Good morning,
Last week I shared with you how my experience with Covid began and was then diagnosed. Prior to testing I became very sick for 24 hours then the symptoms dissipated. After the official diagnosis my symptoms and suffering really ramped up. But, what I want to share with you today are the practical blessings and vitality that I received from dear friends and family. This has been so meaningful and touching to me (has even brought tears to my eyes many times) and reminded me how much of Living Vibrantly is bringing that care and vitality into the lives of others, especially when their life is hardest and most challenging. Those people have been my angels.
:))
Hugs – Karen
Part two of two:
:)) Angels of blessing and Vitality come into my Covid Sick room:
Friday, Jan 8th – How do I get supplies?
For good reason, when you have Covid you are immediately physically distanced from everyone. I am new to town. How can I get food and medications for my long ordeal?
:)) I remembered a former client at Raytheon Vision Systems, Day, who lives nearby. And although we haven’t been in close contact for several years, I called her and asked, “Do you know of a good delivery service here in the valley?” She instantly replied, “It’s me”. When I insisted I couldn’t let her do that for me, she insisted, “Karen – yes I want to do it. We are all in this together. Let me get your emergen-C plus anything else that you need and deliver it to your door”. She went to the grocery store and sent me texts and pictures to be sure she was getting the right things that I needed, then delivered them to my door along with a beautiful surprise:
Friday, Jan 8th – How do I fill my prescriptions?
:)) Cherry & Annie insisted that I keep my phone right by me, have the # of a cab company by my phone to get to the hospital & call local pharmacy to have an oximeter delivered. They paid for the oximeter. They said they wouldn’t sleep that night unless I had it all.
:)) I dialed a local pharmacy near by my new place and was fortunate to get to talk to the Pharmacy Manager. I told him “my friends are really worried and they asked me to call and have an oximeter delivered tonight so they could sleep tonight so that they would not worry that I was going to die in bed alone.” The pharmacist paused and then he said: “ Let me gather what you need and we’ll get it delivered by USPS tomorrow”. I paused. And then asked if there was any way to get it today. He paused again. “ I will deliver it myself after my shift ends at 9:00pm.” I almost cried to think that someone who had been working all day and I’m sure just wanted to be home was so kind and caring. My friends were amazed and relieved and slept well and so did I.
Saturday, Jan 9th – My siege begins
I hardly have enough energy to get up and boil an egg. No one tells you about how this affects your emotional state. It feels like my normal filters are gone. Every kindness is very touching. Every lack of kindness is even more painful. Every sweet thing, every moment of beauty, every phone call, every text is very touching. I almost cry each time someone checks on me. I find myself thinking deeper and feeling deeper. And it’s nice to be able to be that in touch with myself—With my feelings and with what is actually important in life. I am suffering, but it is also a time to think and feel deeply.
I was told sunlight and vitamin D would help. I lay on my bed with the sun streaming in during the afternoon hours, resting and trying to start to heal.
Sunday Morning , Jan 10th – Reflections on Sun and God
As I lay in bed this morning looking out my window at the dark sky I got to witness the sky turning light. As the sky began to get a touch of light I thought about the sun and I thought that the sun is like God—always there—he’s always there or she’s always there. It’s only when we rotate the right way that we are exposed to the sun. The only reason we’re ever in darkness is because we turned our backs to the sun—to God.
When we rotate toward the sun—toward God, we are in the light again. So if we ever feel like we’re in the dark or in a dark place all we have to do is turn toward the sun—toward God. Because the sun is always there shining brightly. God is always there shining brightly—always present—always there for us.
Monday, Jan 11th – Grapes and Candles
Feeling awful. But It was 70° so I thought I should get out and go for a little fresh air. I drove to the Vineyard that is right next to where I live now and got out and walked a few feet, felt the breeze–the nice fresh air and took in the beautiful views. It made me feel more vibrant and healthier.
Tuesday – Thursday, Jan 12th – 14th – Very sick, but blessings continue
Wednesday morning. Someone I have never met at my medical group called me for my TeleMed appointment and immediately insisted that I go to get a Covid test in nearby Solvang. They could see me immediately if I could get there by 11:30am. I raced to get there.
