A couple of Wednesdays ago, I was on my way to work. And I started felling the standard body aches and pains. At work, we have to go through a brief health screening before we can start our shifts, and body aches and pains are one of the specific symptoms we were asked about. I answered truthfully, and asked for a member of management. He decided that since I had only one symptom, he’d personally clear me to work that night, or I could go home. I chose to go home (mainly because I have no way of getting home from 11 pm to 6 am). The next day, I received a phone call from personnel, and it was decided that if I wasn’t getting worse, then I’d come to work. Which I then did for two more days.
Then Saturday came. With all the snow that we had received, I had made arrangements to carpool with my boss to work. Well, the roads were so bad that my boss had called out, and I decided that if he’s calling out, then there’s no point in me coming to work. At this time the body aches and pains were getting worse, and a fever was developing. I knew that I had caught something, but I still thought it was simple cold.
Then Sunday night came. I was really miserable. Fever. And the body aches and pains were the worst I’ve ever felt. But my boss was able to drive, so I went to work and went to the same health screening. I had a fever of 103+. Anything over 100 and you’re supposed to be sent home, no ifs ands or buts. But my boss said that it was because I was in a well-heated suv. So, with some fanning, and waiting I went from a go-home fever of 103+ to a I-can-work-just-barely 99.7. And so I had to work. And I was miserable that night. And the next morning when I went home, I was barely able to keep myself from barfing on the on the bus ride home (but right when I got off the final bus stop, yeah I tried to hurl it…).
Monday and Tuesday (of last week) were my days off of the week. So I stayed home and suffered. Still had the 100+ fever. Tuesday night, I launched an e-visit with Kaiser Permanente (my health insurance provider), described my symptoms, and was invited to get a Covid test. Which I did Wednesday morning. Personnel had also put me on a 10 day LOA (since I had also told them that I was getting worse.
So come 4:30 Thursday morning, and log in to Kaiser, and my results are in. And I’m positive. I have Covid. Personnel put me on an immediate 2 week paid loa with explicit directions not to go anywhere near work until I'm clear of the fever.
Thursday, Friday, and Saturday, I basically slept though everything. I only got up to take insulin, ibuprofen, or to puke. I found that setting a 4 hour countdown timer on my phone really helps with not going too far between insulin shots (I am after all still a diabetic).
Sunday, I started ‘coming around’, but I slept through most of it. Monday, I started eating solid food again, and surprisingly, I still have a sense of taste and smell. Yesterday, I ordered teriyaki, and kept it down.
I’m still sleeping a lot. But that’s because I’m sick, and that’s how my body heals itself. My brother (who has since tested negative) has ordered a thermometer, so we can see if I’m officially free of the fever….
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