Couch 223: Jan 4: Darn Tootin'!

Well, if I *was* positive (and then H and maybe D got tested), I'd feel a bit better about my D going back to school in a month. I know antibodies aren't 100% in preventing having it again, but I'd still rather know. Plus then we'd definitely avoid our respective parents for a couple weeks.


Also, I know that at times, people can feel better, then suddenly go downhill, like if it shifts to pneumonia. So if I'm positive, I'd want to be doing things like checking my oxygen levels (I got a pulse oximeter a while back), etc. Plus I've read it can help to avoid sleeping on your back (so harder for lungs to fill with fluid). If I'm negative, I don't have to think about those things.

I hope we do the 2020's, 30's, & 40's better than they did in the 1900's, but idk. Doesnt look like we learned from history. I dont know WHAT to make of Gamestop in terms of the stock market crash of 1929.

Oh, another reason is to help track rates in my area, so we know what spread is like.

It's really hard right now.. I mean really hard. You are helping people and in doing that ... helping you too? (Platitude sorry) I hope you can find some peace.. I'm struggling too.

Those are things I would not have thought of. Maybe the tracing, but the other stuff would not have been on my radar as reason to test - I just would isolate for 3 weeks from anyone not in actual home. Of course, I refused everything on the form at the mds office, did not give them a contact, and gave a formal statement revoking consent to treat because their form had me consenting for a year. We may simply have different approaches to health. My family has compared me to the Black Knight - it is only a flesh wound, and have threatened to have a pre-prepared tombstone reading "it is probably just a sinus infection, I am fine"

I had an older student (40s) who had it right when school started back but that is the only person that I know of in the last couple of months who has had it. She described it as feeling pretty flu-ish. Everyone else I know that has had it had no symptoms

No change - more pins

Quick couch poll
Who puts salt in their porridge?

If grits are the American version of porridge, then I do.

If it's more like oatmeal or Cream of Wheat, then i have no answer.

I do - salt and pepper. I like it with an over easy egg mixed in as well.

Part of why I'm aware of it is having a friend whose whole household got it in December--parents, kids, and the wife's father, who was living with them. And the father, they kept monitoring his blood oxygen and had to basically force him to go the hospital because it got really low. With COVID, it can get really low, without someone realizing it. Like with a typical illness, they'd probably pass out or get dizzy or something, but apparently can happen without that in COVID (but still be dangerous). He's since gotten out of the hospital and recovered (friend and wife just had flu-like symptoms, kids brief GI things). And he's unsure how they could have contracted it aside from when they were buying a Christmas tree because they were really careful (and I believe him--unlike some other people I know who might be like "Oh yeah, we were really careful" yet I know they went to a big indoor holiday gathering and stuff like that.

And yes, pretty sure we're approximately opposites in pursuing health things, as I tend toward being a bit of a hypochondriac. However, I don't tend to run to the doctor for every little thing, mainly just worry about it, research it, monitor it, etc.

And lol to Black Knight comparison--I guess we both appreciate that movie, at least?

Ordered a different dish than I usually get from a Turkish place that we frequent in an attempt to branch out. It has both a vegetarian and a meat version. The correct version was listed on the receipt, so I wasn't thinking much of it when I bit into one--of course it was the meat version. Ugh... Not sure why I didn't cut it in half first, but this place tends to be very reliable with carryout (unlike a couple other places we go to). We called, and they apologized and offered to remake it, but I didn't want H to drive back over there (I imagine they'd have also driven it to us, as they use their own employees for delivery), so just opted for refund of that item. Sigh...

My husband is in the ICU on bipap struggling to breathe. Fortunately the bipap is enough at this point - they haven't discussed ventilator beyond getting consent to do so if needed but it doesn't appear it will be needed.

Doctors call me a couple times a day and update me on his condition. I am not nearly as sick as my son and my husband were. Son is pretty much recovered after about 5 days of misery (he's 21). Husband just kept deteriorating to the point where he had to be transported by ambulance and admitted. We think so far that he will eventually recover and come home, but right now he's very, very ill.

My husband and I had the first vaccine about mid-January. Doctors suspect my husband was already COVID positive at that time - just not showing symptoms yet (he was the first of us to get sick). I didn't get sick until early this week, and I am not nearly as ill as either of them were. My main symptom is a constant nausea that just won't go away even with the meds they've given me. Had a bit of congestion and cough, but nothing too terrible thus far. Doctors theorize that while the one vaccine didn't prevent me from getting COVID, it may very well be helping me not get quite as sick.

Where did we pick this up? Who knows? I teach full time in person. My son has college coursework - about half of it in person. Oddly, my husband was the one who stayed home and he got it first. Might have come home on our clothes or something for all we know.

Don't let anyone tell you this is just like the flu. It might be for some people, but we can all profess to this being much more severe in symptoms for us. That's the unknown - everyone seems to display different symptoms and severity - even in our own home. Get vaccinated. We'll complete our vaccinations when told we can do so.

Hugs, Artley (if wanted). I hope your husband will improve soon and won't need the ventilator. And hope you feel better soon, too.


In response to some of your other comments, it seems like it's just really random how COVID will affect people. And to me that's one of the most scary aspects of it. There's just such a range of symptoms, too. As you could attest to.

Do you cut the egg up first or just put it in whole and break it with stirring?

Artley that sounds terrifying. Hugs

I put it in whole and break it with stirring - easier with the yolk to run into bowl than cutting and then moving. My person ate hers with bacon cooked in it - she would cook extra bacon and keep it in fridge to add in. I found if I throw in an egg or two that the extra protein really helped keep me full a lot longer and better than just adding in plain greek yogurt which was my earlier approach

I am not denying the seriousness of the disease and I certainly hope anyone with it or their family members - all recover fully.
I just don't think about it that much or think about me catching it. The only about me is planning for the pets.

Omg i loooooove jimmy rees!!! And salt in my porridge.

My new evening snack is a can of frozen mandarin oranges. I love those things.

Ive never tried them in the can. But lately i feel nekkid without bags of oranges and potatoes in the house.

I certainly found this to be accurate - my pets are treated better by the vet than my person was by western medicine
Its A Dogs World | Its A Dogs World Video

Truth. I’ve never had a doctor coo over my “fabulous” and “gorgeous” bloodwork like new cat’s vet would.

It’s like vets get into vetting because they actually like animals.

And the vet's office does always call a couple of times to check and see how the pet is doing

Mine sent condolence cards when my previous guinea pigs passed away, too--pretty sure human doctors don't generally do that.

Maybe not generally, but they do. My sister's doctors came to her funeral. My parent's doctor came to their house when it became to hard for them to go to his office. My husband's doctor gave me his private cell phone number when his service dropped the ball. The hospital doctor has taken half an hour out of her day to call me and just talk to me in detail and very personally about my husband's ICU confinement and progress.