Covid and Me: My Journey With the Virus

Okay, I wasn’t sure if I was going to share this or not, but I felt I needed to as it may help someone else navigate through this Covid 19 environment and come out on the other side still alive. I have lost many friends in the past year and a half and frankly I’m tired of the loss.

On Friday July 30 I tested positive for Covid.  Back in April I decided to go ahead and get the vaccine.  I don’t need any debates on it, it was a choice I made for myself and my choice does not affect or hurt you in any way. 

Now onto my story.  I started feeling like I was coming down with a sinus infection on Wednesday July 28 of that week.  I did go to work because symptoms didn’t start until mid-morning and I didn’t think much about it, I deal with sinus issues now and then.  I stayed home on Thursday because I was feeling a lot worse and was fatigued and slept a lot; Thursday night I developed a fever over 102 so I knew something was up.  Friday I went to the clinic and was tested for the Flu and for Covid.  I was positive for Covid.  I had an exam and my lungs were clear, so that was great news for me. I’m pretty sure I know where I picked it up because, from time of exposure to symptoms was four days. 

As soon as I got home from the doctor, I placed an Instacart order and got some soup, Gatorade and other easy to prepare foods to last me a couple of weeks.  I also had my shopper pick up Vitamin D, and Zinc and since they didn’t have any Vitamin C I had him get orange juice.  I stayed inside (taking my trash out was a treat) and slept, tried to stay as active as I could when I was feeling up to it.  My symptoms were, sinus drainage, dry coughing, slight headache, fatigue and I lost my sense of smell.  My sense of taste was intact and fine, but I could not smell anything.  As of today I do have it back, which is great!

Here is my take on all this.  Covid is real, it’s not a conspiracy it’s a pandemic which the world has experienced over and over as long as man has been on earth.  It’s a virus so I’m smart enough to know that there is no true vaccine to get rid of it, but I’m here to tell you that it did help me; yes, I know some have died even after getting the vaccine, but underlying conditions were probably the reason.  I’m not a doctor and neither are many of you.  I don’t play into news media as I don’t watch any source of news, I read it instead.  I have heard the arguments, that they are going to micro chip us with the vaccine (that one still boggles my mind), they are committing genocide with it, it’s not FDA approved (more on that in a bit) and the list goes on and on.  I know people who are legitimately unable to get the shots, because their doctor said they shouldn’t, so I’m not worried about them, they are smart enough to do the right thing with their own health. 

I myself didn’t want the vaccine in the beginning because I don’t get a Flu shot because I always get really, really sick after taking it.  I got the Mumps prior to a Mumps vaccine and then got them a second time after I received the Mumps shot.  I got a Measles shot and still got the Measles, and even the Polio vaccine is 99.9999% effective (kind of like a birth control pill).  Illnesses change and mutate with time; science tells us this.  So I made the personal decision to get the Covid shot.  Now about that FDA approval thing.  Do you watch TV? Do you listen to the information about the medications on commercials? Are these medications FDA approved?  Yes, they are!  Do you pay attention to the LONG laundry list of side effects which many times include death?  Okay, how many of you take prescription medications for some ailment you may have?  Have you read the list of side effects from those drugs?  I have two major drug allergies so I know all about this. Some people have had side effects from the Covid shots, and some have possibly even died, but I wonder how many people have committed suicide from taking anti-depressants that have the side effect of “thoughts of suicide”?  I wonder how many have died from the side affects from high blood pressure medications, there is always that risk.  I read the ingredients that are in the injections to make sure there was nothing in them that I might be allergic to, there wasn’t so I felt confident in the decision.

Just today, I had someone give me a perfect scenario for why the vaccine is a good idea.  What if they came out with a pill or shot that wouldn’t stop you from getting cancer, but you wouldn’t die from it.  You could still get one of the many cancers that are out there, but you would live, would you take that medication? What if it had side effects that could possible be harmful to a handful of people?  Something to think about. 

As I said I’m not here to debate on your choices, it’s totally up to you on getting the shot, but think about your immune compromised friend that maybe can’t be vaccinated, or your elderly parent.  Please wear a mask for them if you don’t want to be vaccinated, (again not here to debate your choice) Be kind to people, and please pray for our overworked nursing staff and frontline doctors who are dealing with Covid daily and are just ready for it to all be over. 

