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My Second Covid-19 Experience

My second COVID-19 experience taught me a lot about how fear can be overcome with information and taking action.

Almost two years ago, I contracted COVID-19 when a woman sat in the empty seat next to me during a European cruise. A few days later, on a Sunday, I was staying with my nephew in Prague when he brought me the test kit. Although I was confirmed sick, I didn’t feel that bad and walked to a nearby park daily, keeping my distance from everyone. My nephew did not come down with COVID-19.

By Thursday, I was on my way home to North Carolina, masked and coughing up a storm. I felt terrible about being in public but felt I had no alternative. Once I landed, someone helped me find my car in the airport parking lot. Confusion and COVID are clearly linked in my experience. It was a long two hours before I sank into my bed.

Disclaimer: This story is for informational purposes only. Consult your local medical authority for advice.

The Beginning

I started writing this post on day 10 of my second Covid-19 experience. It began like the first time: with a sore throat. But I thought it was a cold and didn’t test myself until the third day of symptoms, a Saturday. I admit I felt a bit panicked, along with the mental confusion I attribute to the virus. Without anyone to immediately turn to, it’s scary knowing you are ill. My mind focused on a litany of what-ifs.

Then, a reminder about my massage on Monday popped up. Now, I had a focus.

I started letting the arrangers of all my future appointments know I had to cancel or reschedule. Also, the impending wintry weather canceled many of my appointments.

Looking for Sympathy First

Next, I texted my family, who were far away. They couldn’t help. Later, I realized I just wanted someone to feel sorry for me.
I’m always researching on the Internet and know how to identify sound medical advice. I easily found a checklist of what to do. But did it apply to my circumstances? On Sunday, I turned to life-long friends who were medical professionals. The person I placed the most hope in texted, “Stay home and rest. Happy New Year.” That level of concern felt like a kick in the gut. But it also helped me consider other types of help.

My Spiritual Friends and Community

As usual, I enjoy quiet time early each morning for meditation and prayer. During this peaceful time on Monday morning, I heard “Reiki.” Several of my friends are Reiki practitioners, as am I.
I started texting or emailing all these spiritual friends, asking for their healing and prayers. They responded by sending me Reiki and praying for my return to health. Since I’m a church member, I asked to have my name placed on my church’s prayer list. All these actions reminded me to administer self-Reiki at bedtime. By Tuesday, I felt markedly better.

And Another Type of Help

My testing kit didn’t have clear directions, so I Googled how to perform a self-test. A helpful YouTube video showed me how to administer the test, and immediately afterward, the video below began.

Abraham, a Pharmacist in England, created this video in November 2021. I found it extremely useful. My favorite part is the Google spreadsheet he shares in the informational section below the video.

First, I created a blank spreadsheet for the next time I get sick. Then, I started tracking my symptoms on a new spreadsheet. I also added a column to note if I could smell, often interpreted as the ability to taste. Since I’m a huge record keeper, I already had a note on my phone tracking my temperature.

I Checked with My Doctor, Too

I felt very good about the information I had found. But before considering sharing this, I left a message with my doctor to verify a few things. They agreed with my friend’s “Stay home and rest” message. They stressed that shortness of breath is the most important symptom that suggests a need for immediate medical intervention. But they also suggested that since I wasn’t experiencing any lung problems, it was okay to go out with a mask starting on the sixth day.

How am I Feeling Now?

Today is two weeks after my first symptoms. I have an occasional cough, and I’m somewhat tired. The confusion comes and goes.
During my morning meditation, I found some thoughts crystal clear. That gives me hope that, eventually, the fog will lift completely. I have to laugh as I read the last sentence. At my age, a little fog may always linger.

Life is Full of Ups and Downs

Some might think I’m angry about the two people who exposed me to the flu. You would be correct. And I was able to acknowledge that anger easily. However, there were some other circumstances in my past where anger wasn’t allowed.

I’m starting to read Rage Becomes Her by Soraya Chemaly, a book that might help me understand my feelings of anger. In a future post, I’ll share how this book affects my ability to deal with anger.

Disclaimer: This story, My Second Covid-19 Experience, is for informational purposes only. Consult your local medical authority for advice.

Endings and Beginnings

Here we are at the end of December, a time of endings and beginnings. This year, 2024, was unusual for the end-of-year holidays in the US. Thanksgiving was late, and December 1st was a Sunday, so Christmas snuck up on many of us. It took a few days after Christmas to accumulate the last cards, and I love everyone.

I wanted to hand-paint my Christmas cards and made plans early by enrolling in an online watercolor card-painting course. But it just didn’t happen. It was hard to pick a subject, and my self-confidence kept me from starting the first one. Eventually, I got into the swing of painting and completed many of the cards I sent.

December is also a month of birthdays for me. Eleven friends and relatives were born in December. That’s a lot!

But this post isn’t about December birthdays or Christmas as much as it is about endings and beginnings, the time between Christmas and the New Year. It’s an in-between time, and the trend of celebrating at a New Year’s Eve party has been diminishing for years.

Are You Staying Home Tonight?

