dailygaelley

Greetings from a very boring albeit very comfortable quarantine (because we were at home lang). It is officially day 21 today and I am more than happy to finally end this period in my life. However, its end comes with the fear of experiencing all of it all over again. My family and I have spent the last 3 weeks in our respective rooms, waiting it out. We’ve been drinking all our vitamins, some medicine, and have been sleeping most of the days.

While I tested negative in a saliva antigen test, I got symptoms. I couldn’t breathe well and every movement ends up in coughing fits that made me want to just close my eyes and sleep. Everytime I went to the bathroom (which was the only time I could move around), I had coughing fits and my oxygen saturation would drop to 93-94%.

My doctor prescribed some bronchodilators and flu medicine. Aside from this, I had to take effervescent mucolytic tablets twice a day to help with the dry cough. I also had to take some Tylenol for my chronic fever and constant migraine. I swear, the migraine alone makes it 100% worse. I hated how everyday for more than 2 weeks my head hurt even when I simply moved my eyes. It sucked. It sounds dramatic but I swear, I wouldn’t wish it on the worst person in the world.

As someone who has been following protocols and been staying home unless absolutely necessary, I was pissed. I couldn’t believe that we followed guidelines and sacrificed going out just to still be infected. We honestly don’t know how we got it. It began when my dad started feeling sick with the flu and ended up with me not being able to breathe properly.

Here I was thinking that there was no way COVID could hit us because I couldn’t even live without alcohol prior to the pandemic. We changed clothes and took baths everytime we left the house. We sanitized the groceries or any packages we received. Anything outside our house was considered unsterile and family who visited always took baths or were sprayed thoroughly with Lysol. How could it have gotten through? Here’s the thing with viruses, though: you don’t see them. They don’t really target or strategize how to infect people, they just do.

It’s been a horrible last couple of weeks. I sincerely hope everyone finally realizes how horrible this virus is and does not take it for granted. While it is exhausting waiting around for a cure, it’s also important to know that the guidelines and safety precautions are there for a reason. While it might seem easier to spread doubt and fear about either the vaccines or the virus itself, it’s better to remember that scientifically, we’re dealing with a virus. It’s simply doing what its genetic code is instructing itself to do: multiply. The less contact we have with others, the more we control the spread.

I hate to be the one to say this but gosh, tiis tiis nalang muna tayong lahat. I miss going out, I miss wandering around my city being free to breathe without any barriers but the reality is we are in the middle of a pandemic— and news flash: it doesn’t seem like things are changing soon.

Anyway, I just wanted to write about how horrible it was to remind myself that there’s still a pandemic and to document that we went through COVID and survived. Hopefully, it never happens again because I swear, it’s not easy. I never appreciated how amazing breathing was until I couldn’t do it properly. So, yes, don’t take it for granted, friends.