Yesterday was interesting.
I’d started with a cough on Monday. It’s the season for it, right? This cough was one I dislike: the kind that can be harsh, hurting the throat & chest a bit. But it wasn’t often.
Then yesterday I woke up feeling pretty off. Joint soreness (thank you premenopause) can happen, but I had a lot of muscle soreness. Not common.
Check the CoVid list. See that asthma, ibs, my almost non-existent sense of smell, and such can dismiss most signs.
Temperature is a bit high. Courting close to 100.
Now I can’t feel fevers. A doctor (who was great otherwise, prescribed the right meds, mentioned a slight deviation in my nose which my reg doc confirmed) said I should know when I have a fever. I can’t. Perhaps I’ve been courting this temp since Monday. It’s possible. I get slight fevers from ibs, but only during flare ups— that’s not happening.
🤔
So I monitor. Take meds. Hours later temp is over 100.
🤔
And that’s when I gotta think: what’s the proper course of action?
Is it over-reacting to a book a test? Is it selfish not too? Is it better to wait? What if it is CoVid and I’ve put Marc in danger? What if waiting isn’t fair to others I’ve been near in the past few days?
Give it more time, I decide. Take meds to reduce fever. Book a test that I can cancel.
Almost time to leave for the test and I check my temp. It’s still over 100.
A sore throat comes on. It could be from the coughs.
🤔
No one wants to waste people’s time or be a hypochondriac. But what is the best course? Because the cough isn’t my usual. The muscle soreness isn’t usual. The higher temp isn’t usual. But my body is weird— it’s practically an unofficial opinion from docs. (Literally, I’ve been told that things my body does doesn’t make sense.) It only started Monday. What’s the appropriate wait time for this? I know I have something, but if it’s not CoVid and I kick it in a day or two, was it too much fuss for nothing?
🤔
So I go. Heart rate and blood pressure is great— always is. Temp is just shy of 100. I apologize and let the nurse know it was higher. Robin kindly says fevers can come and go. She checks the rest of the symptoms. Says it’s good I came in.
She does the test. It is unpleasant. I’m half-convinced she touched my brain. The other half just thinks this is how the ancient Egyptians did some of that mummifying stuff to the dead. Newer realized how deep one could go.
I’m given instructions. She says there happens to be a doctor on site & available if I want to see him about my symptoms. I decline. I feel like I’ve used up too much valuable time already.
She says to keep taking Tylenol and doing what I’m doing. Gives me papers about isolating. Says results usually come in 1-2 days. I can check online. If positive, I’ll get a call. Try to write down where I’ve been, if I can, just in case.
Feel about the same the rest of the day. Check my temp before bed. Still over 100. Starting to really feel like I made the right call. Just to be safe. To be respectful of others.
Feeling about the same. Cough is hanging around. It’s not a lot. Just enough. Muscle soreness still there. Sinuses are still oddly fine. I had hoped they were the cause, but I haven’t had issues yet. Temp is just shy of 100. So I think I made the right call.
Because that’s something that’s not really covered: if you think you have symptoms, how long do you wait before getting checked when it’s a pandemic? If you can dismiss symptoms as possible happenings, is there a point one shouldn’t?
🤔
So that’s my adventure so far. 🤞
(Marc and I are being careful. I slept on the couch. Disinfecting everything. Just did a deep clean on Saturday of the whole place so there’s that.)