Our personal experience of Coronavirus

I haven't written on this blog in years! But a friend in the healthcare world who works closely with Covid-19 asked us to consider writing about our experience as the fear of unknown is maybe the worst part. I'll recount our personal experience of it and try to keep up with updates. I'd love to answer any questions y'all have as well because I know you'd like to hear it firsthand.

Day 0?- Contraction.  Saturday night, 3/7, we were at an event with 15+ of our friends who also have confirmed cases and this seems to be the common denominator place where all us contracted the virus (I'll say, there were finger foods, passed plates, and shared pens there- but who knows how it all happened).

Day 1- Onset of symptoms. Tuesday morning 3/10, Ryan went to work and then I met him at school and we were going to read to Evangeline's class. He said he was tired but we had had a big weekend plus the time change, and he had a really early morning and so we didn't think much of it. At 1pm he called and said he was so tired he couldn't work and had to come home and sleep for an hour and then he would work from home. His temperature was 99.5ish degrees. Much later that evening, when he woke up he had 103degree temp and aches and chills. This was the moment I suspected he had Covid-19 because just a couple weeks earlier he had had the Flu and this presented a bit differently to me but both came on really fast. He said he sweated most of the night and didn't sleep well.

Day 2- 3/11. He awoke in the morning with some chest tightness and 100ish degree fever and decided to call our infectious disease doctor friend to see at what point and where he should get tested for Covid-19 (there were only 2 cases in the state at this point so it felt maybe rare but not impossible as he's in big groups alot). Our friend let him know that he was not the first person in our community to call him that morning with those symptoms and that he knew of a confirmed case with the same symptoms who had been with us Saturday night. At this point, I was positive it was Coronavirus. I canceled the rest of my clients, picked up the girls from school and self-quarantined immediately. Our friend told Ryan to go to any Vanderbilt Walk-in Clinic to get tested. They came out to his car with a mask, shield and gloves and swabbed his nose. They said it would take about 24 hours to get results, but I know other states take longer and our area is probably more like 48hours at this point. They didn't prescribe anything other than pain reliever, but I know if there are underlying conditions, more medications might be recommended or prescribed. He did have some more chest congestion and maybe coughed a bit once/hour, but not all night. He slept wellish.

Day 3- 3/12. He had energy, and didn't have a fever. We thought, "wow that wasn't so bad, not mild per se but pretty quick!" 24 hours after being tested, he got the positive results. The health department called and asked for the temperatures of everyone in the household (and they call everyday for those), and they told us no one in the house could leave until 14 days after he is recovered because of viral shedding. Also, recovery is defined as 72hours after his last symptom. Later in the evening he had a 99-100degree fever and was tired and achey.

Day 4- 3/13. He had a 99ish fever, but a bit of an appetite. We thought maybe he was improving. He didn't sleep well.

Day 5- 3/14. He slept in and then napped alot in the day. He had a 100degree fever. He ate a normal lunch. He didn't eat dinner and went to bed at 8pm with a 100.7 degree temp and shaking with chills. His chest is a bit congested and sore but he doesn't cough all that much, and hasn't said anything about a sore throat or runny nose.

We live with Ryan's dad right now and so we have Ryan quarantined in an upstairs bed and bath with a mask whenever we talk to him, I mostly talk to him on the phone. We drop food at his door at meal times. Today I feel like he hit an emotional sadness/isolation wall. I think the long-term isolation is worse than the virus, at least for our age group.

We are learning the recovery is not linear, and might continue into week 2. I would not call it mild, but on and off moderate plus? Maybe less bad than Flu, but unpredictable? I think the fever/ aches/ chest soreness seem to be the worst part. It would be helpful to know what a mild case looked like... We are trying to take it one day at a time but it is super depressing and overwhelming to think about 17+ more days like this, not to mention all the implications of taking that much time off of life. We have felt super upheld by the church, Christ's people, as they have brought groceries, meals, wine, activities for the girls, prayers, quarantine humor, creative ideas for kids, and lots of check-ins to help mitigate the isolation. I believe we'll all make it through this, and by all I mean ALL because no one remains uneffected by this virus.

I am miraculously fine. So are the girls, and papaw, praise God. I have heard that women and kids are less effected by it, but I do have several girlfriends who do have it (and I think being a mom with Coronavirus is way harder than being a dad with it, just sayin). I slept in a bed with Ryan Monday night and did normal life with him the 3 days before the results came back. I shared a bathroom and toothpaste with him day 1 and 2. Maybe I have it and am asymptomatic. Maybe I should get tested and see because that would be good information to know. Maybe I am a ninja at avoiding all the bacteria in the house?? I'll say one thing, I touch my face all the time!! Also, I haven't washed my kid's hands non-stop, it's too hard, but I try to remember before we eat. Maybe it's God's mercy? I feel more overwhelmed by the 17+ day quarantine than the virus, but I do worry about if I got it, who would take care of the kids? I guess at that point, we just surrender and everyone is getting it.

UGH....I know this is a time to run to Jesus because He is the one who ultimately reigns over this crowned virus. It has felt too much for our city between the tornados and the virus, and I feel sad and shutdown. I have found myself not wanting to take refuge in Jesus because I was in a fight with Him before all this, and I struggle with feeling like following Him makes my life more frustrating and disappointing (which I think is a combo of my attachment style, my story, my sin, good longings, brokeness of the world, and evil). I promise all of you, I am not good at all at following Him (just ask my husband, he could tell you all about it when he's better). I think me and Job's wife would have been fast wine drankin friends!
BUT,  I have to keep wrestling because I believe the gospel is true cognitively and experientially and so I guess Jesus is not done with me yet. Tonight, I carry the weight of my client's unfinished stories (which I hope I can get back to someday soon), my own unfinished story, the wake of tornado destruction though our city, and the continued unknown of the world's and our household's Covid-19 journey, and my only hope tonight (and any other night for that matter) is not in my affection for Jesus or how well I trust him when the world's falling apart but in His inseverable affection and covenantal faithfulness to me.

Also, #sendwine

lots of crafts and beads everywhere!
( I think the girls might prefer this to the canceled Grand Canyon trip as they are getting activies, toys, and books dropped at the door by thoughful friends everyday:))

coronavibes

our sweet cousins have set up outdoor scavenger hunt for us everyday and they watch from the car

drop and run!

I'll try to update this blog, and please feel free to ask questions if that helpful for you.