Yup, it finally happened: the BC, DC, AC
I once worked in a Petri dish. Working in a school there is always the possibility getting infected with something–simple stuff, like a cold to gross stuff like pink eye. In twenty years teaching I managed to avoid the worst of it: Covid.
BC: Before Covid there was the usual dealing with colds, flu, even walking pneumonia, yet knowing recovery would be around the corner helped get through those times. Sick days taken, taking time to get healthy–all a given.
Then–2019. Masks, disinfectant, isolation, on-line education, tests kits, and other aspects became de rigueur.
Going back into the classroom amidst a pandemic compounded the usual stress that comes with working in education. Early retirement sounded better and better.
Wait a minute, two years into retirement, essentially living like a hermit, picking and choosing which places and opportunities to go and participate in, living a careful preventative life (get a booster, wear a mask if feeling sniffly) just how did Covid arrive on my doorstep, especially having avoided it all that time surrounded by it when teaching?
Well, it began with that little back of the throat tickle, the one that says “Hey, a cold might be coming–take care.” Not being sick for two years (funny how getting away from that Petri dish almost guarantees better health), I thought, “I guess I can handle a cold. Three days tops.”
It wasn’t a cold.
DC: There was that niggling suspicion something was amiss. The next day I woke feeling miserable. The yuck truck slammed into me with a fever, aches, and the need for a constant supply of tissues. Deciding to finally make use of that little government kit that’s been up on the shelf gave me that dreaded indicator: Covid.
The shock hits because of all the horrible stories come to the surface: losing smell and taste, getting hospitalized, even dying. It’s almost akin to getting snakebit. I absolutely did not seeing it coming.
Sparing details. I did cancel appointments (even one that took four months to get and now it’s pushed back to February) and isolated. Awkward and inconvenient in a small house. I immediately put a request into our church prayer chain and hunkered down. Three weeks later the symptoms are abated although stamina is not quite 100%, I am feeling better each day. No fever for over two weeks and so I hustled over to my pharmacy and got both my Covid booster and my flu shot. I’ve lost five pounds (no complaints) and my appetite is severely reduced. That could be a positive.
AC: After Covid? I’m cautious about being caught in close crowds. While I did not wear my mask as much once getting my initial booster I do now, learning that getting a booster helps reinfection is possible.
What’s really strange is my son called to check on me, unbelieving I had never had Covid considering I was teaching during the height of the pandemic. He had already gone one round with it (living in a large city has its disadvantages) and the next day he texted to let me know he had woke with a fever and tested positive. Can Covid be transmitted by phone call? Yikes.
So–stay well and do what you need to do to stay healthy. That yuck truck is a reckless driver.
Pam Webb 