I was examined by Dr. Jason Morris, he is a former ER doctor. No diagnosis. Should get Covid test results in a few days. But Dr. Jason Morris said, “Remember, every single thing you put in your mouth is a drug. It affects you physically and mentally, so be very conscious about what you eat and drink especially when you’re sick. Mostly fruits and vegetables with some protein. Also keep doing what you’re doing because it’s obviously working (referring to massive amounts of vitamin C water along with the herbs I got from my acupuncturist that I take to stave off a cold).”
Friday, Jan 15th – Focusing my mind on recovery
After these very bad Covid days, last night before I went to bed I set this thought in my mind, “When I wake up in the morning, I will be on the road to recovery. I will feel worlds better.” I DO! I was able to get up and take my first shower in several days.
Here’s what I have tried to keep in mind (although with Covid brain, thinking is difficult)…we MUST keep ever present in our minds: Keep our eye on the ball–the good goal. No matter what the challenge, whether it be Covid, business, personal problem. Focus on the good. Focus on the desired outcome, not the dreaded outcome. Don’t listen to all the possible dreadful, bad outcomes. Don’t listen to what bad might happen. Don’t allow that to sneak in and scare you. Think about what the good is that might happen and believe that it will. I’m told prayer teams all over the country have been praying for me. I am so very grateful, because I can tell today that I am now on the road to recovery.
What I have had reinforced during Covid is what I have been practicing for years: See the good. Say the good. There is always a good side to everything if we just look for it. There is always something good. Find it. Focus on it. It will change our lives! It HAS changed my life.
Good is healing. Bad is bad. Good produces vibrance. Live Vibrantly!
Second Covid Weekend (Jan 16-17) – Still Sick but Thankful
Still a little queasy. No energy. I sleep all the time. But I am feeling thankful.
The outpouring from caring, loving people doing so many things to lift my spirits and help me heal touches my heart every single time. These flowers sent from my cousins in Oklahoma were the most surprising. They followed a giant delivery of groceries my tummy can handle from two dear friends, Shelley and Lynn, in Santa Barbara. 😢😘 Thank you everyone ❣️
:)) More caring packages appeared: a ginormous canister of Gatorade and a whole box of Emergen-C from Will and Darlene
Monday, Jan 15th – Recovery in sight
Calls into 2 doctors: I can now go out in public they say with a mask. I can now start working my way back. Start with a very slow 10 minute walk. No testing because the system is overburdened. I don’t believe that I shouldn’t be retested. I set up a test myself–not an easy task.
WHAT’S COVID LIKE?
People have asked what it is like having Covid. I really can’t answer that for everyone’s Covid because I understand it affects everyone differently. I can only tell you what it is like for me. Every single day is different. Symptoms come and go (they jump out and surprise you and go away just as fast) and then return. The constants for me have been:
- I can’t think clearly or quickly. It is hard to hold a thought.
- I have close to zero energy. It takes every ounce of energy just to do the most basic necessities of the day and some days I can’t even manage to get to those done–meaning some days I can’t take a shower. Some evenings I can’t brush my teeth. Some days I just have to skip taking my vitamins. On the very best of days I can wash the dishes I dirty. On a rare day, I can wash a load of clothes (that has happened only one day). There have been 3 or 4 of the 13 days that I felt good enough to take a short drive and even get out of my car in a deserted place and take a “walk,” if you want to call it that, for 5 or so minutes.
- I am light headed and unstable on my feet—I just walk slowly and carefully.
- My clear vision comes and goes and my hearing goes from way too sensitive to can hardly hear at all.
- I startle easily.
The symptoms that come and go: fever, chills, headache in the base of my skull and neck, nausea (sometimes extreme—I couldn’t eat in the first few days and again for a few days a week later), sneezing or congestion (however, I am so fortunate and thank God every day that I don’t have the respiratory symptoms.)
Here’s how it happens…You’re going along thinking everything is better and you’re on the road to well and then something strikes. It is sort of like a Star Wars movie where they are doing just fine and then a beast rises up out of the sand or the swamp and grabs you.
Wednesday, Jan 17th – As I write this
I am going to be taking it easy for at least another week or so. I feel so much better, but am so wiped out. I also want to make sure I am not contagious so I’m waiting for the test results. But I am very thankful for all those angels :)) who have lightened my load and brought hope and energy and vitality into my sick room. In quarantine, if you live alone, you don’t get to see another living soul for days on end, but all the love I have been sent by so many has pulled me through.
Thank you all from the depths of my heart! ❤
Back to sleep again, Karen