After 3 Years, COVID Finally Caught Up With Me

Explaining where I’ve been the last few weeks.

Hello, my dear friends.

If it appears that I’ve dropped off the face of the Earth, it’s because in a way I have. Let me tell you a little about what’s been going on.

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At the end of December, I took a little time off from work to do a few projects around the house before tax season began. Mostly, I had a wonderful week.

I spent the end of that last week of December working in the yard, getting most of the flower beds ready for spring.

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Then on Saturday, December 31st, I woke up not feeling right.

I hoped it was just a  Familial Mediterranean Fever attack, but it quickly turned into something else.

By Sunday morning, January 1st, I couldn’t deny I was sick.

On Monday, I tested positive for COVID-19. And life has been a blurry mess ever since.

The initial part of the illness wasn’t too bad. The worst of it lasted about 3 days with a fever reaching 103.5. I started to feel better by Wednesday of that week and was sure I would be ready to go back to work by the following Monday.

By Saturday morning, January 7th, I started to get worse again. And now I’m not sure what’s happening.

I’m having two key problems that are making life incredibly difficult.

One, I can’t breathe. If I take more than three or four steps, I feel like I can’t catch my breath and start coughing uncontrollably. It means I have yet to go back to work.

And that’s terrifying.

But perhaps even worse is the second problem.

I feel like I can’t think. I sit down at the keyboard and can’t remember how to hit the letters. No words come into my head, and I struggle to remember how to do simple things. Even tying my shoes and unlocking the door feels challenging.

It’s like COVID has robbed me of my mind, and all I can do is lay in the recliner and watch mindless TV.

And I’m hating every minute.

Coping with a physical illness can have an intense effect on your mental health.

It is trying hard to rob me of my mental peace, but I’m not giving up. Even if this turns into what they call Long COVID and sticks with me for months to come, I know that my life still has value.

My heart is overflowing from those of you who have reached out to ask what’s going on.

Every day, I’ve planned to put out at least a short newsletter to tell you what was happening, but it’s taken most of my strength just to keep up doing the daily necessities, such as getting dressed and feeding myself.

After rounds of antibiotics, steroids, and two different inhalers, I’m hoping that this week I’ll start to see some improvement. That means that you should hear more from me, and hopefully I’m getting back on track.

Life with illness is hard, and it’s especially true when something new is thrown at you.

If this year hasn’t started out the way you hoped, know that you’re not alone.

Remember, just because something doesn’t start well doesn’t mean it’s going to be a bad year.

We have the power to make the year whatever we need it to be. And I choose peace and positivity.

Thank you for being here.

You are the reason I continue to produce online content, and throughout this illness, you are part of what’s keeping me going.

Until next time, keep fighting.

Scott