Speechless

So, just in time for New Year’s, we had yet another Covid scare this past week. Al came home two Fridays ago feeling a bit off. Sure enough, by Saturday morning, which was Shabbat for us and Christmas for many others, he was totally congested and starting to cough.

Fortunately, I had a rapid test at home, and his result was negative. But by Monday evening, my neck glands were swelling and my throat began to feel scratchy. He continued with a lot of coughing and other cold symptoms, and I proceeded to lose my voice to laryngitis, plus develop congestion, coughing, sneezing, and GI issues. Aches, chills, and fatigue for a couple of days, too.

Al’s rapid test was confirmed midweek by a negative PCR test, and I got my negative test result back on Sunday. But as I write on Monday evening, my voice is still quite hoarse. Al is doing much better, and I’m approaching normal, otherwise.

I have not had a respiratory virus like this since I started masking almost two years ago. I have no idea how we got it, but it goes to show that there are still plenty of other nasty viruses circulating, just like every winter here in the Northeast.

I also have come to realize that my Sjogren’s Syndrome is playing a far bigger role in how I respond to such viruses. Having a dry nose and mouth, not to mention dry eyes, makes it that much harder to flush the germs out of my sinuses. And to recover my voice.

So, I’m pushing fluids and limiting conversations. And being very selective about going out in public. I ordered new KN95 masks for each of us (I need kid’s size, because my face is so narrow).

Hoping we’ll get lucky and avoid Omicron. But at least I know my immune system works against a random virus. With my full set of vaccinations, I have a good shot at fighting off this latest variant, too, if what seems like the inevitable happens.

Here’s hoping, by the next New Year, this will all be a fading memory. Stay safe out there.

Post Script

With this post, I have been writing Living with Scleroderma for ten years. My first entry was on January 3, 2012. Hard to believe that what began as a way to finally come to terms with this strange and rare disease publicly and to share what I’ve learned with others has evolved into a decade’s-long chronicle. At some point, I’ll run out of things to say (even without laryngitis!). In the meantime, thanks to all of you, Dear Readers, for sharing the ride.

Evelyn Herwitz blogs weekly about living fully with chronic disease, the inside of baseballs, turtles and frogs, J.S. Bach, the meaning of life and whatever else she happens to be thinking about at livingwithscleroderma.com. Please view Privacy Policy here.

Image: Arwin Neil Baichoo