Well, my fever didn't go up again on Monday, even in the afternoon. I was also monitoring my O2 levels, which fluctuated from low (for me) to excellent. I was tired and had to blow my nose a lot, but after the first day (Sunday, Sept. 15th), when I had a fever, I didn't really feel sick. I stayed in the guest room unless I had to go to the bathroom, when I put on my mask. I got my own breakfast, wiping down everything I touched with a sanitizing wipe and taking it back to my cell to eat. Charlie brought me my lunch and supper, leaving a tray in the laundry room, which is next to the guest room. I took the last dose of Paxlovid Thursday morning.
I had been told to continue to isolate for 24 hours after finishing the medication, and then, if I didn't have a fever, I could leave isolation and roam about while wearing a mask. It wasn't clear whether the 24 hours began as soon as I took the last dose or after the time I would have taken the next dose. I had been taking the medication at 8:00 PM, beginning Saturday evening, and 8:00 AM each day. I decided to play it safe and go by the more conservative option, so I started my 24 hours at 8:00 PM Thursday. Since I planned to continue sleeping in the guest room during the time I had to be masked, so I could at least take off the mask at night, I figured I might as well wait until in the morning to free myself from my cell. That meant that by the time I left isolation, it had actually been almost 48 hours since the last of the medication. I had started some overnight oatmeal (see recipe, below) when I was getting my breakfast on Friday. (It sits in the fridge overnight anyway, so a few more hours wouldn't hurt.) Saturday morning I ate it in the dining room, accompanied by my first cup of coffee in a week.
When Charlie got up, he insisted I take a Covid test. I didn't see the point, because I was going to keep masked anyway, except when eating or drinking, but to make him feel more comfortable, I tested. This was the result: negative.
Now, I understand when people take Paxlovid, or even if they have Covid without taking it, they sometimes test negative but then can have what they call a rebound, in which the disease comes back. They can test positive again, even if they are without symptoms. This happened with President Biden, who also took Paxlovid. The only reason they knew he had rebounded was they were routinely testing him every day. He had no symptoms. This rebound effect is more common with older patients. So...I'm still wearing the mask and planned to continue wearing one until the end of the day on Wednesday or symptoms reappear, after which I would have to isolate again. That was the plan.
I was absolutely dying for a nice walk outdoors in the fresh air, if we had such a thing. I hadn't walked the dogs in more than a week. Charlie walked them several times during the week, when the AQI was low enough. I went online and checked the monitoring station closest to us.
Yay! It was good, so we walked, but only 1 1/2 miles. I was ready to go further, but Charlie didn't think it was a good idea, so we peeled off from the trail at the entrance closest to our mailbox.
We welcomed Autumn by walking again on Sunday, because it was a beautiful day, with a low AQI and moderate temperature.
While I was recovering, I had to go up and down the stairs every morning to let the dog out and then back in again. Early in the week I noticed my legs getting tired, and I was getting a little out of breath when I climbed the stairs, but by Saturday I could run up again without feeling tired or out-of-breath. Still, would be better to take it easy until we know I'm completely recovered.
I wasn't planning on going to choir practice on Wednesday, of course, but on Tuesday I received an email from our choir director, saying that between people being sick or out-of-town, she was canceling our practice. We weren't scheduled to sing on Sunday anyway, but we had planned to work on some upcoming pieces. OK, I knew I was sick. I knew one person who was out-of-town, but to cancel practice because of two people didn't make sense. It had me wondering. Was anyone else sick? Then on Friday I received a text from one of the other sopranos, asking me how I was doing. I'm guessing she had learned from the choir director that I had Covid. She told me that she and one of the altos had also come down with it, as well as another person from the church who isn't in the choir but was supposed to play the piano and the organ on Sunday. My first thought was that I might have infected someone at choir practice the previous week, before I had any symptoms, but that other person hadn't been there. I had wracked my brain, trying to figure out where I could have picked up the bug. I thought the most likely place would have been the Condega project event two weeks ago. It turned out that we all got sick about the same time, and all of us had been at the event. Besides the four of us, a fifth person from church has come down with it. Some of the others are having a harder time with the bug than I have (so far...knock on wood). I don't know who else, if anyone, might be taking the medication for it, but they're all younger than I am, I think, so maybe it wasn't recommended. I'm hoping everyone is well again soon.
I didn't feel much like knitting during the early part of my isolation, but by the end of the week, I was back to my Oregon Autumn Cardigan. It won't be long now.
That gave me something to do while listening to my audiobook. How ironic that I have just reached the part where he talks about the Covid epidemic! Coincidence?
In family news, Johan is taking up the French horn. (Based on the attire, I assume it was hot when this photo was taken.)
Soren has a refined ear for music, having listened to a lot of actual performances but not much practicing.
This week Karen had a small piece of her ear removed because of potential cancer/precancer (I forgot the actual diagnosis) as the result of sun exposure when she was a child and teenager in Texas and Southern California, right about the time the hole in the ozone layer was at its biggest. Put sun block on your ears!
Saturday I resumed my duties, masked and energetic. I made another batch of granola, and then some stir-fry to have with rice for supper. Yesterday I made some bread.
Back in the saddle again!
I was feeling good, but I didn't want to be like Typhoid Mary and accidentally infect others while feeling OK myself. Well, that's not likely now. My nose is running again and the dry, scratchy throat has returned. I still tested negative, so maybe allergy?
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What's in The Doll's Storybook: In Emil's Big Problem, Emil wakes up in the morning and can't find his special glasses. He remembers putting them into the charger at bedtime, but they're gone! How will he deal with that? A story about problem solving.
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