Quarantining For Real

In an ironic twist of fate, I somehow caught the Coronavirus last week.  Or maybe it was the week before, we're not really sure.  It is especially ironic, because our family has been fairly strict about social distancing and mask-wearing, etc, and yet here I am.  I don't know WHERE I got it, but get it, I did.

Patient 0

In hindsight, my symptoms started last Saturday when I came down with a really bad headache.  At the time, I chalked it up to dehydration/exhaustion after running 7 miles that morning in 96% humidity, so I just tried to drink lots of water (and Gatorade) and attempted to take it easy.  When I woke up the next morning with a sore throat, I assumed it was from not getting enough sleep (ever) because of our resident sleep terrorists {ie Alex and Isaac}.  Monday was Isaac's first day of Preschool, and since I didn't have a fever and thought it was probably just a cold or maybe strep throat, I took him to school and dropped him off.  However, when I started feeling achy, in addition to the other symptoms, I decided I should go and get tested just in case.  Along with Covid, I had them test for the flu and strep throat and was really hoping one of those would be the culprit.  But it wasn't.  And it was at that point, that I knew in my gut that I had the Coronavirus.

First day of Preschool

I went straight home, calling Scott on my way, and set up camp in my bedroom-turned-sick-bay.  While Scott went straight to the preschool to pick up Isaac, I started obsessively googling symptoms to gauge how I was feeling.  The Department of Health requires self-isolation while test results are pending, so I did my best to stay away from everyone else in the house while waiting.  The school district also requires quarantine for students in close contact with a known positive case as well as cases pending results, like mine, so they have had to be home as well.  The older kids were less than enthused to have to go right back to virtual schooling after just a week of in-person school, but it is what it is.

Alex and Jane have taken over the Bonus Room -- I'd say their state of being right now is roughly equivalent to "Lord of the Flies."  Hahahaha.

We were really hoping I'd be the only one hit with the virus, but when Isaac started running a fever on Tuesday evening and threw up, I realized with a sinking feeling that he most likely had it as well.   I finally got my positive Covid result on Wednesday afternoon, and by that point, unfortunately, Scott was also feeling sick, and Alex and Jane claimed to be feeling sick, too.  Scott and the three youngers went to be tested Thursday morning, and when those results came back, we learned that Scott and Isaac were both positive and Alex and Jane were both negative.  The older kids have avoided us like the plague -- literally wearing masks and gloves inside the house whenever they leave their bedrooms -- and even though they've been beyond cautious, Ethan started feeling sick yesterday and went to be tested.  He says he's feeling a little better this morning, so we're hoping that maybe it was just lack of sleep or psychosomatic type symptoms, but we won't know for sure until we get his results {probably} tomorrow.  

UPDATE:  Ethan IS positive for Covid.  :(  

Poor Maxwell doesn't understand what's going on.  :(

And that brings us to the here and now.  I can't even begin to thank all of the people who have offered help and brought us meals, and Gatorade, and all kinds of other accommodations.  It has been heart-warming and awe-inspiring to see such service and goodness in action.  We are so very grateful!!!  At this moment in time, I'm feeling...okay.  Ish.  This is the weirdest sickness I have ever had.  In the first few days, it felt kind of like the flu, but not exactly.  The headache and sore throat and muscle achiness were almost gone by Thursday, but since then, I keep getting hit by waves of exhaustion/extreme fatigue along with muscle aches and random joint pain.  And I have a much worse cough NOW than I did at the beginning of my sickness.  But, I have also had moments in the last couple of days where I feel completely fine and like I've finally kicked this virus to the curb!  It is so strange that the same virus can create such varying reactions in different people.  It would appear that Scott's trajectory is roughly following mine, but neither one of us ever had a fever, whereas Isaac DID run a fever for a few days and also threw up 4 different times during that period.  Isaac has been running around like he's totally fine since Friday, while I've still got random lingering symptoms and Scott is still actively sick.   It's all just super strange.  

A goody bag someone dropped off for Isaac, with stuff to keep him busy and occupied while in quarantine.

I really hope that we can keep the sickness contained, but if not -- at least we've had lots of practice over the last 6 months of being homebound with each other.  Hahahaha.

In happier times, we went to Isaac's Open House/Meet the Teacher at his Preschool a few weeks ago.

I'm not sure why this is still his go-to pose.  Hahahaha.