Couch 244: Great Expectations

Hugs, NP. I'm glad you'll have contact during that time. I completely understand feeling anxious--I feel anxious when my T is away for a week (or even less).

Ugh, I just tested positive for Covid. I really thought this was just allergies, or possibly a mild cold? Not sure if I got it at the concerts I attended Tuesday/Wednesday. But I was also feeling a bit off both Tuesday and Wednesday, but chalked it up to allergies. My daughter has also been sniffly all week, but she also has been off and on for the past month or two (she has seasonal allergies, and pollen is especially high in my area right now--including two that I know I'm allergic to by testing). I feel bad because she was supposed to spend the night at my parents' this weekend, but I guess that's out now.

I have moved my HEPA air purifier to right next to me, opened some windows, and am wearing a mask. We'll test D when she gets home, I guess. And H. I mean, if they're positive, I can dispense with the mask. On the plus side, we live in a house with lots of floors, so can generally isolate.

The one good thing is that I opted to meet with Dr. T virtually today out of an abundance of caution. Though I'd have tested this morning, too, if I were going in person. He's lucky I love him!

I got to the Therapy office around 2:30 but than they told me that my session was at 3:30 so I came back than but than the Therapist told me that he had any client before me so I am still waiting in the office. I talked things over with the manager and he told me he would try to get things resolved. I am not sure how much longer I will wait, if the Therapist tells me he still has another client to see I will just leave.

I hope you manage to get it figured out, RT.

I'm sorry LT - I hope you don't feel too poorly, it passes quickly, and that you haven't passed it onto H or D.

Thanks, Lost! This is actually the first time I've tested positive since the pandemic started. I don't know whether I somehow avoided it when H and D had it last August or whether I just had false negative tests (all home tests). I did feel somewhat ill for a few days before they had it then, but I was always negative. And I also was in a car with D for an hour the day she tested positive. I thought maybe I was one of those people who had some random immunity to it, but apparently not.

I am going to test again with the kind of test I trust more later, but I've read to pretty much always trust a positive test (less so a negative one), and this turned positive within 5 minutes (and stayed that way).

I empathise with you. I had my first bout in March, after avoiding it for three years.
You are right to trust a near-instant positive.

Oh no, I hope you don't feel tool grim LT. Go slowly with stuff. I don't know what the current strains are like but when I had Covid (two years ago), I felt really ill even when I started testing negative. Regular paracetamol helped and lots of rest and water.

Thanks, Comrade! I worry this will change, but it really just feels like seasonal allergies or a minor cold right now. Maybe it will get worse? I did have a bivalent booster in November, though that was 6 months ago.

H and D just tested negative, so I guess I'm likely patient zero, and it's masks/air purifiers in the house for me for the foreseeable future during waking hours. Unless they test positive later. Unfortunately, the room where I spend most of my time doesn't have a door (our house is weird).

Thanks, Lost. It does kinda suck in a way to get it after avoiding it for so long! I don't think Dr. T has had it yet either--pretty sure he would have told me if he had--certainly if he had in the past year or so that I've been seeing him in person.

I did email him--I hope he'll give me a kind response. When D and H had it last year and I was worried about it ruining our family vacation with my parents that D looked forward to, he said it seemed like I was acting the victim. When that wasn't what it was, in the sense that it wasn't about me--I was worried D would miss something she loved doing.

Maybe he will just be filled with gratitude that I didn't go in person today! And that I agreed to let him put someone else in my slot yesterday (he was out Wednesday for some graduation that he had to attend--not his son--which he said really messed up his schedule).

Struggling right now because my daughter is upset about her plans to see my parents being canceled. And then I told her she needed to keep her distance from me to stay healthy. This is triggering my feelings about being contaminated. I'm crying, but it's difficult because I'm wearing a mask. Trying to not really breathe out except into a tissue when I blow my nose. (They did say if she and H still test negative Sunday, they'd be willing to meet them at a restaurant outside. Not with me, of course!)

I wish I had tested this morning--assuming I would have tested positive then--so that I could have talked to Dr. T about this. Once he replies to my email, I want to ask if by some chance he has anything Sunday (he works about a half-day that day), but I doubt he does.

It really doesn't help that my mom was all like "We've been careful and sanitized for the past 3 years and have avoided getting Covid." Right, yes, but they've been eating in restaurants indoors for like 18 months, not wearing masks in stores, etc. It's not like they've just been holing up in their house. Plus, I mean, I avoided it for 3 years! That's a really long time, especially considering I have a relatively young child in school. So now I feel judged by her, too.

Sorry for whining--I know I probably deserve what I got for taking a risk...if this is even from the concerts (I had some sort of symptoms a couple days ago).

LT - youre not the only one on MSF who got it. They just closed the book on it, and now its up again? Thats just weird, as in, apparently there is no closing this book. I admit ive been careless lately too, but this has shown me the error of my ways.

On a lighter note, STAR TREK INTO DARKNESS is on tonight on CBS. There is a girl in a hospital, and you hear a voice, "i can help your daughter" "who are you?"

"KHAN!!!" (Benedict cumberbatch) yes i yelled it.

I'm still not used to the new name of this forum. I was like, "What is MSF? Oh, right..." I still call it "PC" in my head (or if mentioning to Dr. T or someone else).

It's just frustrating because it's been over 3 years now! Can't Covid just go away?

