“Weak. Weak as water.” I can hear the words of Mrs. Betty Slocombe of "Are You Being Served" ringing through my foggy head.
Masks. Check.
Disinfectant spray. Check.
Airborne vitamins. Check.
Vitamin C. Check.
Zinc, magnesium. Check.
Vitamin D. Check.
Grape juice. Check.
All these things and more were part of our game plan to ward off COVID-19. I absolutely believe wearing a mask slows the spread of the virus, but there are instances where it just doesn’t work or we let our guard down.
After our daughter became ill — we didn’t relate it right away to COVID because she was dealing with other health issues — Clay started experiencing a sore throat and cold-like symptoms. Kelsey was tested first, and the news that she was positive hit me like a ton of bricks. I immediately started trying to formulate a “plan” in my head.
With Clay showing signs of illness, I encouraged him to get tested, and, sure enough, he was positive. This was Oct. 30.
So now I had to put a plan into place for the weekend and days to come. I stayed in our bedroom to quarantine, Clay was sent across the hall to another bedroom, and son Brandon stayed in the front of the house. Those times when our paths had to cross in the kitchen, I tried to be diligent with the disinfectant spray and the Clorox spray.
I went to get tested on Monday, the 2nd, and it was negative. Brandon also tested negative soon after. Good, I thought. I am doing something right. Part two of the plan was for work. Clay was quarantined in his office, and I stayed up front. We would do public business through the locked glass door and depend on dear friend Keith Ferguson to run the paper route for us.
Then, we received word that our son-in-law Ryan tested positive while being quarantined with Kelsey and the babies. I started to feel like we were “dropping like flies.”
Just a couple of days later I began to have a little hacking cough, and by the next day I had a full-blown growling cough. I carried my suspicions to the clinic, where Dr. Rob Carter confirmed that I, too, had the dreaded COVID.
I will be honest. I left the clinic, got in my car and had a little meltdown. With some of the other health issues I deal with, learning that I had COVID was devastating news for me. There is no way to know how it will affect each individual. People all over the world have suffered with this mean virus. Even our community has been tragically affected by this disease, and we have lost some precious people.
We are so thankful for the support and prayers of our family, friends and community. It means so much.
As of Tuesday, the rest of the family is feeling a bit better, for which I am thankful. As for me, I feel weak. Weak as water. Please keep praying.
Krista McFerrin is Sun-Sentinel office manager.