As a side note, I’m not going to hell for getting the vaccine, in fact God gave me a brain and I talked with him long and hard before I received my shots because it wasn’t an easy decision to make, but I have peace in my decision and I do not need your judgement (if there is judgement God will deal with me when I meet him). My decision does not affect you in any way except that I will continue to mask up in public to help keep you safe (no debates on this either). I know you may not agree with me, but all I ask is that you respect my personal choices on living my life. I am here to live another day because I was vaccinated.

The New Addition

In my last post I talked about the loss of my male cat of 12 years Harpo and introduced you to my new female Shai. I have been debating on adding to my kitty family. I always regretted not getting a playmate for Harpo when he was little. I felt he was more timid because he was just bonded to me and was not great with other people. So with this being said, please help me welcome Sherman to our home.

As of right now he is about 13-14 weeks and is a diluted orange tabby. A friend of mine in Ocala has been trying to capture her feral parent cats for a few years. This is her third round of ferals and she wanted to bring me this cute little male. When I got him he was so scared and just wanted to hide. On the third day he started to purr in my arms, and was eating with me holding him. I immediately took him to the vet because I had him quarantined from Shai. After 2 weeks due to an infection he had Sherman and Shai met. Shai is an older cat and it’s taking her some time to get used to him being around. They are becoming friends and she tolerates him and has actually played with him.

He and I have fully bonded and he follows me every where. For such a baby he has learned our routine and is on a feeding and bedtime schedule. I cannot get over the fact that he actually sleeps all night.

He is quite the character and I understand how he got the name Sherman, because he plows through everything. He is very smart and is learning the rules fairly quickly. It’s difficult to believe he was so scared his first few days. Things like the vacuum totally freaked him out, now he follows it around. His confidence is through the roof and I’m happy to see that.

My Harpo was a very large boy and this one I believe will also be a very large cat, which I’m thrilled. Shai is topping out at 10lbs and is on the smaller side.

I am so happy to have my two kitties here, both rescued from the scary outdoors and both are just gems.

Since we are opening up I should be doing more shooting so I hope to be posting a lot more often. Until the next time behind the lens.

Cats At Work

Sandee
On August 6, 2018 very special little lady entered our lives at work.  Her name is Sandee and she is part of the Cats at Work program, where they provide cats for the work environment.

It is a cat rescue program designed to find homes for unadoptable cats.  Most of the rescues are feral and don’t do well in home environments.  These cats are being adopted by Golf Courses and Country clubs to help keep down the mice and rat populations.  The animals are cared for; fed, vetted and loved (some at a distance) for the rest of their living days.

Sandee’s back story is that she was found by a dumpster by an office worker at a trucking company where she had delivered four kittens. The lady took her and her four kittens in and called a local cat rescue group to come and get them.  The rescuer came, picked up the cats and got the kittens out for adoption when the time came, spayed her.  However, when they took mama cat back to the trucking company they were moving locations and didn’t want her, so back to Domestic Animal Services she went; which is where she stayed up until she came to us.  Sandee was dubbed “feral” by her rescuers which means she was classified as “unadoptable”,  however she is anything but feral.  From the moment she entered our office I think she knew she was going to her forever (furever) home.  She is so loving, and gentle, she loves everyone who comes through our door.  She no longer wants to be outside in fact she runs the opposite way if the doors is open.  Being her main caretaker, she has bonded fully with me.  She follows me around when I go to different areas of our building.  She sleeps on my desk in my “in” box, and she plays in the halls knocking her ball around like a soccer ball.
Sandee 1

I am so fortunate that I get to spend my evenings with my nine year old adoptee Harpo a male tuxedo who I adopted as a kitten from Domestic Animal Services, then I come to work and have Sandee to share my love with.  I am just so fortunate to work in a place that cares not only about people, but about the animals as well.

Harpo
My boy Harpo

I am so fortunate that I get to spend my evenings with my nine year old adoptee Harpo a male tuxedo who I adopted as a kitten from Domestic Animal Services, then I come to work and have Sandee to share my love with.  I am just so fortunate to work in a place that cares not only about people, but about the animals as well.

Click on the link to keep up with Sandee the Office Cat

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