The big kids are happily enjoying the sunshine outside, and Charlotte is content to have the magnatiles all to herself, so I thought I’d venture a little update.
First, as to myself: after a week, we got the COVID test results back. They were negative. But by that time, my fever had come back, and my shortness of breath and chest pain were much worse. Having a doctor for a husband comes in handy, and Mark called my PCP (who is spectacular) to consult with what to do.
They decided two things: 1, the test was probably a false negative (apparently that’s a thing ?!), and 2, I was getting worse not better so all signs pointed to a super infection, which means that I likely had bacterial pneumonia on top of whatever virus started it all. Under normal circumstances, my doctor would have sent me in to get some blood work and an x-ray and had me come in to the office for an exam. But these are not normal circumstances, so he prescribed me a course of antibiotics for the suspected pneumonia.
I’m happy to say that they have started to work, though slowly. Today I managed to switch a load of laundry before I hit my limit, which was a huge win. It’s going to be slow progress though I think, so I’m trying not to over do it or get too frustrated by my inabilities.
I’m especially grateful for my mom and Mark’s mom, who have been tremendously supportive of us while I’ve been sick. My mom has been coming over every day to help with the kids and to take care of Grandma. (Side note: she is sheltering-in-place between our house and hers, which are less than a mile apart, which is an allowable exception because my illness makes me incapable of being around Gram, who’s health is fragile). Mark’s mom has been generously sending us dinners, which is just about the biggest help because Mark is trying to do the job of 2 parents when he comes home from the hospital.
Speaking of Mark- since he’s in a surgical subspecialty, it has been quieter for him than for others so far. Most of the surgical teams at his hospital are running skeleton crews right now to decrease contamination and save the manpower for the surge they know are coming. This is possible because elective cases have all been cancelled.
That being said, his hospital is starting to fill up, and he does have a COVID patient on his service. At the start of April, he is scheduled to transfer to the SICU (surgical intensive care unit) where he is expecting that they will handle the overflow ICU COVID patients. I’m trying not to think too much about it or get too far ahead of myself.
He received his N95 mask, and has instructions to shave his beard, which is making me so sad. The CDC has this handy little poster for what types of facial hair will not interfere with the seal of the mask, so I’m hoping if we cut it short enough, he can keep a goatee. We’ll see.
We’ll be starting the Novena of Surrender tonight, which I’m hoping will help me to feel more peaceful about this whole thing. Prayer always helps, and as Kendra Tierney writes in the introduction to her booklet, “an act of abandonment to divine providence in times of trouble and uncertainty is a proactive way to turn worry into prayer.”
You can find the Novena along with other prayer resources in the Catholic Mom Bundle this week. It’s a special quarantine bundle that all the moms involved worked hard to quickly set up with the idea of providing families with resources, encouragement, and support during what is an incredibly difficult time. Normally bundles are $25, but in these extraordinary circumstances, we all wanted to make sure that everyone who wanted or needed one could get one, so the bundle this time is a pick-your-own price.
