By Andrea Porter
Well, folks, I won the COVID lottery. I think Jensen did too, but our experiences were totally different. We both contracted the corona virus in October 2020. Jensen was sick (headache, fever) for two days and then fine. It took me a month to get back to work and another two months before I could return to my regular activity. In February I took the Pfizer two-dose vaccine and Jensen took the one-dose Johnson and Johnson vaccine. Then I contracted COVID again this month. Jensen almost certainly would have also contracted it from me, but only one of us got sick—the COVID lottery winner.
Here’s a chart of our first experience
Jensen Andrea
Day 0 eats terribly and loves life in best physical and mental shape of her entire life
Day 1 starts feeling bad on walk starts feeling bad 12 hours later
Day 2 tests positive for COVID test positive for COVID
Day 3 stays in bed thinking this is just like a cold, what’s the big deal
Day 4 feeling good still feeling like a cold and that this virus thing is overblown
Day 5 100% again diarrhea and vomit onset at same time
Day 6 watches TV all day gets worse. Can’t breathe too well
Day 7 bored out of mind at home still sick
Day 8 ready to work again! Still sick
Day 9 why is quarantine this long 50 feet to kitchen is like walking 6 miles
Day 10 this quarantine is crazy can’t get out of bed
Day 11 drives around to get out goes to doctor again – doctor says “hang in there.”
Day 12 walking neighborhood still in bed
Day 13 can’t wait to go to work feeling a little better
Day 14. Out of quarantine celebration feeling much better; went for short walk
Day 15 Went to work feeling much worse
Day 16 Life is good Health Dept says stay in another week
Day 17 I <3 teaching still sick
Day 18 getting drive through food extreme fatigue. Cannot. Do. Anything.
Day 18 loving all the drive thru food On a 1 to 10 scale, -10 energy level
Day 19 eating lots of ice cream feeling okay, no energy
Day 20. Happy, happy, happy working on iPad in chair at home takes so much energy
Day 21 eating cookies thinking I’m never going to be well again; panic attacks set in
Day 22 eating cookies and ice cream cleared for work
Day 23. Loving life hard to walk 50 feet to door office from car
Day 24. Watching Steelers on YouTube can only sit at desk all day. Cannot walk around office.
…..you get the idea on Jensen ….long-haul fatigue is real and mentally challenging with
pre-existing anxiety disorder
Three months after onset, I could finally do a regular workout.
As for the vaccines, Jensen never even knew he had a shot. I got my first shot on a Tuesday and was sick with diarrhea and vomiting Friday night to Saturday morning, but okay on Saturday afternoon. The second shot was also on Tuesday, and on Friday night I again had diarrhea and vomiting, but felt fatigued and sick all day Saturday too.
I think Corona is biased against red-haired, blue-eyed people.
Thankfully, the experience with COVID after the vaccine was much different. I was exposed on a Friday about noon and by the time I got home, I was so tired, I just laid on the couch all night. The only time I have ever done that is with COVID, so it crossed my mind that it could be COVID, but on Saturday and Sunday I felt normal and didn’t think a second thing about it. But on Tuesday, I started feeling sick and went directly to the doctor for a test. It came back negative, but I went home and rested. That night came the diarrhea and vomiting—simultaneously like “usual”—so I knew. The next day I went to my doctor who tested me and again it was negative! “Unbelievable!” I told them. “I’ve had this before and I know that’s what I have.” He believed me because he had my visit from October to compare.
Thankfully, symptoms started subsiding Friday, and I was just tired. I went back to work on Tuesday (according to 10-day COVID rule), came home, slept an hour, ate, slept until Wednesday morning. Wednesday, I went to bed after 8 and slept until Thursday morning. Thursday, I was 100 percent back-to-normal and 200 percent grateful I had received the vaccine!
During this second infection, Jensen just ate his ice cream and cookies like normal and never had any signs or symptoms of the virus.
So folks, here are the morals of the story:
- You don’t know how you body is going to react to this virus
- Get your vaccine so you are much less sick!
- Wear your mask when infection rates are high, even if you are vaccinated
- If you contract COVID, rest, rest, rest!!
- My husband has an epic, teacher immune system
- The more ice cream and cookies you eat, the better you feel
A mother’s side note: It’s very hard to hear how bad your children feel when they’re sick, even after they’re grown up. Andrea’s experience with the Covid vaccine is much different than what Hubby and I experienced. You can’t assume you’ll have a reaction or if it will be bad. Take the chance and get the vaccine to protect yourself and your loved ones. And don’t forget to wear a mask when prudent.