Covid 2.0

Thursday Jan 11: I began my day with feeling the heaty body and continues profuse sweating. Im still feeling weak and nauseous. My runny nose continues as well as that pesky dry cough. For the first time, my taste has gone south. So I ended up sleeping almost whole day in bed that by night time, I tossed and turned due to my dry cough spell.

Friday Jan 12: I feel slightly better overall today. So I ended up cleaning and dusting my room. Aaah that feels good I said. After which I rested and slept. By lunchtime, I picked rory at school and bought takeaway food from KTPH hospital. On hindsight, I shouldn’t have done this, why? A since few days later, Rory has been infected during this brief encounter! 😦

Saturday Jan 13: my sweaty body and heaty body continues. For some unknown reason, my coughing intensified. I can almost feel the pain started from my upper sinus areas, upper throat and now goes lower and lower my throat. My worry is that this indicates the virus going down the trackway to my lungs. Another unknown symptom, I had a headache at lunchtime. So I sleep again during the day. My cold feet continues. Still zero taste bud. To feel not guilty, I went to dry cloths to the laundry wash.

Sunday Jan 14: my headache is lesser today. But my sweaty body and cold feet continues. Coughing continues. My runny nose is better. I continued to take medicine to make the phlegm thinner. I cleaned my room and toilet and bought more test kits at Greenwich Guardian. Of course while here, I tried my taste buds and to my surprise, its slowly coming back.

Tuesday to Thursday – July 26-28

Same old same old. For the past 3 days my ART test result continue to improve. But the improvement is soo darn slow I was so impatient to be cleared.

So on wednesday, July 27, I tested in the morning and once I see the result to be clear, I left the test at home and went to work. I was on the phone up till about 11AM that day. And so when I called my wife to check on the ART test if it continued to show no line, my heart sank. She said there is still barely noticeable line. What a bugger I said! I went home after that to continue resting and work from home monitoring my mails.

Today, thursday, I decided to test in the morning and see how the line goes. Still there is a barely noticeable line! Another frustrating day I said. So with some precaution, I isolated myself home with only buying lunch outside.

This thing feels like its forever. But if I were to count, when I started to turn positive, it was July 18. So if today is July 28, its 10 days to the day. Hopefully then, by tomorrow, that pesky line would clear!

July 24 Sunday

Nothing new on this sunday except that Rory has a golf lesson at 4PM. I drove him at the Driving range for his first ever golf lesson. He loved it! We had dinner at home of vegetables and rice! In the morning, Bought takeaway breakfast since Paolo and Nissiel is going to church. Nothing unusual on my symptoms anyway, same old same old I said. I tested. That pesky line is still faint. Its day 7 I said, this ought to be clear by now. Everyone else is clear except me. The symptoms vary for each of us. Melody has severe body ache. Rory had high fever. Paolo had headache and bad sore throat. Nissiel has swollen throat due to her swollen lymph node. But home come mine is low grade fever and body ache with headache on day 0 (sunday) and remained the same all throughout? Cough 3-4X daily, sneezing, not so much runny nose and maybe very low grade fever in the afternoon till day 3? Strange illness this is I said!

Day 7 Saturday July 23

Woke up with nothing but testing in mind. And so it happened! Rory is full negative now while my line is showing fainted sign! Good news I said. And so early in the day I asked Mel and Rory to dress up and get our brekkie at Hans. They all agreed.

After breakfast I went to the nearest car detailing to get MB cleaned. The interior smelled like S#T with Rory’s throw up splattered at the back. Paid 39 dollars for wash, vaccum, tire black and clean up of the interior. Not bad I said. Meanwhile, while having breakfast, I published my 2nd book entitled Mission Critical – My Gospel Story. Was beginning to be a promising day!

Day 6 July 22 Friday

I was feeling optimistic today. With still my taste buds in the doldrums, I woke up very early to do my own testing. I thought since its day 6 since I felt that weird body ache and day 5 since I tested positive, might as well try my ART.

Took the test and my heart sank. Its still very solid positive! Oh well I said, at least I tried. Maybe Rory will show something better. True to form, he did showed faint line! The only bit of good news on a Friday! And since its friday, I had a good treat of soup based food for dine out!

In the evening I harriedly finished the manuscript of my 2nd book. I glanced at the timer – its 4 days to go before deadline. Id better hurry I said.

Day 5 Thursday July 21

The feeling of losing ones taste and smell is gradual. It came initially as a weird sense of taste for specific food, onions in particular. In the morning, my morning egg with onions omellett tasted awful! I thought it was how the egg is prepared. Then it dawned on me – Gohly it IS the virus!

