“Don’t ever smoke,” that was the warning I got from my doctor when I was just a little girl. He had come on a house visit to our farm, I had been sent home sick with bronchitis -again. Ever since I can remember, I came down with a severe upper respiratory infection and/or bronchitis at least once a year. Three times that I know off, it turned into pneumonia.
It always started the same, with a sore throat, which overnight turned into a dry itching cough that hurt in my chest. Forced to cough prematurely, it drained me and left me feeling weak. It lingered for a few days, then it became a heavy, barking cough that kept me and everybody else around me, awake at night. Penicillin, antibiotics, and prescription cough syrup with codeine. No matter what they gave me, it took my breath away, left me gasping for air when I took a few steps.
It hit me with and without a flu shot. I tried to be careful and got sick anyway until COVID happened.
When I read about COVID I knew I would be in trouble. “If this pandemic gets me I will end up in the hospital.” It was the only logical conclusion, considering my lifelong battle with chest infections.
I was scared! COVID frightened me -still does.
When the pandemic started, I was careful, wore my mask, stayed at home in lockdown like everybody else, yet, COVID still found a way into our home. My husband tested positive in late December 2020. The test had been part of pre-op procedures.
When I heard he was positive, I knew my itchy nose and the fever was an indicator that I was COVID positive as well, and sure enough, 48 hours later it was confirmed.
I got a sore throat, it lingered for two days, and then I started coughing. Surprisingly enough, for the time in my life, the cough felt different. It didn’t hit my chest, it stayed above it. I didn’t gasp for air. I felt fatigued and weak, but not from coughing. There were no ‘rattling noises’ when I took a breath. My airways were free and clear.
At first, I couldn’t believe it. Could it be that COVID would not get me? I lost my sense of smell and taste, waited for the oh, so familiar chest pain and the cough attacks, the sleepless nights and the panic when you can’t breathe. Nothing!
I had a mild case with fatigue and all kind of funny symptoms, yet I was spared pneumonia. Which doesn’t make any sense at all. I was so grateful.
I got vaccinated, boost-ered, and got COVID again, just two weeks ago. This time we call it Omnicron and it feels different. It seems to suck less than the other one. It’s like a heavy sinus infection. I got nosebleeds from sneezing, blew my nose like an elephant day and night, and slept with my mouth wide open.
Protected by a vaccine, I shudder when I think about how bad it could have been.
Again, no bronchitis, no pneumonia. It even left the little bit of smell I just recently got back alone, just messed with my taste butts. Now chocolate doesn’t taste sweet anymore, which is the ultimate punishment for a chocoholic like me.
“Don’t you dare touch my sweets!” It didn’t listen. Nothing tastes right -again. Been there, done that. I know the drill. I am tired and feel worn out. My eyes are swollen in the morning, my sinuses clocked up. Yet, no cough!
There is no logic to it. COVID and Omnicron spare my lungs when every other flu didn’t.
Can it be explained? Do I like the fact that this virus is in my brain and in my sinuses? No, I don’t like it at all. It frightens me. Still, I haven’t had bronchitis since COVID started. I am going into year three and I know it might sound weird and wrong, but I am grateful.
COVID is real, it’s dangerous it has taken so many lives and it will take more because we cannot come together as a nation, but for whatever reason, it spares me -so far.
Is it wrong to be grateful? Perhaps, but I am!
COVID has changed my life -our lives- in many ways. We spend more time at home and once again life has shown us we spent too much money on things we don’t need. The old puzzle games came in handy. We worked together as a couple and found out we still like each other -it’s not just love. I started writing more, opened up a bit, and I call my friends now on a frequent basis.
I got more selective -not all friendships survived.
COVID has done wonders for my small business. I have always been busy, but now I am booked way into June already. People have spent a lot of time at home recently. Long forgotten antiques and vintage furniture left the basements, attics, and the barns and are now in my workshop, waiting to get a new lease on life. I had to rent a storage room and it looks like I need another one.
I want this pandemic to go away just like everybody else but not all is bad. Our life is now more home-oriented, less distracted.
I feel so grateful and so lucky! Why me? And the universe whispers: “Why not!”
People want the masks mandates to be lifted, and I understand the wish, yet not the logic behind it. They are protesting and behind closed doors, I am trying to shake this virus off.
We need to find a way to live with this pandemic, step by step. Ripping the bandaid might not be a good idea for many. As for me, I don’t care what they order or what will be decided. I will continue to wear my mask until I feel safe.
Our numbers and statistics are wrong. My neighbors are sick as well, they have the same symptoms, fight the same disease but refuse to get tested. Their doctors are playing along, they write prescriptions. “It’s only a sinus infection,” my neighbor informed me and she drives around in her little red car, visits shop after shop.
Wishful thinking? Denial? Political games? Call it what you will. It doesn’t make any sense to me.
COVID spared me so far but I can’t count on it. Nobody can. When will we unite?
For quite some time I have been in the minority shopping with a mask on. I find it confusing that just a matter of days after the local clinic changed to “No Cloth Masks Allowed” and demanded all wore surgical masks, the governor lifted the designation of pandemic emergency. I continue to wear my mask and will for some time. Glad to hear you have once again come out the other side of Covid while it left your lungs alone.
I believe we don’t know what we are doing but we desperately needs things to be back to normal.
