Dear Wendy
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Helen, my husband and I both had mild symptoms and they came in waves for me, and now for my husband too. He felt good yesterday, but feels lousy again today (and is currently in bed with more chest pains). I think this is normal, but it is concerning that you’ve been sick for so long and that your lungs feel so bad. I’m sorry. I wish I had advice, but this is out of my scope of knowledge. Maybe check in with your doctor again?
Yeah, thanks. It was really hard to tell the kids – especially Jackson – about the teacher dying. She was very beloved in our community and there was a really nice obituary in the NYTimes, and a tribute to her on the Today Show yesterday and various other media. I have friends whose kids are in her class and they are absolutely devastated. The schools counselors and social worker have been working overtime to meet the need.
Our school had a memorial for her on Zoom. Kids should never have to attend a zoom memorial for someone they love.
Helen, I’m so sorry your struggling with addiction issues on top of everything. I can imagine how much harder it is to stay on a wagon during this storm (no pun intended).
BGM, I hear you on the depression. All of my friends and I have been feeling the same way. We have decent days and then days that it all feels so fucking overwhelming and dark. For me, my kids have really helped keep me from diving too far into the deep end. For all the challenges of raising kids through this period, they really do also help keep things a little lighter. At least, mine do, and that seems to be the case for most of my friends with kids. They miss their pals, but they don’t have the worries we have as adults and they are protected from the news and don’t have to hear about how bleak things are.
Sadly, one of our teachers died of corona on two weeks ago – she was the first public school teacher in NYC to die of the virus – and she was one of two third-grade dual-language teachers (Jackson is in the third-grade dual-language program but he has the teacher who did not die; the two classes work closely together and he knew the teacher, of course, and all of her students). It’s been incredibly sad – a huge loss for our community – and really hard to read all the bittersweet messages from her students on a memorial forum the school created. We can’t protect our kids from everything, unfortunately, and losing your beloved teacher is really among the worst thing for a kid.
And neither of us is totally convinced we had/have the virus but it does seem likely. We’ll probably never know! There are very few tests available here and you have to be hospitalized – or famous – to get one.
No, thankfully, and I never did either. I had a dry cough but it never got bad. Drew is complaining of minor chest pain.
It’s scary. My husband just spent the last three hours in bed with chills and fatigue and even though I was in that boat a week ago and am fine now and I know he will be (or, I hope he will be), you can’t help but worry, even if under any other circumstances these symptoms definitely wouldn’t set off any alarms. Just remember, as long as he has no trouble breathing, it’s going to be fine – even if it’s corona – and he just has to ride this out. Prop him up on pillows instead of him lying down, if he isn’t already propped up. That will help keep the lungs clear.
The fatigue is really fucking intense – much worse than a stomach flu. It took all my energy just to keep my head up to have a tele-appointment with a doctor.
Maybe. But those symptoms are also consistent with covid. Some other symptoms to be on the look out for that might help differentiate from stomach flu: chest pain, trouble breathing, loss of smell, sore throat, dry coughing. The only one that is especially worrisome is the breathing. In case it’s covid, this might be helpful:
Hi! I hope everyone is staying well and those who have been ill are feeling much better! I’m pretty sure I am on the med from covid. If you follow me on instagram, you may have already seen my update. I started feeling sick on April 2 (about a week after I unwittingly walked into a deliveryman’s cough while on a neighborhood walk with joanie – the last walk I’ve taken), but didn’t think it might be covid until symptoms intensified April 5-7. By the 8th, I was feeling stronger, and I haven’t experience any symptoms now for 24 hours, although Drew started feeling a little sick yesterday. He feels fine this morning but that’s how it started for me too – sick for a day, fine for half a day, etc. So, we’ll see.
I wasn’t able to get a test so I guess I’ll never know for sure. I did have a tele-visit with a dr who said, based on my symptoms, to assume it was covid. I never had trouble breathing, thankfully, though I did have a dry cough, a fever, chills, digestive issues, muscle aches, and even pink eye one morning. The overwhelming symptom though was fatigue. I haven’t experienced fatigue like that since I had mono in high school. The first trimester of pregnancy was rough, but for me, the fatigue didn’t keep me bedridden for days. I did think it could be seasonal allergies and tried to convince myself that’s what it was, but I’ve never had fatigue with allergies. Or muscle aches or chills or a fever, etc.
Anyhoo, I’m much better now and thankful that, if it was corona, it was so mild and my kids seem to have been totally spared. Hopefully, an antibody test down the road, whenever they’re widely available, will provide some peace of mind.
Helen! Thank you for keeping us updated. We’re very worried about you. Will you consider calling an ambulance and going to the ER? I am sending all the energy for a speedy recovery your way!
As for ads on this site, please don’t worry about that. They aren’t making any money right now anyway (companies have slashed or paused their ad budgets to almost nothing, understandably) and I’d have my ad network remove them if I didn’t worry about that jeopardizing my standing with them. As it is, I probably need to start posting again soon so I don’t get booted but I just don’t have the emotional bandwidth right now.
Anyway, Helen, please get better! We’re thinking about you.
Just popping in to say I’m thinking of you all – those who are sick, those who are afraid of getting sick, those who are losing income, and those who are just bored and lonely and isolated at home. I am all of these things too except sick (and I am grateful for my health!). We are holding up ok. The kids are doing really well and I think that’s a big credit to their dad who is amazing. I’ll take credit for keeping them fed and keeping their clothes clean!
Our school lost a third grade teacher to coronavirus this week – I believe the first public school teacher reported to have died of the virus – and it has been traumatic. I did not know her personally though many of Jackson’s friends and former classmates were in her class this year. She was a face we saw nearly every day and she was beloved by her students and the school community. I worry about the losses still to come. It’s been a heavy week.
Hang tight, everyone. Eventually, we will get to the other side of this.
I found it in a spam folder and re-posted!
