me with the Pandemic...

It was Monday, the start of a hectic week as it was on the end of March, the closure of the financial year. Also that week was the Holy week which ended in Easter. In addition, I had a transfer around the corner which thrust me to work things in a hurried manner. Within three days, I had to handover, finish the pending and pass it on. Monday was fine, a bit dusty maybe but Tuesday I was weak. I knew I was. I thought it was my frantic running around and wanted some rest. A leave was costly as I had too much work to pass on. The knowledge of leaving a familiar workplace to a different one left with me only little time to spend with people there, that complicated my leave process.😟

Tuesday went by, Wednesday was bad too, and I had temperature. For the kind of person I was, I didn’t want to take a paracetamol to forcibly reduce my fever. I expected it to go away on its own. Strangely, it did when I took rest. After bidding a temporary farewell to my friends there, I moved to the new place, with fatigue. It was Good Friday next, aww a relaxing holiday. I attended the shortest English service which encouraged me and took a whole day of rest. The next day was a tiring 1 hour travel to farther parts of Chennai with my scooty for election duty as a servant of the Government with election around the corner. One would say my life was running a lot, I would say it!

That day, I was too tired, I had the warning sign of losing my taste! To be mentioned, I didn’t have fever on Good Friday, so I concluded it was somehow related to the non-ending schedule that I was a part of. The warning sign of losing my taste and smell led me to conclude that I must not attend Easter service and take the awaited Covid 19 test. My next fear moved to my mother. I immediately started the distance I needed to keep from her, knowing she was diabetic. It was Saturday 3 pm, I knew the hospital wouldn’t have the test centre open, so on Easter day, off we went, to give the test.

Oh the wait for the message on the phone, it was something I can’t explain in words.😕 Some feeling that we have when we wait for results, when we wait for our progess card, for our marks, it was like that. I quite knew what the result would be but everyone had to know. The results didn’t turn up the day we expected it. I had to sleep over the doubt of it. The next day in the morning I knew. I was positive and mom was negative.

At once, I took the book I was currently reading, some of my belongings and went to the hospital. There they treated me like I was normal, well yea for them I was just another young positive patient having nothing serious to do with them. They got a consent from me for home quarantine, a signature that I won’t be out till 14 days are over, supplied me with the necessary drugs, a pulse oximeter, viewed my lungs through an X ray and I was back home.

A room was set aside for me, confined. It was my own little quarantine space! I loaded it with books; (quarantine was exactly what a Bibliophile would love). I had to do my steaming, take tablets, had to eat all that my mother gave including the kashayams and vegetable soups I had to push inside and take a lot of rest. The rests were easy as it was much needed and demanded by the virus. The quarantine was in one way a gift to me, who had continuously kept running everywhere or so I think. The gift part, I have no doubt, it’s the running part I’m guessing.

If there was one stark difference between a common cold and Covid(In my opinion, from experience), was that small difficulty in breathing. The steaming process exemplified the breath problem; it’s the subtle difference that makes a world of difference! But yea, I was doing great, thanks to God who made it possible! Who permitted and walked me through this endeavor, and UNTOUCHED.

I still had fatigue in my body after about two weeks of my sickness, it may be around for a month, they say. But I’m grateful.😃

• ·         Grateful for mom turning negative, as whatever was causing me trouble was not allowed to trouble her.
• ·         Grateful for being taken care of, provided for luxuriously.
• ·         Grateful for being able to stay at the comfort of my home.
• ·         Grateful for being loved. (Mom prepared food and so many other stuff, anna supplied medicines, Neighbours gave fruits, everyone helped, uncle helped with getting other stuff, sister sent flowers and a get well soon badge from a friend too. Above all this, a God who loved me whose love can’t be expressed in words)
• ·         Grateful for not having any complications, for being able to breathe in oxygen without support.
• ·         Grateful for life...... and many more

Ever since I have spoken to at least three people regarding overcoming Covid, I’m praying for a lot and I am aggrieved for the loss of many. With whatever this pandemic has to do with us, claiming some lives, leaving many lives, sucking some lives let’s remember that 

God is good.

And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.

Romans 8:28 NIV

https://romans.bible/romans-8-28

Also a few things I did during the times I was sick (No complications or co morbidities, oxygen – good):

(Even if you’ve read it a 50 times, if this write up helps one person, then it’s ok if I bore the other 99 with the same advice)

• 1.       I took a lot of rest! Kept sleeping for the first few days.
• 2.       I can’t say I ate well, I did give my mom a tough time with finishing those unending kashayams and soups, but I say it’s better if you provide ammunition (nutrition) for your body to battle this out even if you lose your appetite and don’t feel like taking a bite. I ate a lot of fruits and juices too.
• 3.       Steaming was one thing I loved to do. I could feel my improvement while doing it. It was like a breath meter for me and it helped.
• 4.       I didn’t step out of my room! Books were my only physical contacts.