COVID hit our home!
This year has started off on the wrong foot, at least for our family it has. What began as a beautiful 6 month celebration of life for our boys, has now turned into life in quarantine with COVID directly within the confines of our walls. Turns out, Dennis tested positive for COVID, even after all the strict protocols, mask wearing, alcohol sanitizing and social distancing measures we take on the daily. A couple weeks ago, his paint center employee tested positive for COVID after acquiring it at his second job, as a bartender.
Immediately after his positive result, Dennis went and got tested, on that very same day, and with the Abbott rapid test, found out within an hour of testing that he was negative. So good, NEGATIVE, perfect, life goes on right.... Nope! As a safety measure, it's imperative to test several times after exposure because at first the viral load may be too low to be detected. So Dennis tested again, 3 days later, after having no symptoms, and once again did the rapid test and was NEGATIVE! Things were starting to look up. We kept in touch with our employee and he had a mild strain with minor symptoms so he was ok.
How did this happen?
And just to be crystal clear, we have been EXTREMELY CAREFUL during this entire pandemic, because of our babies and how delicate their immune systems are. Doctors actually say they have stronger immune systems than older humans, but you just never know with this virus, and how it will affect them! We've known quite a number of people that have passed from the virus and others that were very severely ill, so we take extreme care with where we go and what we do, or don't do. Since all this began, we have locked our home to anyone entering, including family, and only let in the grandmas, and on special occasions, the great grandmas and grandpa are allowed in. We have tons of family and friends that have been wanting to come into our home to meet our boys, and it's just not the right time for visits. Human health and safety is more important. If we catch this and spread it to the grandmas, they can eventually pass it on to the great-grandmas that live with them or they care for and that can be deadly, so in order to avoid all that, we just don't let anyone come in, at all, at least not until this is all over!
So fast forward, 5 more days after the second NEGATIVE test, and Dennis' starts feeling strange body aches, congestion and sorry to be TMI but he was hit with extreme bowel movements. From one second to the next, it hit like a ton of bricks. This started on a Wednesday evening, so immediately when he awoke the following morning he ran to get tested. This time around, he tested POSITIVE! He doesn't know if it's from that same employee, or whether he got it from someone else, possibly a customer. He is an essential worker with a hardware store so he has not stopped working. He takes extreme precautions and that's why almost a year later, he was still negative, until now. Something happened, or maybe it was a different, more contagious strain. We've been hearing about the need for double-masking, so maybe they're right, and it needs to be mandated.
After receiving a POSITIVE test, we immediately went into shock and started calling our immediate relatives, and any employees that may have been exposed, and asked them to test. The day prior, Dennis' mom was at our home caring for our babies, and she has her mom, our boys great grandma living with her so it was imperative that she test right away! She was able to rush over to CB Smith Park, and they performed a rapid test which came back negative. Daniel also tested at CB Smith and returned negative. So apparently, Dennis was the only infected party at this point, as far as we knew, and would need to be quarantined away from everyone else. We decided Dennis would quarantine in the second floor of our home, in the main bedroom, with bathroom access and our TV. Daniel grabbed all his belongings and the babies, and he was to stay with them downstairs, using only the downstairs bath.
What has it been like living with COVID?
So far its been tolerable. The first 2-3 days with symptoms were terrible, with extreme headache being the worst part. It's a pulsating pain that doesn't even let you think. Aside from that, he's had every symptom in the book, from chills to fever to body aches and loss of taste and smell. Definitely not easy or appetizing to eat when everything tastes bland and cardboard-y, but we'll take that over any more extreme symptoms. After the first few days, symptoms have grown milder, but are still very prevalent. He's also complained of mild loss of breath, but that is sporadic and his blood oxygen levels are being monitored by his apple watch (best gadget ever!).
We've been lucky that up until this writing, nobody else has been infected in the family. There will be tons of further testing on family members in the coming days, and luckily both Daniel and Dennis' grandmas have been vaccinated along with Daniel's mom and Dennis' dad. There still are a few that have not been able to receive the vaccine because of their age and availability and not everyone vaccinated has received their second dose, so they are not fully in the clear.
For now, Dennis will stay upstairs, and as soon as the symptoms subside, will get tested once again in hopes of a negative result. He's keeping busy with work and has two laptops in there with him and plenty of juices in a cooler with ice and vitamins and meds. Tons of vitamin C, Zinc, Elderberry and hot teas with ginger and turmeric are doing the trick.
Product Recommendations
Products to take as recommended to us by Nurses and Doctor's we consulted with.
**Consult your own doctor for their recommendations!
- Zinc: https://amzn.to/3tC7Cvt
- Vitamin C: https://amzn.to/3tA85ON
- Vitamin D3: https://amzn.to/3cM3i77
- Elderberry: https://amzn.to/3tA7Nrb
- Tylenol (Extra Strength): https://amzn.to/3rvu5sj
- Baby Aspirin 81mg: https://amzn.to/2MAivxz
- Immune booster: https://amzn.to/3cPaMpL
- Epsom Salt for body aches (soaking): https://amzn.to/3aER6CA
- Ginger Turmeric Tea: https://amzn.to/36NpZUA
YouTube Video
It's important that we show not only the good, but some of the bad as well, so check out the video below where we share our COVID scare and how it hit our home. Thank you for all the love and prayers. We appreciate everything sent our way. If it's not too much trouble, don't forget to like and comment on our video, as it keeps the algorithm going and lets our video be seen to a wider audience.
