sick

Oh hey, I’m sick.  Feels no fair because I didn’t see friends or go out to have fun in quite a while.  We stayed home from park day!  My sermon was over zoom.  I didn’t even go to the grocery store with Ming, lately.  I’m cooped up–I go to the driveway to catch some rays.  That’s it.

Last Friday I went to the copy shop.  I’ve talked to a few community members in the courtyard.  Damn, barely anybody!  How the heck did I get a germ?  Thought I was being so responsible.

the story of it

I went to bed feeling fine, and then I woke up a couple hours later sneezing.  That was unusual.  In fact, I never wake up sneezing.  So I was like–weird, ok.  Then my nose hurt inside–also strange.  Then it was so runny, I went through almost a whole damn box of tissues within the next few hours.

Ming took my temperature, and it was normal.  Then I started coughing to boot.  Sleep was difficult.

I really hoped it was just allergies.  I checked the pollen count, and my phone said “none.”  So sad, I texted my friend Ariel.  She told me a lot is going around right now, it might just be a cold, she would pray for me, and to let her know if I need anything.

I felt safer that Ariel would pray for me, and she is holding me in her heart.  The truth is many friends love me and hold me in their hearts.  So I hope I will be ok, and I hope it isn’t pandemic.  Ming and I are both twice vaxed and boosted.

I looked up “how not to give covid to your partner” and read how Ming should sleep in another room and all the procedures we should do.  Did that even make sense?  I thought it was too late.

But I remember hearing a while back that if you get less germ load, you can get less sick.  So I thought maybe I should isolate just for a few days to keep his exposure low right now at the beginning.

“Does that make sense?” I asked Ming.  I texted him the link to the article.

“But I miss you!” he said.

list

I made a list of what to do while I’m sick.

• drink fluids
• rest
• zinc and vitamin c
• garlic
• stay warm
• keep eating
• brush teeth
• shower
• sunshine
• stretching
• sleep upright if needed
• blank tea
• block out sounds
• touch comfort
• moisturize nose and lips
• call someone
• pray

social responsibility

Then there was another list I made which seemed more about social responsibility.

• notify community
• keep friends posted
• cancel appointments
• keep stress low
• ask for help

pneumonia

“How do you not get pneumonia?” I asked Ming.

“Keep walking,” he said.

“Oh, so just move about?” I asked.

“Yeah,” he said.

“Like every hour, stretch and stim and move about?” I asked.

“Yeah, like 15 minutes every hour,” he said.

“Fifteen minutes every hour!” I said.  “That’s more than I move about usually.”

“Well, you’re not coughing and sick usually,” he said.

“True,” I said.

sick

I hadn’t been sick in a long time.  When we went to New Mexico almost two years ago, I had some kind of mild sinus infection that Ming and our friend didn’t get.  Before that, I don’t even know.

Definitely I’m a planner.  I freaked out for an hour, then made a list.  That’s a good pattern for me–feel my feelings wildly, then plan.

Love to your health, reader.  Please take your responsibilities seriously and care for your fellow earthlings.  Especially the most vulnerable ones.