Hell dear reader. Yes, it's been a while, but for a change, I have an excuse. As the title suggests, Covid finally caught up to me.
A few weeks back, I went to an "ascension" ceremony, where my daughter 'graduated' from middle school to high school. I don't know about you, but for me, going from 8th to 9th grade wasn't a big deal. Alas that was 1980. But I digress. Anyway, so I drove down to SEPa on a Wednesday and watched the ceremony with Wife and MIL.
Now, Daughter had just gotten over covid- in fact she learned she had it a few weeks before, right after the last time I saw her. So I did the whole isolation thing and tested negative. But sitting there in the stands, I began feeling sick. As there was a dance after the ceremony, they weren't going to a dinner or anything that I wouldn't be invited to, so I headed straight back to State College. As I drove, I felt sicker and sicker.
I went to bed early that night, and felt worse the next day- so bad that I called off work (which I hate doing.) Long story short, Friday I took an at-home test, and it showed positive. (Why do covid tests look like pregnancy tests?) I kinda knew before I saw the result. I was coughing, my breathing felt restricted- like I was wearing a corset laced tight. My head throbbed, my stomach felt blah- basically I felt like I'd been run over by a steamroller. Coincidentally, this is how I felt after getting my second covid vaccination. (I had a total of three, so I wasn't worried about a severe case.)
Linda (roomie/bestie) tested as well, and was negative for a few days. eventually, she got it as well- after all, it's a small apartment.
So it was for better than a week. I slept a LOT. Heeding advice I was given, I stayed hydrated. Oh, and during this time, I was banned from facialbook as well for posting a political meme. Didn't matter, I slept most of the time, except during class (which I took on Zoom.)
Eventually, I felt a bit better, and my doctor said I could begin re-integrating myself into polite society (masked.) That said, I still feel like I'm wearing a corset- like my lungs don't have room to fill.
Sidebar: the Sunday before the ceremony, my car (which was my mum's before I bought it- long story) was in the shop. I had to work, so I rode a bike the three miles up and down hills to get there. I love biking. However, I couldn't surmount the meekest of hills. My limbs were afire and I couldn't breathe. I attributed it to old age and being an out of shape blob, but it seems that covid already had me. I'm going to get back on the bike soon, for shorter distances, to build up my strength again.
So there you have it dear reader. That's where I've been. In other news, I finished my final class, and am now starting my comprehensive exams. 4 questions, 60 pages, 30 days. Pass/fail. IF I get past these, I can start my dissertation process. I'll be an ABD: All But Dissertation. But first, I must pass these exams.
Be well.
