CORONAVIRUS...SHIT GOT REAL

This is not a promotion for Cardi-B's "Coronavirus, shit is getting real" meme-this is real life. Sometimes things don't become real until it hits close to home. Well sis, your girl contracted COVID-19/Coronavirus. This past three and a half weeks, shit got real! At the onset of the pandemic, you'd find me taking Vitamin D, Elderberry, and garlic tablets daily coupled with wiping down and spraying everything from my phone, eyeglasses, shoes, clothes, seat and steering wheel, etc. In conversation, I've uttered the words, "I'm not living my life in fear" and "'Rona was going to have to work hard to get me". Well, what's that saying about words being spells? *insert side eye here*

Having multiple jobs, with one of them being at a bar/restaurant, I've worked the entire shutdown. While working, as mentioned before I took the necessary steps to ensure I protected myself as much as possible. I wore the mask, worked behind the protected plexiglass, placed a table in between myself and the customers, practicing social distancing as much as possible, exercised contactless curbside delivery, like yea-we were that place. I even went as far as having an app on my smartwatch that let me know every 30 minutes it was time to rewash my hands and had hand sanitizer always on my work key ring. Besides work, I've once eaten in a restaurant that practiced social distancing, shopped for groceries every few weeks, and traveled. Yes, in May I traveled to Sandy Springs for the day. Then in June I traveled to both Charlotte for a day trip and Houston for the weekend. 

Between recording every symptom, temperature, and whereabouts in my COVID journal (yep, I kept one) also working with the local health department, we were able to determine the first day I exhibited symptoms and go from there. Now listen, since turning 30, I suffer from severe allergies and sinus infections-which share various symptoms with Coronavirus. REWIND...While in Houston, a colleague called and advised they fell ill since we last worked together (party promoters suck) and wanted to let me know she elected to take the COVID test. Now my mind is wandering like oh shit, maybe the loss of smell and congestion, and the new loss of taste isn't really my allergies. I pop another allergy pill and go to pick up breakfast from a cute French bistro near my hotel. Y'all I couldn't taste the bacon, french toast, nor strawberries. Like, I know I was eating something sweet, but that's it.  At dinner, I pay attention to how everything looks, smells, and tastes. You know what I tasted, sis? Salt and Sweetness. Nothing else, no flavor, no nothing. 

I arrive back home after a very turbulent flight (prayed the entire time) and this is where I still am-almost four weeks later. Sis, listen shit got really real when I woke up not able to catch my breath. So real that I sat up and refused to go back to sleep. Later that day, I updated my portion of my family's "in the event of my demise" folder (Shout out to Tupac and the Outlaws). Life insurance, Will, health insurance docs, a photo copy of my license and health insurance card, where my bank accounts are located and who the beneficiaries are, what to do with my business and tell my clients how to access their docs and replacement recommendations, instructions for the other members of my investment club, and how I want to buried in the local natural green cemetery and no funeral.  You see this entire time, the only person I've been completely honest with about my experience is my younger sister-thanks B. No, I didn't share everything with my mother who is 2.5 hours away, my grandparents, other sister, significant other, or friends. I would downplay the symptoms so they wouldn't freak out and panic. Being the strong person in most of my circles, this is how I operate-how can I help you get through-not the other way around. One thing that helped with my mental health is staying in contact with those that I knew whom contracted COVID as well. I have some of the dopest friends who refused to accept my "I didn't need anything" and constantly checked on me and dropped off care packages-you guys are the real MVP (K, G, M, and B)!


While I'm no longer infectious, I've opted to limit my exposure as much as possible to those in my house as well as outside.  Below I'll list both my symptoms and methods used to treat them. Those asterisked, I am still experiencing at the time of writing this post July 14, 2020. So, wear the mask, continue to wash your hands and not touch your face, social distance, and stay home as much as possible. 




SYMPTOMS:

• Loss of Taste*
• Loss of Smell*
• Body Aches
• Sore Throat
• Migraines
• Congestion
• Brain Fog/Confusion
• Dry Skin*
• Runny Nose
• Shortness of Breath*
• Rapid and Increased Heartbeat*
• Fever
• Diarrhea
• Satan-Sponsored Menstrual Cramps

METHODS USED TO TREAT SYMPTOMS:

• Staying Hydrated (Water & Body Armour Sports Drinks)
• Garlic Tablets
• Burning Eucalyptus, Thieves, Tea Tree, and Peppermint Oils 
• Elderberry & Honey Tonic
• Seamoss Gel
• Vitamins D & E
• Drinking Turmeric and Ginger Hot Tea
• Black Seed Oil
• Probiotic Tablets
• Zyrtec D
• Drinking Lemon and Ginger Hot Tea
• Steaming up the Bathroom During Showering and Using Eucalyptus Oil in my Shower Diffuser
• CBD Honey in my Tea
• Ibuprofen

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Continue to be Dope & in Good Health,

Charli

Your resident Doer of Dope ISH!