Third Time's a Charm?

Well, here I go again.

I know that the pandemic isn't over but I've really let my guard down. Not that I've been out a lot in public, other than weekly trips to the grocery store or the occasional visit to a restaurant.

In the past 10 days, I've met with a friend at a brew pub, which was practically empty, with only three tables occupied during our stay, though we did chat with the owner and brewer at our table for a while.

A couple of days later, I was in a photo studio with five other photographers and a model. We were in a relatively small space, standing close to one another, and over the two hours, it got very hot from the light projector (even the model, who was naked, was glistening in sweat).

The next morning, DW, Kid 1, and I went to breakfast at a cozy restaurant that was full. No one even thinks of wearing a mask in a restaurant nowadays.

For the rest of the past week, I've stayed home. But the same can't be said for DW, who makes several trips to the gym, each week, and Kid 1, who works full time at an opticians, working closely with clients all day.

Even though life seems like it's back to normal, it really isn't.

I started feeling fatigued on Wednesday and my cough, which had been under control for months, came back. I took a nap halfway through my workday but I couldn't stay focused for the rest of the day.

On Thursday, my cough got worse, my throat was sore, and my lymph glands were tender to the touch. I booked a sick day to get more rest. And on Friday, I wasn't feeling any better.

DW suggested that I take a COVID test. We still have a couple of kits, though they are beyond their expiry date. I was certain the result would come up negative: not just because of the expiry date but also because I didn't think I really had COVID.

I've been having allergic reactions to Lily, who has taken to jumping on me at every opportunity. An allergy test, decades ago, told me that I'm allergic to cats but I've never reacted before, even though I've always lived around cats.

I started having sinus issues since we've been cat-sitting her.

I took the COVID test, while making myself some lunch, but forgot about returning to the test strip after. It was DW who noticed it on a side counter almost an hour later.

"You're positive, buddy," she said.

We thought that if the test kit was too old, it would likely show a false negative but that the chance of a false positive would be highly unlikely. Here, the control line was a solid, dark pink. In the result area, the line was crooked but it, too, was apparent.

Since the test, my symptoms have become worse. I cough a lot, which sets my throat on fire. My lungs, which were permanently damaged the last time I had the virus, are also burning.

I'm really worried about them now.

And, I'm tired. But overall, I don't feel as bad as I did during the previous two times that I contracted COVID.

I'm convinced that my symptoms are lighter because only a couple of weeks ago, I received the latest booster. It was my seventh shot since vaccines first became available.

The vaccines work.

Today is the sixth day since I first really felt any symptoms and I'm hoping that I return to my old self again soon. And I'm relieved that I'll have this out of my system in time to help Kid 2 move into her new apartment.

I'm even more relieved that I'll be back to normal in time for our next vacation, for which we leave in fewer than three weeks. Until then, we'll minimize contact with people.

And if we find ourselves around people  one thing's for certain: I'm masking up again.

Stay safe, folks.