Covid – Part 1

6 January 2024

Well, I guess it was inevitable. With all the precautions I take I got Covid anyway. Yesterday at the dehydration infusion, I felt a little off. My throat was tickling and I felt slightly nauseous. Usually, after an infusion, I feel pretty good. I drove straight home and took a Covid test. It was negative.

I slept well last night but that might have been due to the Gabapentin and Temazepan. This morning, around 8, I realized I was really stuffed up and coughing. This test came back positive. To be sure, I took a second test – also positive. I knew I needed Paxlovid but when I called my GP, he was not on duty and the duty physician did not have the authority to write prescriptions. To her credit, she did call me back and suggest Urgent Care Holy Cross, about a mile from my house.

I also called Walgreens to find out if they could give me Paxlovid on their own. The answer was yes but I needed current bloodwork, a new test, and then a careful check of my current medications to make sure Paxlovid doesn’t interact badly. I thanked the pharmacist and made an online appointment with Urgent Care for 10:40 with an arrival time of 10:25. You know me. I was early.

I suggested that I wait in the car so I wouldn’t expose anyone else to Covid but the receptionist told me if they called and I didn’t answer, then I would lose my place in line. My phone is set that unless you are in my address book, it goes to voice mail. I decided to wait inside. The room was very cold. I had a jacket on and I started shivering.

I haven’t had chills since I was a child. I forgot how uncontrollable they are. My appointment time came and went. I had been told there was an hour wait anyway, regardless of appointment. After the third or fourth person who came in much later after me were called, I went back to the receptionist. When she looked at the schedule for my name, her eyes got big. I was the next called. Someone dropped the ball. After two hours, they called me back.

They did not give me a Covid test which I thought was interesting. Of course, they have all my medical records but the doctor wanted me to relate them. I told her about the breast cancer and that I’m on Herceptin. She said she needed to check my drugs against contraindications for Paxlovid. There are two drugs I can’t take with Paxolovid: Tamsulosin (Flowmax) and Rosuvastatin (Crestor).

I put out a group text to see if someone could pick the Paxlovid up for me at Walgreens. Chris, bless her, volunteered. I texted her when Walgreens let me know it was ready and she drove over and picked it up. They only needed my address and date of birth. They already had my credit card on file.

The dosage consists of two pills. I’m to take 2 Nirmatrelvir and 1 Ritonavir for a complete dose. I’m to take the combination twice daily.

I have to isolate for 5 days and if asymptomatic after the five, I can then go out and do what I need if I wear a mask (I always do). Of course, I’ll have to cancel a Herceptin infusion on Tuesday of next week. It’s questionable whether they will let me have the MRI but I’ll check. That’s scheduled on the 12th.

Covid reminds me of the old timey flu that I had as a kid. I was so weak then I couldn’t get out of bed. I can manage to get out of bed but I sure am weak. Thanks to Holley and Jim! They brought over Mom’s Chicken Soup from Whole Foods along with a bottle of tangerine juice and cornbread. That was my first meal of the day. She had just learned her mother, who was recovering from back surgery, fell and broke her hip, yet she thought of me to bring me soup!

Thanks to everyone who is checking up on me. I didn’t need this on top of everything else but I guess my time was up and I was going to come down with it anyway.

Hopefully, there are not too many mistakes in today’s blog. I’m feeling a little better but not enough to proofread closely.

Stay tuned.