The children seem to have mostly avoided the sickness. A few of them got sniffles. Abbey is the only one who got strong-ish symptoms. She wanted to know why, and I said those who were more ornery got worse symptoms. Her shock was priceless–until she remembered that Daddy was much more ill than Mama. Oops.
Steph says that she feels she’s “on the other side” now. I think that means that she is improving and not that she is crossing over the river. She says her stuffy head has been the worst part and that she can’t sleep. But the girls told her she has been sleeping; they heard her snoring “just as loud as Daddy!”
China seemed a whole lot better today. Yesterday, her muscles were pretty sore yet. Her respiratory symptoms seemed to have been more mild. Both she and Steph never lost their smelling or tasting. (not fair)
I feel better each day. It seemed I managed to get the worst of it. I suppose it’s because I was fighting allergies, sinus infection, ear infection, and stuff when I got the virus. Besides which, my lungs are what they are.
I told one fellow that I’ve felt about the worst I remember feeling. Another friend challenged me on that, reminding me of other “worst” times in life. I do think this is the worst that my whole body has felt all at once, even if I may have felt a worse instance for a particular body part some other time in the past (flashback to my fingers closed in the door of our station wagon when I was four….).
The body ache with fever with constant headache combined with sinus infection and earache turned out to be not that pleasant. Add to that the feeling of bone-deep fatigue, and I could be a poster child for some health campaign. (Eat fish oil and garlic cloves twice daily to avoid feeling like this guy!”)
Covid has made me apologize with greater frequency. Silver lining? I have been rather grouchy and unhappy the last number of days. It didn’t take much of a bump for me to spill over with acid. It doesn’t help that my dreams have been very depressive. I’ve been waking up from dreams crying a good bit. Makes me avoid sleeping, which I really should be doing more of.
I was feeling a good bit better yesterday, then a goat was found in the ditch. I had Percy help me carry her in. I leaned against the wall afterward, gasping for breath. Percy and Lucrecia begged me to go into town to get shots of Tylenol and antibiotics, but I didn’t see how that would help, so I didn’t.
Also, the female guinea pig slew her mate. She sliced him open with her teeth in various soft places. That can happen if a female feels territorial. I should have moved him out of her pen, but I neglected to.
Last night, I felt rough again, likely from the exertion, but this morning I was merely struggling slightly to breath. Both the goat and I survived to see another day.
Percy and Rafael Farfán and Rafael Roca and Fernando have been checking every day–sometimes multiple times a day–to ensure that I am taking care of myself. “You must not work!” they all say. Well, the animals disagree. Though I’ve not done any extra work the past several days, and I guess I won’t for a day or two more.
Thanks for all the emails and messages and phone calls. And thanks to Steph’s friend who sends long and rambling messages that last long enough to be short sermons–though they’re just about random life. Those messages make her smile. We appreciate everyone’s care. Sorry I didn’t feel up to writing the past couple days.
For a fake virus, it really knocked me down.
Juan David 