I wrote the following November 18, 2022. I’m publishing it now because my thoughts and feelings about the pandemic are still convoluted. It was a convoluted time. It still is…
I Joined the COVID-19 Club Thursday, October 27, 2022
When I went to bed Wednesday night or actually, early Thursday morning, I noticed my throat felt a little scratchy. I discovered we swallow in our sleep and are not aware we are doing so. I became aware of it because every time I swallowed while sleeping, I was awakened due to the soreness.
When I finally got up Thursday morning, the pain in my throat had mostly subsided, although it continued to feel scratchy and a bit congested. Otherwise, I felt fine. We went out to lunch/brunch in Hermosa Beach, took a walk on the beach, shopped at Trader Joe’s, and came home. As I prepared for my monthly LACBPE General Body Zoom meeting from 6–8pm, I could tell I had the symptoms of a developing cold or flu.
The cold and flu symptoms increased during the meeting. As the meeting was concluding, I pulled out one of our many Covid self-testing kits. I completed the test before the meeting was over and awaited the results. When Syvila, a colleague and friend called — oftentimes we will talk after a meeting ended — I saw my positive Covid test results appear as she and I were talking. I shared my test results with her.
When I told Cynthia about my positive Covid test results, she took a test herself. It was negative.
Soon thereafter I took another test for confirmation. I was still positive.
For the rest of the evening and all day Friday, I felt like I was in the midst of a full-blown, cold or flu attack.
When I woke up Saturday, I felt better. I still felt sick, but not as bad as before. At the same time, I felt I could relapse at any time. “Shaky,” my wife accurately described. Late afternoon, we both retook Covid tests. I was positive. She was still negative.
Sunday felt like Saturday.
When I awoke Monday, I was sweating profusely — as if I were breaking from a fever. When I got to my feet, I felt lighter, less invaded by the infection within me than the previous days. At the same time, I was absolutely energy depleted. Yes, I felt better, but more innervated than before.
By late afternoon, my strength felt better. I asked Cynthia to drive us to the beach and take in the sea air. We opted for a walk around the block instead. I did so gingerly, but doing so did not innervate me at all. I was pleased. Later, as I sat on the couch and watched TV, there were times when I didn’t feel ill anymore.
As I got going the following day, I was still feeling the lightness I felt the day before. I tested again. Still positive. Cynthia negative.
I had no experience of a loss of smell. Eight out of 10 Covid infections experience loss of smell. Why not me?
As I continued to feel better, I hoped I could attribute it in part to the fact that we are fully vaccinated and boosted. I’d also like to think it was due to my being in good shape and health.
I have no idea how I caught Covid. That’s not correct. I have plenty of ideas but no evidence to prove where and how I got it. We both think I probably got it at Vibrato, Sunday night, October 23. But then again, I could’ve gotten it that Monday night at the Faith Lutheran Church right here in Inglewood, where we attended a voting candidates presentation.
As soon as I knew I had it, I assumed I had gotten it Wednesday, October 26, during my 12noon to 5:15 meeting with one of my ex-students, Lupita Montoya, at Back on the Beach in Santa Monica. I immediately informed Lupita via text I had tested positive. She reported no symptoms.
I continued to feel better as the days passed.
Knowing you have contracted something that has killed people is sobering at the very least when you first find out. Given the variety of people’s responses to this virus, you must know there’s no predictor of how you will respond to it, or it will respond to you.
The first 24 hours were the worst for me. As I mentioned, I have improved since then.
Knowing we were fully vaccinated and boosted helped in encouraging a better than worse response to this thing. Knowing we are in pretty good shape, health wise, and maybe better than most, helped, as well. Still….you don’t know.
On Monday, November 7, feeling fully recovered, I took another test. I still tested positive! Cynthia still negatory. I immediately called my doctor and scheduled a video appointment for Tuesday morning. He assured me I had nothing to worry about if I had no symptoms. I certainly had no symptoms. He also assured me that still testing positive was nothing to be concerned about. He’d said the virus can still be detected for 4 weeks after one has contracted it and recovered from the symptoms.
I finally tested negative a week later.
Covid-19 is still very much with us. Covid cases are now increasing in Los Angeles County and China.
Nevertheless, as 2023 approaches, these days are nothing like March 2020, when the pandemic was announced in the United States. Europe, China, Japan, etc. was already awash with the infectiously, deadly disease. NYC was the epicenter. Uncertainty was palpable in the air.
