It was a normal week in the Jones household, we were excited to spend much needed time with family the upcoming weekend. Because my husband and I decided to send our children to school (our daughter attends school every other week and our son attends school two days a week) we’d considered getting tested as a precaution before traveling home to see loved ones with health concerns. So when we got the call that there was a positive case at my son’s school, there was no question, we all seemed fine, but to protect the ones we loved, we were tested. Our results came back on a Thursday, Alyssa, Mr. Jones, and I are negative, and to our surprise on Friday we learn .. Joshua is POSITIVE! “When did you last see symptoms”, the nurse asks when she calls me, my honest response was, “I hadn’t seen any! I may have seen what looked like allergies (slight cough, glassy eyes) a few days ago, but that’s it, other than that, nothing, he’s completely fine.” She responds, “ok that will count as the start of his 10 days of quarantine.”
QUARANTINE, POSITIVE, MY SON, MY HOME, MY FAMILY, PRACTICALLY NO SYMPTOMS!
!!!!!!YIKES!!!!!
The phone calls I had to make to our closest friends – “Joshua tested positive for COVID, you should go get tested”
Family Vacation instantly canceled
Work abruptly shut down – I have to report, “that I have a positive case in my home”
WHAT A WHIRLWIND!
Then Saturday, I start feeling tired, but it’s a different kind of tired. No fever, but fatigue, headache, almost felt like a terrible sinus headache. I begin to separate myself, I’m not sure what it is, but I know I need to get retested, I go Monday morning, and yep, now I’m Positive!
I write as a survivor of COVID-19! I write for awareness! I write to reduce the spread! I write to reduce the shame associated with the stigma of COVID-19!
So here are a few lessons we learned when COVID-19 hit our home:
1. Never underestimate the power of touch. The phrase #AloneTogether now has a new meaning. It’s been days since I’ve kissed my husband or hugged my children, they are so close, yet so far away. If you are able, embrace your loved ones.
2. When in doubt GO GET TESTED! Had we not gotten tested, so many would have been exposed. My son was asymptomatic. Vidant has opened a dedicated COVID-19 drive-up testing site at the corner of Stantonsburg Road and Wellness Drive in Greenville. The testing site is open to anyone in the public and community members are welcome to drive up and receive a COVID-19 test at no cost to the patient. Insurance information will be collected from those who have it for required CARES ACT documentation and visitors must have a photo ID. The testing site’s hours are 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., Monday through Friday. Results are expected within 24 hours. (https://vidantverified.com/covid-19-community-testing-sites/?UTM_Campaign=safecommunity&UTM_Source=vvmainmenu&UTM_medium=link)
3. Do your due diligence. When you test positive, notify others, you have been in contact with. It’s awkward, but it’s your responsibility to them. Allow them to get tested. It’s necessary, even if you think they’ll test negative, remember, we thought all of us would test negative.
4. Do your time. Upon testing positive, my healthcare provider recommended quarantine beginning 10 days from the first day of symptoms. Many companies have COVID policies in place that will allow 14 days off work with pay. There is a Vident COVID-19 Community Resource line (252-847-8000) also available with volunteers that will deliver groceries etc. to your home. Stay in the know and take advantage of these opportunities. You are not alone.
5. Don’t shun your support systems. If you have to quarantine, you’ll need the calls, texts, care packages, and daily check-ins from your loved ones. If you are not connected to a faith community, now is the time to connect or reconnect. If you’ve isolated from friends and family consider if the offense is worth it. I’m so grateful for my husband, my Pastor and First Lady, and my village, they loved on me real good however they could. It matters, and you need it. COVID will remind ANYONE that IT IS NOT GOOD FOR MAN TO BE ALONE (Genesis 2:18).
6. Live in the present and Love like tomorrow isn’t promised.
7. Guard | Prepare your temple (body). Take your vitamins, walk a least 30 minutes a day, if you have to go to war with COVID give yourself a fighting chance.
We were blessed to survive our COVID exposure and now we piece together our lives as we tackle re-entry. All four of us will be re-tested, but this experience was a trauma for our family.
My Grief Recovery mentor always says, “tell the truth about yourself all the time.”
So, what’s honestly going through our minds now? You ask as our quarantine comes to a close?
✳️ Whether or not to continue to allow our children to attend school or become 100% virtual.
✳️ What will our future family functions | Holidays look like?
✳️ We’ve gratefully survived COVID-19 but now we must heal from the scars this experience has left on our hearts and minds. Fear of harming those we love unknowingly as my son was asymptomatic. How do we continue to protect our family from it?
✳️Fear of the unknown as every individual reacts differently to it.
We will continue to walk in wisdom, follow CDC recommendations, wash our hands, wear our masks, keep our distance, take advantage of the testing center before traveling and potentially exposing loved ones, and doing the absolute best we can to do our parts to stop the spread of COVID – 19 and pray that others will give us the same respect. If we all do our parts, we can make a big difference.
Lastly, I have to shout out to Mr. Jones for taking care of us so well. What a man, what a man, what a man, what a mighty good man! Love and honor you always Sir!
I chose this picture because THIS IS US .. PRE-COVID. I’ve missed these moments! I vow to never take them for granted again!
DO YOUR PART!! STOP THE SPREAD! WASH YOUR HANDS! WEAR THE MASK! KEEP YOUR DISTANCE! COVID IS REAL!
Gwendolyn J. Jones
Advanced Grief Recovery Specialist
http://www.gwendolynjjones.com
Gwendolyn J. Jones 