I was saying to Dr. T today (before I tested positive) that I hope that someday in the future, we'll be able to go back to "Is this allergies or a cold?" And not have to worry about risking others' lives if we have possible symptoms. Not that I want to give, say, my parents a cold, but there are no regulations to isolate in your house if you have a cold.

They did end the national state of emergency (or maybe that's May 31). Which partly means insurance will no longer cover testing. And they aren't reporting testing in the same way. Everyone wants it to be over, but it's apparently not.

Can't comment on the Star Trek reference!

MSF sounds like an additive. Like MSG.

Enjoying life is about risks. And I mean, it’s not like you went skiing down a super-expert slope and are now complaining you twisted a knee when you predictably wiped out. There’s a difference between foolhardy and acceptable risk.

Yes, it does sound like an additive. Or an injury, like "I have an MSF tear."

Thanks for the risks comment. Dr. T has said numerous times how driving is risky, But people do it anyway--the acceptable risk thing. And yes, this isn't the level of skiing an expert slope (I haven't even tried skiing, as I assume I'll just injure myself). Plus, people clearly do things like attending concerts every day, or else bands wouldn't be able to tour.

I appreciate your helping me look at this more rationally.

There are huge downsides to living in total isolation too. If anything, you're late to the party because many, many of us have already had it at least once. People get sick. I don't think you'd be feeling ashamed at all if it were a cold or the flu. I'm glad you're isolating until you aren't contagious anymore, and I hope your illness is utterly uneventful.

I think this is my favorite star trek movie. 1. lt uhuru plays a big part, glad she finally got some credit! 2. Explains a lot of the backstory, so that was pretty cool. Classic music.

I dont really care for the new video game type backgrounds and special effects. I want it to look harder to do!

I did see the Therapist for a little but today but hopefully in the future I will be able to have session a little earlier in the day.

Ah, Covid! So many thoughts.

Covid is at its lowest point since this all started, but it’s not going “to go away.” Fortunately, the current strains are generally much less deadly than the original strain (which killed my husband) or delta. The most at risk are the elderly and immuno-compromised populations, particularly if they have not gotten the bivalent booster. For most, the symptoms now are more short-term and less likely to affect the lungs.

It still sucks to deal with, but better now than a year or so ago. Isolate for a few days. Retest in a few days and until you are negative. My guess is most people who are positive now don’t even know it. But it is much less prevalent or severe than previously.

I have taught two years with exposure to thousands of germy teenagers, without a mask, and I really don’t worry about it despite what I have experienced. I had the original strain and wasn’t terribly ill (got it from my husband who ended up dying). I am fairly certain I had omicron when that first wave (early 2022) ran through seemingly everyone, and it was more “bad cold”-like and very brief in duration.

Hopefully your illness will be mild and short-lived. Call your doctor for recommendations to deal with symptoms if they are bothersome.

Thanks, EM. You're right that I wouldn't be feeling shame if this was the cold or flu. I just keep thinking how I brought this on myself. But at the same time, I mean, I went over 3 years without getting it (to my knowledge--may have had a false negative before). That's a long time!

I'm a little worried Dr. T (and/or his wife) will be spooked now. And change his in-person policy (or at least not do in-person for a week before his vacation). He said at one point that I was probably the (in-person) client he was least worried about getting it from. Then again, I should have immunity for a good stretch here. And I was careful--I didn't come in when I thought I could possibly be a risk (if I had chosen to go in, I'd have tested first).

And thanks for the well wishes, too! I'm feeling more tired and achy this morning, but right now, it's more like a cold than the flu. H said he'd try to keep D outside much of the day. I'm going to seriously owe him after this!

I'm also thinking, in terms of timing, if D gets it, all she'll miss is random end-of-the-year stuff (she already had Field Day and some sort of simulated Congressional hearing that was very painful to watch on video!) She likely wouldn't miss much actual learning (school ends June 14). And wouldn't miss either of our beach trips.

Thanks, Artley. I appreciate the supportive words and information. I imagine it's difficult to think about because of your husband.


When my D had it in August, we thought it was seasonal allergies, it was so mild. After she tested positive, she basically slept for an entire day, then was totally fine and upset that she couldn't go anywhere. H had what seemed like a bad cold and the cough that he always gets with colds. I assume those were Omicron, based on the timing.

hugs and head nods all around. just dropped in for a minute while there's a quiet moment... LT sorry to hear, hope you're not feeling too poorly.

oh what a mix of emotions on this visit back 'home'. my mom came to my sisters and (trigger for medical stuff)

but then there's also been some stupid dysfunctional family drama happening before her fall, and i had a really good, really emotional talk with my sister, but then i also had a wonderful time visiting with my son and his gf while they were still here, so it's been really up down and around emotionally!! I ended up not contacting L. I have a CoDA meeting on zoom tomorrow evening I'm going to log on for again if I can find a quiet room.

I sometimes feel the same, but you had to go through everything else to get to the point you are now to finally feel the benefits of the new group.

I'm sorry about your mother. That does sound like a scare. I hope she is better soon.

It's not your fault LT. You could have got it from anywhere. Maybe during the food shop instead of the concert.

Hope you do continue to have mild symptoms.

I like this one too the most. I last watched Beyond last month or so.

Chris pine is the best Captain.

You might like this too Art: