I was cleaning closets and stirring up a lot of dust, so I didn’t think much about a couple of sneezes that I had five days ago. Then I got a sore throat and congestion, followed by a headache that evening.

I thought it was a cold, until I felt some chills, and a cough was developing. I decided to take my temperature. It was 101.6, so I took a covid test. It was positive right away, but I waited the 15 minutes as instructed. No change. I took another test two hours later with the same results. To be certain, I tested at the local pharmacy drive through and by the time I got home and checked my email, I had notice from the pharmacy that my results were positive. I notified everyone I had been in contact with, and curled up to take a nap.

I slept for hours; the exhaustion was overwhelming. I was able to walk my dog in the morning and at night; halfway through the walks I felt like sitting on the curb and resting. I would return from the walks and take an extended nap. I slept really well at night, which I am incredibly grateful for.

I have mild asthma and that was my greatest concern, but I only needed my inhaler about five times, and it worked well each time. I feel so fortunate that my asthma was so easily controlled, and I could quickly see improvement after the third day.

It’s day 5 since I first felt symptoms and I still have a cough and congestion, but some of my energy is back, and my temperature is normal. The timing is familiar; it seems I often get sick once school is over, and my first day of symptoms was the last day of summer school. It’s as if my body knows I have time to rest.