Day 228, 229 of Sheltering In/Day 2, 3 of Quarantine

Tuesday, Wednesday. Tuesday my son and I had televisits with our doctor. He sent orders for COVID-19 tests to the same hospital I went to at the beginning of the pandemic (that turned out to be bronchitis, not COVID-19). Tried Tuesday and Wednesday to schedule tests, but the hospital could not find our orders amongst over 150 faxes for COVID-19 testing. I called my insurance and they told me to go online to schedule at CVS (no openings within 100 mile radius for 3 days, which is how far they schedule. They gave me the number for an urgent care in OP. I scheduled us for Saturday. 

Wednesday my doctor’s office called after 3pm, actually my daughter’s pal, a customer from her work, got us in at 4pm that day at a new test site on the first floor of where our doctor’s office is. I called to cancel the Saturday appointments as soon as I finished that call. Got the less uncomfortable test. The short swab. Definitely more comfortable than the longer swab. We left home early, surveyed (from the car) the new apartment buildings that my daughter is supposed to get into. It’s behind the medical building. Then parked where we were directed to park. No time for my son to ruminate about the test. Thank goodness! Temperature check in the car, then followed the tester into the vestibule where the testing was done. We had to go separately, which started to freak my son out, but I explained the procedure and got him calmed down. Both of us were exhausted when we got home. At this point I don’t think we will test positive. I think we may have a garden variety flu, one not covered by the flu shot we each got. Most bothersome symptom for both of us are headaches, sore throat for my son, scratchy throat for me, raspy voice. And we’re tired. I’m praying this is the extent of it and we test negative. We were told we’d get the results Monday, but I’m thinking maybe Friday, or over the weekend.

The isolating part and exhaustion are annoying. We are very fortunate that if this is Covid-19, it’s mild. I really think we’ll test negative. Since my son and I were exposed at the same time we watch movies in the master bedroom and my son gets our meals while my wife is in another room with the door closed. Technically, if one of us is positive we could have given it to my wife, but she’s fine. All 3 of us are doing a vitamin regimen our doctor prescribed. My wife is taking it just in case.

My son and I avoided local channels so we didn’t see any election stuff. We watched Christmas movies. It’s hard to find something appropriate that my son would be interested in. Christmas movies are neutral, so that’s what we’ll stick to. We’ve got plenty to choose from on the streaming services we have. My son doesn’t like not being able to go out...grocery shopping! He’s always my assistant. For some unknown reason we really stocked up last week, so we have enough food and supplies for the next 10-14+/- days.

Lola’s Diner cc.  2008-2020

Day 226, 227 of Sheltering In/Day 1 of Quarantine

Sunday, Monday. Sunday I picked up a car full of boxes of food from a Food Depository event Sunday. Initially decided not to go, then went 1/2 hour before it ended. I was only picking up 1 box for my family. They still had 3/4 of a semi trailer full of boxes, at least 8 pallets of boxes they were loading back in the semi trailer, and about 5 pallets they were working on passing out. The pallets of food boxes were stacked 6 feet high. I don’t know at what point they started doing it, but they’d ask each car if they could fill it with boxes and ask the driver to share it with people they know who are in need or struggling. Being the good person that I am, I told them to go ahead. (My Buick had totes and a couple of boxes, so there wasn’t a lot of room.) I ended up with 6 boxes. On my way home I called my wife and asked her to call her friends and family to see who would be interested. We’re talking 1 income families. I started at her friend who lives near us and my son delivered 2 boxes into her house, then we went to the group home anticipating dropping off 1 for each floor, but my daughter said they could only take 1. We split the remainder with my father-in-law and brother-in law. I felt really good about helping them all out. I know her friend comes up short every month because she spends a lot on prescriptions. Also, the group home sometimes comes up short too because some staff use the food stamps fraudulently, for themselves. My father-in-law is retired and my brother-in-law is a school bus driver for districts still doing at home learning. The trip to help bus people escaping the fires in Oregon was cancelled, so he has not worked.

So, no good deed goes unpunished, right? My wife got a text when we were getting ready to leave her Dad’s, and all the color drained from her face. Her friend that we delivered food to was letting us know she tested positive for COVID-19. This is the same friend who is a denier and has gone to family gatherings, dining in at restaurants (that are currently not supposed to allow dining in), and has had lots of photos on Facebook of her at these events, not wearing a mask. My son and I wore masks when we delivered the food boxes, but her friend didn’t wear a mask. I expect my Orthopaedic doctor who I have an appointment with Tuesday will cancel. They don’t take any chances, which I appreciate. I don’t appreciate her friend’s cavalier attitude. Now my son and I can’t leave the house for 14 days. At least that’s what I found out on the CDC’s website. I will also call our family doctor Tuesday and see if he wants to send orders to the hospital for us to get tested (drive-thru testing) and find out what the protocol is when you are exposed to someone who tests positive. This will be my 2nd test. The first was negative and ended up being bronchitis.

I am not a happy camper right now. My son hasn’t said anything, but I can tell by looking at him that he’s freaking out. 

Lola’s Diner cc.  2008-2020