Things I’m grateful for (COVID addition)

I’m grateful that I got positives on Saturday morning, so I didn’t have to struggle to find coverage for my classes or make sub plans.

I’m grateful that we have enough tests at home to test myself and the family without being worried about further testing. We also have enough to keep testing the kids every day before school and my husband before he has to go into work.

I’m grateful that I already have someone covering me on Thursday and Friday at school, so I only need to find someone for the other three days (or my colleagues only need to cover me those days).

I’m grateful that I have distance learning lessons saved in Google classroom that I can easily post for my classes this week. It’s still going to be hard to plan knowing I can’t actually go in there and organize stuff and lay stuff out, but it will be a lot easier than it would be if I had nothing saved from last year.

I am SO GRATEFUL that we have a separate unit where I can isolate without a mask on, and that we have a comfortable queen-sized bed upstairs for my husband to sleep in. (It’s a Couch Bed and I spent on it for six weeks when my husband was acting as bate for the bed bugs in our unit so I can vouch for its comfort.)

I’m grateful that the unit has a bathroom and kitchen, so I can take care of myself almost completely. We even have an extra TV that I brought in here. (My husband’s friend gave us his bigger TV when he moved across country and we kept our original TV for “pandemic play dates” in the backyard and garage.)

I’m grateful that we already have two air purifiers and we recently ordered a ton of new kn95s. Along with the copious rapid tests we already had lying around, we have pretty much everything we need to manage this without running errands or ordering stuff online.

I’m grateful that the weather is nice and we can have windows open without being too hot or too cold.

I’m grateful that my husband is amazing and can totally handle this, even though he’s going to be a mess by the time it’s over.

I’m grateful that I could still cancel my AirBnB for a full refund yesterday and I did that without any issues. Even if I get nothing from Alaska Airlines, I was able to get half the money from my trip back (both the AirBnB and the flights were $300). Im also grateful that the timing was very clear and there was no “but maybe I could go if I test negative on Thursday” to wonder about. The CDC says I can’t travel until 5/23 and that is after my trip so there is absolutely no ambiguity. (I hate ambiguity.)

I’m grateful that this is definitely the trip I am least sad to miss this summer. Am I bummed I can’t go? Definitely. But I’m not devastated.

And finally, I’m grateful that after this is done I’ll have some primed omicron antibodies ready to help fight off whatever I might be exposed to over the summer. Between me having antibodies and my daughter getting boosted (we’re going to get her a booster shot as soon as she turns 12 in early June), half of our family will have a little extra protection.

Or maybe we all will because we’ll all get it!? I haven’t let myself think too much about the many different scenarios that might play out this week. I’m just going to take things one day at a time.

And of course, most importantly I’m grateful that I have been vaccinated and boosted and that I don’t have any underlying conditions that make me susceptible to more serious outcomes. This morning I feel pretty awful – bad cough, stuffy nose, sore throat, body aches, chills – but so far it’s not worse than flus I’ve had before (and I can still smell!) Of course the possibility of long covid will linger, but I’m not terrified to have this.

Have you or someone in your household has COVID? How did it go?

4 Comments

  1. What a lot of positives in your situation. I am impressed and glad you can see them. Is the rule 5 days AND negative tests to go out etc?
    Are you expecting to go back to the classroom next week? The people I have known who have gotten covid recently have all been still positive at least 14 days out and have been super careful to not spread it; also exhausted and generally a bit older demographic than you.
    I am now uncertain as increasingly it seems some people (NOT YOU) think a positive test means it is time to go to public outdoor places. IS Paxlovid available for you? Is it something you would consider? I see the news saying it is but Currently I still hear Kaiser saying only if on cancer chemo or had transplant and on anti-immune drugs….. and then there are the drug contra indicators and I still haven’t figure that out AT ALL.
    THANK YOU FOR CHECKING IN.

    1. Oh I’m definitely not going into public outdoor places. I may spend some time with my kids in the back yard with masks on, but it’s incredibly windy here and we’d stay far apart (and only do it if my husband really needed a break).
      The current CDC rules are six days out from symptoms or positive test (if no symptoms) you can leave isolation, but you have to wear a mask for 10 more days. There is no mention of testing negative to leave isolation. I’m not sure what my district requires, the nurse hasn’t gotten back to me. But I’m lucky because I had symptoms on Friday and tested positive on Saturday so taking this week off, I’ll be at day 10 when I go back to work next Monday. Which I’m assuming they will want me to do.
      I’m not sure about Paxlovid, but my assumption is I’m too young for it. My mom’s friend has COVID and she was given it (I thought she had Kaiser but I’m not sure) and she is only in her 70s but otherwise in good health. I’ll ask my mom who her insurance provider is.

      1. Thank you. Am totally crossing fingers you are not super sick and recover really fast. What I read makes me think it is critically important to listen carefully to your body on recovery and to Not Push. And one person’s experience varies from another person so pay attention to you!
        Never crossed my mind that YOU would expose others! Clearly lots of others have been exposing others, either through not knowing they are sick. or not being willing to follow instructions they find inconvenient.

  2. I had the original strain of COVID in June 2020 and my kids and husband never tested positive from it. Kinda crazy cuz I didn’t isolate from my kids at all during the 10 days. Interesting how each strain seems to be slightly different. I’m glad they continue to seem to be less serious with each variant! Hang in there.

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