The C Word

Let’s talk about the C word.  No, not that C word.  The other one.  Also goes by The Vid and Rona.  Yeah.  That C word. Covid.

Ernie and I managed to avoid its clutches for the first two years.  Quarantining initially like everyone, wearing masks, getting vaccinated. 

It wasn’t until March/April of last year, when we went to our first public event, an NCAA March Madness playoff game at the Wells Fargo Center, when Ernie caught the bug.  And then he kindly gave it to me three days later.  We’re all about sharing in this family. 

Ernie fared ok.  Me? Not so much.  3 days into it and I developed bronchial spasms such that the doctor prescribed Paxlovid and a nebulizer.  Paxlovid did the trick and eventually we both were all better.

We continued to get the recommended vaccines and were Covid-free for the next year and a half.  We got vaxxed in mid-August of this year before travelling to Italy.  We were on planes, trains, ferries, taxis, in crowds, in buildings.  We were here, there, and everywhere.  Covid never found us.

Until last week when we went to the Phillies Wild Card Playoff game at Citizens Bank Park, against the Marlins.  I had been under the false impression that being outdoors meant we were pretty safe from the clutches of Covid.  But I guess when you are shoulder to shoulder with 45,000 screaming fans, outdoors or not, Covid’s gonna hop on for a ride.

And it did.  It hopped onto Ernie and rode all the way up the Schuylkill and arrived home with him. Two days later, Covid said, “Hi! I am here! Let the party begin!”   We had to cancel our trip to LA where we were going to visit with our son and go to the Eagles vs. Rams game.  Sigh.

Much as I love my husband and enjoying sharing with him in all things, this was one I didn’t want to share again.  No thanks, honey.  You keep it all to yourself.  I am just fine without it.

And so began the week of Avoiding Catching Covid From Your Husband.  This is a tricky game to play.  See, you’ve already been exposed for one to two days before he even knew he had it.  So, the clock is already ticking on your exposure thermostat.

But, you have to ignore that and act like you might not possibly already have it and prepare yourself for all-out protection.  What to do? Follow the Exposure Minimization Protection Plan, a.k.a, Exposure Minimization Protocol.

That meant, at 11:30 pm, after laying next to him for an hour and a half already, when he announces he has Covid, you immediately say, ‘”Bye, bye honey, I’m moving to the guest room”.  You grab your pillow and beat a hasty retreat.

Separate sleeping quarters. Check.

Moving on down the list of the Exposure Minimization Protection Plan.

Masks.  You must mask.  N95 or KN94.  Wear your mask in the house at all times except for the obvious when eating and sleeping.  Check.

Open the windows.  All of them.  Get that cross-ventilation breeze going.  Who cares if it’s 60 degrees outside.  Put a sweater on.  Ernie, at one point says to me, “I don’t know if I have the chills because I am sick or you have all the windows open and it’s freezing out.”  Sorry, babe.  Probably a combo of the two.  Put a sweater on.  Get under a blanket.  Stay there. Check.

Isolation.  Keep the infected hubby as far away from you as possible at all times.  This is easier in the beginning because he is not feeling good at all and so naturally spends most of his time in bed.  The tricky part is around Day 5 when he is starting to feel a bit better and he starts to drift more and more into the common area of the home.  Solution? He wears a mask.  You wear a mask.  We all wear a mask. You keep your distance.  You eat separately.  Check.

Right about now though, Day 5 and 6, you are really missing your hubby.  You want to give him a big hug and a kiss.  Resist the urge.  This is very important.  Otherwise, all your hard work to this point has been for naught. Just keep telling yourself that Day 10 will be here soon and you will have the rest of your lives, God-willing, for hugs and kisses.  Write him a little note and leave it in the sick bay, er, bedroom, by his bed, telling him how much you miss and love him.  Check.

Also making isolation really difficult at this point is that the Phillies are in the playoffs.  Normally you’d both be at the games.  That option is clearly out.  Normally, if not at the games, you are watching them together in the family room.  Well, see above step regarding Isolation.  Watching tv together in the same room is not possible under the Exposure Minimization Protocol.

Solution? We have two family rooms right next to each other.  One used to be a garage that we converted to a playroom when the kids were little.  We then converted that into a second family room when the kids got older, hoping they’d have their friends come over and hang out.  That is a fantasy we parents all have.  It happened maybe twice. Once for each kid.  I learned later that because that room was not in the basement, no one wanted to hang out there.

Ok, so now I am in the converted garage family room that teen-age kids never hung out in and Ernie is in the official family room.  We make sure we are both watching the same channel so no one will be on a delay. We can yell to each other from our respective rooms every time something good or something bad happens in a game.  I will even get up and go into the hallway, standing outside his room when something really good happens, like a home run, and we virtually high-five each other. 

Keeping to the Isolation rule even during Phillies play off season.  Check.

Visualization. This is, I think, a key step in the Protocol.  Imagine that you have a protective bubble around you.  It’s safeguarding you and no Covid germs can penetrate it.  Then, imagine your immune system is a combination of Wonder Woman, using her cuff bracelets to repel any germs that may somehow break through that bubble, and a band of Vikings who immediately yell, bang their wooden shields with their swords and mercilessly destroy any wayward Covid germ.  Check.

Diet/exercise/sleep.  These three things are very important.    Eat fresh fruits and vegetables.  Lots of vitamin C.  And vitamin D.  Go outside and get some sunshine.  Take a little walk.  But don’t over-do it.  Too much exercise stresses your immune system.  No alcohol as alcohol reduces the strength of your immune system. And sleep.  Be sure to get at least 8 hours of sleep to keep your immune system operating at its highest capacity. Check.

Here we are now.  On the eve of Day 9.  I don’t want to say anything because I don’t want to jinx anything, but I will say that this Exposure Minimization Protection Plan thus far seems to be working.

But the exposure woods are deep and thick and I am not out of them yet. 

When I am though?  Gonna party like the Phillies just won the NLDS, NLCS, and the World Series combined. Check.