So getting breakfast lunch dinner is no fun with not a single taste bud around. In the evening I asked Paolo to buy me Krispy Kreme dozen donut! I said if all else fails, why not indulge in some sweet treat! Lo and behold even the donut tasted awful or better yet, what one feels after is awful !

Dinner time meant getting some pork herbal soup. Man, the sweat glands are so fired up Ive never sweat that profusely since college! My wife requested I drive her to the nearest drying shop to get the cloths dried. Drank avocado shake while waiting in line. Slept late in anticipation that tomorrow, my line would be thinner!

Covid Chronicles – day 3 cont to day 4

Day 3, July 19, a tuesday, if sunday is the start of my feeling lethargic and full of body ache signalling start of the virus wrecking my immune system, then day 3 is tuesday. Morning brekkie of porridge from uncle, then lunch is toastbox chicken curry. Isolated still in my room. Trying to kill time watching you tube. In one clip, it got me hooked. A show on iranian village style of cooking lamb, fish and kebab. If only the world knows the real situation on the ground, we would have made peace and appreciate all cultures. here and there I made entrees to my 2nd book. Read and updated my social media. Then in the afternoon, Mel and Rory went to immigration to get Rorys PR formalized. I went to see the doctor too, got me tested and tele consulted. Soon after I headed down to the grocery to buy lemongrass lemon and snacks. In the evening, we had dinner, as usual take away. Couldnt remember what I had for dinner on that tuesday! But I had nice pineapple fruits for snacks. Maybe something light. Because the event that took place next is something unforseen. Rorys pulse rate is sooo high it took the breath out of us. its hovering at 138-150 and his fever is so high. Towards midnight when his pulse is still very high, we ran to the hospital. 3.4 hours later and after heavy dosage of ibuprofen his heartbeat subsided and fever as well. Off we head back home. Went to sleep almost 430ish. Wheew what a day!

DAY 4, July 20 WEDNESAY, this day started with a hearty breakfast of porridge. Bahkut teh lunch and noodle for dinner. Nothing eventful happening as I recovered from the TUESDAY night ordeal with Rory’s high fever. Routine started to emerge. I would watch you tube clips on cooking, on NASA files, on Pinoy Food adventure and mysteries of Space. Occassional entree to my book and occasional read of social media posts. My friends kept me entertained on the whatsapp platform. Tried testing ART. Still positive. Darn. its alreday day 4 and still solid line I said!

Day 5, July 21, THursday.

My covid

Day 1 july 17 sunday- woke up sluggish. Body ache all over. I thought its my 3 days of non stop mommy daddy worker domestic helper duties taking care of my covid patients home – wife, my eldest and his young wife. Went to seletar to order prata breakfast and takesway pork porridge for wifey. Soon after i came home and slept. Nothing done but sleep. Had a slight headache and my cough was dry. Told my wife am not feeling well. Tested and its still negative. Ate pizza for dinner and so far my energy restored. Slept very early but woke up 3 am due to my coughing. I tested negativr rhat night.

Day 2 july 18 monday – woke up with solid energy but feeling hot inside. I sweated profusely while buying bread for the patients at KTPH shop. Went home rested and told my 7 yr old son to stay away from me. Somehow the sweating is unusual as i read this is the same as what hugh grant experienced. About noon we went to the neighborhood mall to get pictures taken. This is for rorys new PR card. Soon we bought ribs for lunch. Then we head to northpoint to get lunch for rory. Jap bbq always a treat for the boy so i bought him plus the 3 patients too. After lunch went home and kept coughing and sneezing. Around 3 pm decided to test and this time its positive. Told my wife to vacate the room she is using for its new tenant. She gladly obliged. I feel sluggish in the afternoon with occassional cough and sneezing. Feeling heaty inside still.

Day 3 july 19 tuesday woke up with strong body but feeling under the weather. Dry cough hounded me all night. Along woth sweaty body!

China. Omicron

9 Days while living with Covid

So how do we feel now?

1. With vaccination at 90+ for the whole country, the fear of getting it is still there. But, with the protocol and protection (facemask) even at home, the risks are alleviated.
2. We continued testing daily since Jan 28 till Feb 6 today. The 3 of us are all negative so far.
3. Isolation is difficult without the support of the family. Even worse for those tasked to care. Uncertain how the people on isolation feels. Human touch is obviously absent. But thanks for tech, we can still catch up on video calls.
4. Disinfection a challenge. With two rooms to clean up once the boys are done with their isolation, it will be massive spring cleaning!