You’ve got COVID-19, now what?

It happened ya’ll. I thought I wasn’t going to get it, but alas, I’m not as invincible as I thought. Was I following the rules? You bet your bottom dollar I was. Was I being responsible with how I socialized with people? Yes sir/ma’am! Was I making sure to wash and sanitize my hands every chance I got? Especially at work in the food service industry? 1000% I was. Did I still manage to get the maca-roni virus. Yes, yes I did.

Today is day eight of my ten day quarantine. Which is also the day boredom has taken over my life. There’s only so much Netflix binging one simple man can consume before I can’t be bothered to watch another second of TV. I’ve eaten 5 full bags of chips over the last eight days and drank my weight in liquid bread. Although it may sound like a party over here, I can assure you it’s not.

Here’s the bad stuff:

The guilt, shame and stigma of it all. Holy guacamole. I never thought the worst part of a virus that could potentially be the death of me would be emotional. I’m a tender soul, and knowing that I put 15 people I care about into lockdown from being a “close contact” of me has been really hard. I worked at a restaurant all long weekend then had symptoms show up on Tuesday. I quickly isolated myself and talked to my employer and they made a plan. No one I work with tested positive. Everyone was very kind about it but I still feel bad about putting them out; even though I know it wasn’t my fault. Thankfully it’s almost over and we can all go back to work in a few more days. I know they’ll all be good to me, but I can’t help but feel somewhat “tainted” from the ‘rona virus.

My symptoms were fairly mild the whole time, so I do feel privileged in that regard. I never fully lost my taste or smell, I had a little bit of trouble breathing and I had a gross, disgusting cough. By day eight, I feel about 90% back to normal which has felt amazing. I wouldn’t wish COVID on my worst enemy (except maybe Trump, I was kind of happy when he got the virus) and I hope people don’t feel that stigma or overthink the guilt and shame that go hand in hand with the pan-Demi Moore.

Here’s the not so bad stuff:

I’ve had such a wonderful opportunity to re-connect with pals I haven’t seen in some time. Every evening I have been on the phone or on a video call with someone I care about and want to catch up with. I have been able to focus up on my final school projects and do really well with the last few weeks of academia. I cleaned my apartment to the point I will not hesitate to eat off any surface in this place. You heard me, ANY SURFACE! And I’ve kept my mental health in good repair! I’ve even managed to make some new friends… Let me introduce you to them!

Jerry the Jade Plant is a kind, compassionate little guy. He’s the one I go to to complain when my promotions and production teacher is being unfair. He always encourages me to try to see the other side of the story. 10/10 great guy!

Perry the Pot keeps my belly full of chicken noodle soup. I neglect him sometimes as a friend and don’t wash him for a few days after using him. It’s been nice to be able to show him the TLC he deserves! 8/10 great guy (he’s a mean drunk)!

Harry the Helmet keeps me safe when I ride my bike. I can’t ride my bike in lockdown so I have been getting to know him on a different level than I’m used to. We both like rom-coms and trashy reality TV shows. We have been binge-watching 90 Day Fiance all week! 14/10. He’s my new best friend, what can I say except don’t put your friends in boxes!

And those are all my new pals! Sometimes I call 811 just to hear someones voice. Another fun thing to do is dial up 719-26-OATES. Seriously, try it right now. It’s the emergency Hall and Oates hotline. You call and they’ll let you pick a Hall and Oates song to listen to!

Thanks for wasting your time in the void that is my big dumb brain! Listen to NR92, read our blogs and call the Hall and Oates emergency hotline any time NR92 goes more than two hours without playing Sara’s Smile.

Comments