Happily, I can actually call it my Pre-Thanksgiving Non-Covid Experience! I know how fortunate I am because so many are not, and heartbreakingly, there will be many more sad stories to come. I am counting my blessings and am very grateful Bruce and I are not in quarantine with the Coronavirus, (and very grateful that the two we love have fought past Covid and are on their way to better health.) Here is what happened…

I awakened the Sunday before Thanksgiving with what began as a cold. Because I am often unable to kick out colds due to Bronchiectasis, a bronchial disorder, I frequently get Bronchitis and need an antibiotic. My pulmonologist has armed me with one at the ready, and my arsenal was stocked. I wanted to hold off taking my antibiotic for fear that if I actually was incubating Covid-19, was an antibiotic indicated or contra-indicated? 

Monday morning brought with it a raspiness in my voice, headache, sinus pressure, sore throat, and fatigue, so now I had more concern. I was feeling sick, but what to do, what to do? I called my Internist first to inquire about testing since that seemed the most important issue. Bruce and I are in our early 70’s and want to believe we are still young and vital (Okay, we are NOT!) so I felt it incumbent upon me to get tested. Fool that I am, when the nurse told me “go to our Urgent Care and get tested and have them listen to your chest and check for strep” it seemed extremely reasonable…kill all of the concerns with one visit.

I jumped into my warm-up suit and took half of a bottle of water, because how long could I have to wait for all of the above to be done? Talk about being a fool. I arrived at the Urgent Care by 10:30 a.m., and the line to get into the building was not long at all. I waited my turn and told the nurse that I was sick, what was bothering me, and that I wanted to be tested before taking my prescribed antibiotic. She took my name and contact information, oxygen level, did a failed temperature check because I was too cold for it to register, and told me that I was to wait in my car, not leave or if called and I didn’t come immediately, I would be sent to the back of the line, and that the wait was “a few hours.”

“What?” I asked. “How can that be, 8 months into the pandemic?” “Yes,” she repeated, “a few hours.” “Are we talking 2 or 4 hours, I asked, feeling my headache getting so much worse. “Somewhere in between, most likely,” was her answer.

I walked to my car rather incredulous, and as I did, I noticed countless people sitting in their cars, and the reality hit me hard…I was trapped. Had I known, however, how trapped, I may have gone home and given up. My water was long finished, and I had nothing to eat until Bruce, whose office is close to the Urgent Care, brought me lunch at 2:45 p.m. I went back in the building several times to use the bathroom, and one time, after waiting already so many hours, I asked how I was doing in line, and was told that I had at least two more hours, but I had better not leave, in case they moved more rapidly than expected. I felt badly for her difficult job, and I felt badly for all of us stuck in our cars all day long. I would be lying if I didn’t tell you that my patience was ebbing, and I wanted to cry.

Eventually, close to 6 1/2 hours after arriving, I was brought into the facility and tested for strep, flu A and B, and Covid-19. Thank goodness, I was negative for all. The doctor told me to “get some rest, hydrate (especially because of my ileostomy, which drains my fluids) and take the antibiotic as needed.” 

All good, and I am so very grateful! That was my Pre-Thanksgiving COVID-19 Experience, like countless others. The next time I am waiting for something, I hope it is for my Covid-19 vaccine…my arm is ready for action. It is time, it is truly time!