Thank you for sharing your story with covid. I had been coughing for a few days and hoping it’s not COVID. Waiting for my result tom. I would like to believe the vaccine will spare us from the worst, and the mask and n95 from being infected. I will continue wearing mask too till I see for myself it’s all safe. As for work, looks like healthcare settings will require it for a long time. Stay safe.
I pretty much had it with COVID and with all the people who think it’s not real or a hoax. I wish I could bottle it up and give them a small dose of reality. 🙂 Be safe! Be you!
If only right? But COVID at its own time will run it’s course. It will infect vast, deep and wide year after year. I have been seeing flu like symptoms when it should be going down, none were positive for flu and some were positive for covid. False negative is very common with omicron as it is time sensitive. Last summer, it was more clear, anyone with flu is covid as flu ends in Summer. Take care my Friend. I truly understand how you are feeling. It does help to write them and be understood by those willing to see and face the truth. Stay safe.
I am not sure, I think it will stick with us and agree with you, for many it will just be like the flu. I need to move to a warmer climate and leave COVID and all future variants behind us.
I agree. I am thinking of relocating too in 5 years somewhere warm and with low infection rate. Preferable close to the beach with warm waters. But for now, we enjoy what we got and try to live long, healthy and happier.
Bridget I am thankful you have come through Covid twice without lung issues. And I do hope the taste of chocolate will return soon! 😀 They are lifting the mask mandate in school in March but I will continue to wear mine, as kids are full of all kinds of other germs that I don’t need to expose ,myself to!
I am scared we are lifting the mask mandates too soon and will regret it, on the other hand, we have to find a way to live with the virus. I am torn on this one.
The numbers are way down in New Jersey. I am torn also, but will wear my mask in school when working closely with a child. I think most of my colleagues have gotten used to keeping a distance. Only time will tell.
The numbers are down here too. My neighbor’s are sick as well, they refuse to get tested, they ‘only’ have a sinus infection that seems to linger, I have COVID. 🙂
I’m very glad that it hasn’t hit you as hard as the flu used to do! Glad that the jabs seem to help you fight it off, spare you from the worst. I barely get ill, but when I do, it’s always a nasty one. Last time I was really under the weather was when we were fighting the Mexican flu, that hit me very hard! So far, I’ve been Covid free. Got all jabs, wear a mask, sanitize my hands, air my apartment when I had/have guests. Doing all I can to avoid it.
And I also understand the want for going mask less again. With my autism, I can’t really read eye expressions, a total face is doable but still can be hard. So for me, without a mask, I could understand people better. But as long as numbers are soaring and people are still ill every day, I’d say keep the mask and I’ll understand you a little less good. 😇 If that makes sense.
I hope your taste will come back! As a fellow choco-holic it is a great fear of not being able you taste it anymore!
Thank you for your well wishes, I hope my sense of taste and smell with be restored -but I have my doubts. I hope this all will soon be behind us, but I am also afraid it will be just part of our every day life now.
You’re very welcome. And yes, I’m afraid it will never fully fade away… I do hope your smell and taste will (maybe slowly) come back so you can enjoy your favorite foods and snacks better again. Wishing you a lovely day.
I am so glad your symptoms were comparatively light, Bridget. I have such a heavy heart for some of my friends who are choosing not to vaccinate, and although they’ve so far avoided the virus, I don’t know that you can count on that! I did have one friend pass away this week, and she was all over social media upset with mask mandates and very vocally anti-vaccine. I just cried, and thought about how differently we are all assessing risk! Even with vaccine and booster we are still foregoing many of the interests and activities we enjoyed just a short time ago. We’ve discovered we are very content at home, and that, at least for now, is a comfort. For some this is a really dangerous time.
I’m so glad COVID hasn’t hit your chest. I wear my mask everywhere and think it will be a long while before I’m comfortable not wearing it.
For some reason, my comment is being deleted.
I can see you.
The Mask rules have been lifted,here; but, if it makes me feel safer, I will continue to wear them.
You and me both 🙂
COVID is real and is to be avoided at all costs. Many members of my extended family have come down with it despite being careful. Wearing a mask has become second nature to me and I am rather pleased that we haven’t had great protests against wearing them here. An increasingly worrying concern is the number of people – especially young people – who are refusing to get vaccinated. I well remember the compulsory polio treatments as well as the smallpox innoculations.
I will stay careful and I told my husband to be careful at work as well. His company doesnt’ comply with any rules, nobody wears a mask there, nobody checks if people are vaccinated.
We will continue to wear masks and keep clear of people no matter what the government say about doing away with all restrictions. Stay well Bridget!
Thank you, Peter.
I am glad you are winning the battle so far. And I am glad you are still taking precautions to stay safe. Dan got Covid right before Thanksgiving. I didn’t write/post about what happened next. He got blood clots in both lungs. He ended up in the hospital overnight. He never did feel bad – just had leg swelling. It turned out okay for him, but I took it as a warning to not let our guard down. And you are right about some of the changes Covid has brought – we are home centered (kind of always was) and there is time for more creativity. Enjoy and Stay safe!!
Oh, my goodness, you must have been so scared. I am so glad Dan made it through COVID and is healthy again.
I don’t feel really bad either, but bad enough to be completely useless.
Be safe as well!
Stay comparatively well and do nt forget you have had your share of very bad luck
Trying to. Thank you, Derrick.