathroom to put some makeup on and every few minutes I just kind of had to stop and gather myself. Lucky for me my hair was still straight so I sprayed some dry shampoo in it, brushed it through and went downstairs… very slowly… to get breakfast. Making breakfast seemed to take forever. When I went to eat it, it tasted good but I had to force it down. Again, not normal for me. By the time I left the house it was 8:20 or so. I never leave that late. I almost always leave before 8. Then I got to the office and just sat there in my car… staring at the office. It seemed so far away even though it’s probably 20 yards or so, if that. Finally I got out of my car and went inside. Normally I would turn my computer on and start walking immediately. I turned my computer on and just sat there…. staring at it. Not even opening any programs. At this point I knew something was terribly wrong. I messaged my boss that I wasn’t feeling well and came home. I slept for about an hour until my body got so sore from laying there that I had to get up.

Around 12:30 my neighbor ask me if I had taken a Covid test yet and I said no. When I mustered up some energy, I went up and took one. 15 minutes later I had a solid double red line. Covid. I called and spoke to a nurse and set up a Telehealth call with my doctor. She prescribed me an antiviral and some cough syrup with codeine (which, by the way, tastes awful). While I was on my Telehealth call I had an awful coughing fit. The kind where you can’t stop and your whole body just convulses. Luckily it wasn’t one of the one’s where you lose control and feel like you’re going to suffocate. I’m not sure what she would have done if that had happened. It’s not a pretty sight. I could tell she felt awful for me though because she almost immediately was like, “With that cough, I don’t see any reason why I wouldn’t prescribe the antiviral… I’m also going to prescribe cough syrup with codeine and hopefully we can get that cough to calm down.” I’m so lucky to have such a caring neighbor who went and picked up my prescriptions for me as well as some groceries. I’m not exactly sure how I would have gotten it being that I’m not allowed to leave my house until Monday (provided my symptoms have subsided by then).

Now, what are my symptoms today? Achy body, anytime I move I cough… when I say cough, I mean like, I feel like my throat is minced meat and my lungs aren’t far behind. I’m hot, I’m cold, and round and round. I have a headache but it comes and goes. My nose is just running and running. Just blow it right? Except when I blow it, it makes me cough. For some reason, my feet just will NOT get warm. I took a shower earlier because I needed the help regulating my temperature and that was the only time my feet have been warm today. I’m still eating which is good. I’m trying to remember to drink water, though it hurts to swallow it.

So far I give Covid negative 5 stars.