You know that "menthol" feeling in your head right before you get sick with the flu? The scratchy throat, alternate waves of hot and cold running through your head, and suddenly feeling your sinuses? We used to drink water, take Tylenol and trudge through it, right?
Now these symptoms bring full-on chaos!
Nobody knows if a "feeling under the weather" is from a garden-variety bug or Covid. Should you isolate? Should you go to the doctor? Should you get tested? No clarity and endless confusion. When Tarun and I go for walks, we bundle up like eskimos for fear of catching any bug.
Really, who wants to run around getting tested?!
Well, one in our family didn't want to, but had to. As you'd expect from 2020, Murphy intervened gloriously - the testing line was long, the car broke down, AAA had to be called, all while fighting a fever and a cough.
The two days we waited for the result gave us enough time to research Covid symptoms and convince ourselves that this is "it". Having a contact test positive did not help at all. Plus, being far away from family while sick has no silver lining, no matter how you think about it.
This story - touch wood! - is tending well. Our test was negative and now we wait for full recovery from the bug that has bombarded our system. We will bounce back no doubt. But the lesson here is please protect yourself from germs that can cause Covid-like symptoms.
The worry will age you, trust us.
Tarun and I recently drove to our favorite shopping spots to see what the world is up to and we were surprised at the number of cars at the malls! We drove around for a bit, mortified at how the shoppers are (not!) dealing with an invisible enemy that slides into our respiratory passages and eyes in utter silence.
Being sensible this season is the best gift we can give ourselves.
This was a TG like none other - we had a zoomsgiving yesterday with the five of us in four different cities and made the best of our situation. We remain prayerful for the ones we have lost and for the ones struggling and we are incredibly thankful for our blessings.
(Art by Gracie Oaks.)
