I just wanted to write a post about our experience with this COVID virus because I feel like so many states and cities are experiencing it differently. Before this all started back in February, my 9 year old son Rudy was sent home from school with a slight fever. It was nothing major but he seemed very tired and had a sore throat. I think a lot of people are now looking back and realizing that they had gotten sick sometime between January and February and wondering if it was the corona virus!
Well my son seemed to get better and I ended up catching it. I remember so many nights where my throat felt raw and I could not stop coughing. I never really got the fever but the cough, sore throat and fatigue were fairly bad.
I am still caring for and nursing my 15 month old daughter, and despite her being so close to me ALL the time, she didn't seem to get sick at all. I was really relieved. Then the warnings and closures started happening. Here in Florida we were later to game with the lock downs. Our beaches were open for Spring Break. However, his school informed us that the whole school district would be closing another week after Spring Break in order to minimize exposure. That week turned into a month - and now probably the rest of the school year. The beaches ended up closing- (i think due to some crazy spring break kids being crazy on the news and causing an outrage.)
Well - around the last week March, my daughter started showing symptoms. At this time we were still going to the store and life was kind of as it was besides schools being closed. Being a stay at home mom can be pretty isolating anyway since I am home with the kids by myself most days anyway. Well my youngest seemed miserable and on top of having a slight fever, she was whiny, clingy and wanted to nurse 24/7. So I made her an appointment with her pediatrician and we went. Her doctor tested her for flu and strep and both came back negative. The doctor said her ears looked clear and her lungs sounded good but her throat looked very red and inflamed. She prescribed her amoxicillin and wanted to treat it as strep throat even though the test was negative. I didn;t mention the corona virus testing because I was a little worried about causing a panic. So she had to take the pink liquid 2 times a day for 10 days. She seemed to get a little better but the sore throat turned into a cough and at the end of the 10 days, her fever came back.
By this time, the Doctor's office was limiting their hours and we were able to make an appointment but we had to wait out in the car to be called in. Everyone was wearing masks and I was worried about Emerson toughing ANYTHING (in case she might have it or get it from something) This time I was definitely asking about Covid testing. She was negative AGAIn for flu and strep. We were seeing a different doctor. She said that Emerson had a croup cough and wanted to give her a steroid. and give her a stronger antibiotic.s She said the cough sounded like her throat Was inflamed near the top but her lungs still sounded good- and there was no fluid in the bottom of her lungs. So I asked about the possibility it could be COVID-19. She said that she did not think so because her fever was not as high (it was only 100) and the cough sounded clear (no fluid in lungs) . But if I wanted to get her tested, I would have to call the Health Department.
So we left and I called the Health Department. We had to go through a lot of screening questions. The final determination was that because she was so young, we would have to take her the Pediatric ER at Gulf Coast Regional Hospital to be tested. We did not want to risk that because we figured that would surely expose her to something if she ended up not having it.
I really questioned this decision a lot because I TRULY wanted to know. It would answer so many questions and determine a lot of our actions like being even more cautious than we already were- having her wear a mask and NOT being around neighbors/ others.
Financially, my husband who has been our primary bread winner since my daughter was born, has had his projects cut and put on hold, meaning that our family does not have the same income coming in as we had before. This has put us into a very stressful situation and we have been so worried about what we were going to do. It caused a lot of contention in our relationship as well because he kept asking me to find a job. As a teacher during a nationwide school closure, I was angry that I even had to explain to him why that was not going to happen. I did apply to virtual schools but was not selected for the postitions. I feel like I am ready to go back to work if I need to but I think it's a little unrealistic to think I will be able to find a job during global pandemic and economic shut down!
Finally after some meetings, my husband was told he should go get tested for COVID 19. I have heard on the news that they thought people could start returning to work if they were able to show they had the COVID antibodies - showing they had had the virus and recovered from it.
My husband asked me to call and see how and if he could get tested while he took calls and worked on his laptop.
First I called the Health Department. This time I was asked some screening questions:
Name
DOB
Adress
Husband's age?
Is he a first responder?
Does he have an pre existing conditions?
Has he been exposed to anyone who tested positive?
Does he have symptoms?
Based on the answers she said she not think he could tested there. She was going to check and call me back but in the mean time she gave me the number to another company called Pancare FL to call.
I called this number and was directed to a COVID receptionist. She asked similar screening questions and at first told me that he could not be tested if he did not have a fever. At that point- I got pretty insistent that we were certain my daughter had it ( since she had ALL symptoms and tested negative for flu and strep) so finally she consented and gave us a patient number and took our insurance information.
My husband had an hour to go to the Bay County Fairgrounds to get tested. I did not go with him and he didn't take video (like I asked him LOL) When he came back he said that he had to wait in the car. First he was given the strep and flu tests. When those were negative he spoke to a doctor and was given the COVID test. He said that the swab in the throat was VERY unpleasant, triggered his gag reflex but was not exactly painful.
He was told he would receive his results in a few days. SO now we are anxiously awaiting his results and are wondering what they will be.
We are hoping it is positive so we know he is over it (that we all had it ) and then his work might allow him to return to his meetings/projects.