Straight Arrow News reports nearly 75% of Americans stay home on New Year’s Eve. But how many of us will be awake at 12:01 am? I’ll probably snooze off and on before the appointed hour or miss it altogether.

I have a few suggestions if you need something to do to stay awake.

Review Your Past Year

Can you remember important events in 2024? It might be easier to ruminate on the things you wished hadn’t happened, but let’s start with the good stuff.

Could you list some of the things you feel good about in 2024?

Here’s what my list looks like.

  • I found my church home.
  • I read a wide variety of books via my local library book club.
  • I converted more of my landscape to native plants.
  • I found wonderful dog sitters.
  • I spent time in person with old friends and close relatives.
  • I learned to relax more.
  • I learned to trust my decisions.

But it wasn’t all good. I found some areas where I hope to improve in 2025. This is my starting list.

  • I’m ready to be honest about my health choices.
  • I will make my health a priority.
  • I will paint in watercolor more.
  • I will trust that what I need will be available.
  • I will pursue community involvement in activities I enjoy.
  • I will be picky about who I spend time with.

This is Enough for Now

As the weeks pass, I will revisit my lists and see where I want to tweak my goals and how I spend my time. Painting in watercolor more is on my to-do list. When I started creating Christmas cards, it gave me immense joy. Here is one of the cards I painted.


I’ll continue to paint similar scenes on watercolor paper and give them away for birthdays or ‘thinking of you’ cards. When I mail a card like this, I fill it with love and then send it on its way.

I’m ready for you, 2025!

Today is His Birthday

When we are grieving the loss of a loved one, it’s tempting to think about their last day, especially for suicide survivors. I prefer to think about their first day, their birthday, and how we celebrated. Pablo and I made so many beautiful memories. And a lot of them included Cuban food.

I frequently see 10:23 displayed on my phone, and I saw it twice daily in the weeks after his death a little over ten years ago. I always say, “Hi, Pablo!” Because I can think that today is his birthday, and I will never forget him.

Today is his birthday.

This year, however, the day snuck up on me. Yet, it must have been on my mind last Sunday when buying deli meat at Publix. I almost said aloud, “But I want a REAL Cuban sandwich!”

So, I looked up my Cuban Pork Roast recipe after stepping away from the counter and updated my list to include bone-in pork butt and sour orange juice. Before Hurricane Helene, I had real sour orange juice in my freezer. But it didn’t survive the week without electricity.

Pablo would have used a fresh ham, but it’s just me, and I wanted something smaller. A bone-in Boston Butt is perfect. And I had seen the ‘sour orange juice’ bottle on the International Aisle at Publix. As I took it off the top shelf, I couldn’t help but look at the ingredient list: orange juice, grapefruit juice, and more that told me it wasn’t sour orange juice. But it would have to do.

My pork roast was 3.1 pounds, so it was easy to halve the ingredients.

Pablo’s Cuban Marinated Pork Recipe

6-8 lb. pork roast

12 garlic cloves, divided

¾ – 1 cup sour orange juice

1 tsp. ground oregano

Salt and pepper, to taste

½ – 1 cup Spanish (white) cooking wine

1 onion, sliced

Start 1-2 days before serving. Peel and crush all of the cloves of garlic.  Use the point of a sharp knife to make deep slits all over the meat. Combine garlic, oregano, salt and pepper. Insert garlic mix into slits in the meat, pushing down with your finger.  Put meat in a large Ziploc bag and pour citrus juice and wine over the roast. Place the onion slices on the meat. Let the roast marinate in the refrigerator for 8-24 hours, turning occasionally.

When ready to roast, preheat oven to 325°F. Line a roasting pan with a large sheet of heavy-duty aluminum foil.  Place meat with fat side up onto the center of the foil. Pour the marinade over the meat and create a pouch with the foil to keep the steam and the marinade in. Roast until internal temperature reaches 170°F (approximately 35-40 min/lb.). Allow the meat to rest for 15-20 minutes. A boneless roast may require an additional 5-10 minutes/lb. to cook properly. Reheat in a 300°F oven for 45 – 60 minutes until warmed through.

How did it turn out?

This was the best Cuban roast pork I have ever made. I cooked it an hour longer than the recipe called for, which seemed to be a good thing. The meat is tender and flavorful.

Last night, I had a plate of pork, black beans, and white rice. Today, I made a Cuban sandwich. Both times, I raised my glass to Pablo. And then, I spent some time remembering our times together and his stories, which always made me laugh. The stories often revolved around fishing.

I also remember us sitting at Heathrow Airport’s Havana Club Rum bar. It was good rum, but it came with bittersweet memories. Pablo was born in Havana. One uncle worked in the cigar industry, and another uncle was an executive with Bacardi. The entire family fled in the early 1960s after Castro came into power. None of them settled in Miami. At first, their new lives began in Tampa, Florida, with the cigar factory and Bermuda, the new home of Bacardi.

In the early days of our relationship, when we got together for dinner with his parents in Tampa, making a pitcher of frozen Bacardi Daiquiris was guaranteed.

Later, when Mojitos became the rage, I asked him why we didn’t make them. He said no one in his parents’ circle drank them in Havana. It was always daiquiris.

I can’t remember the last time I made daiquiris, can you?