In Sickness and in Health: When Husband and Wife Get Infected
A Quick Dip After an Exhausting Week
August 22, 2021
Our Own Little BUBBLE Keeps Our Mental Health in Check
September 10, 2021
They thought they had been careful.
They thought they had been cautious.
They thought they did not let their guards down….
But one eventful afternoon, as Dodong picked up Enday from work, she was extra ordinarily sluggish, weak and seemingly sick. What is even more extraordinary was the fact she let Dodong drove back home whereas since the time immemorial, she’s the one driving back home after work.
She is generally feeling weak
Having a sore throat
With dry cough
Experiencing fever
Few of the common symptoms. Of course, Dodong would have assumed as well, but he really thought they had been careful all along. They were using alcohol very often. They had been disinfecting the car, the rooms, the knobs and keyboards routinely.
Fully aware of the possibility, Enday has voluntarily expressed to be isolated. After 2 days, she was still sick. Dodong has already served all of his best dishes from his imaginary cookbook from his famous sopas to tinola, to arroz caldo and sinigang but to no avail, she was not getting any better. Her fever has been on and off and her dry cough eventually developed as she experienced wheezing when coughing.
Dodong has finally decided to seek medical advice. As a protocol, Endays needed to be swabbed and tested. Leading to the medical facility for swabbing, Dodong has many “what if’s” in his mind. But all of these what if’s stayed in his mind. He did not want anybody to cause panic nor fear.
Waiting for the result of Enday’s swab test result seemed like eternity. It was where the sleepless nights started. He could barely fall asleep as he was too anxious. He could even clearly hear every tick of the hand of the clock. Then came early dawn and he received a message with a document attached. With a trembling hand, he opened the attachment and his sanity shattered. Enday was infected! All of his “what-ifs” then seemed to be multiplied by hundredfolds. Dodong’s sanity was collapsing.
Stay Composed, Rational, and Deliberate
The challenge to Dodong during that time was how he can inform Enday of the result. To gradually set her mind, Dodong informed her that he had already been communicating for a possible room reservation. He even updated her that a room may be available within the day. However, Enday seemed to be reluctant to be admitted saying she’s just fine. Then he blurted deliberately in a casual way that she’s infected. The moment seemed to freeze. Dodong can fully recall all of her reactions – especially the worries and fears in her eyes.
The Distance Between Us
As Dodong broke the news to her, what is even more challenging is how to comfort her. As she shed tears, Dodong could not even pat her back, he could not even offer his shoulder to comfort her as he was keeping a safe distance to her. He could only console her with words of encouragement. It took a while for the couple to settle.
The Story is Just Getting Started, Challenges After Challenges
Thanks to her physician, after a teleconsultation, some medicines were prescribed to her while waiting for the available room. They were finally informed by the hospital that she can now be admitted.
Before Dodong could send Enday to the hospital, there came one challenge. Their daughter would have no companion while they will be away. She had not experienced to be left alone at home not even once. She could not be sent to elsewhere as she is potentially exposed to her mom. Dodong and Enday spoke to their daughter explaining that she would temporarily be left at home alone as dad would send mom to hospital. Their daughter bravely answered yes as if she would had understood the situation.
Enday had eventually admitted after a series of laboratory and diagnostic tests and Dodong went back home after few hours. In between, Dodong would have had video call their daughter to check if she is fine.
The next challenge was their supplies. As Dodong was potentially exposed to Enday, he was therefore recommended to be isolated and should not go out. Dodong had reached to his elder sister residing 3 towns away and had informed her of the situation. He requested if her ate could possibly bring them some supplies. Within the day, Dodong received the requested supplies.
Dodong Isolated Himself
Dodong was also scheduled for a swab test. Prior to that day, he had more sleepless nights due to anxiety. For the second time, their daughter had no choice but to be left alone at home while Dodong went to the facility for swabbing. Then he had been swabbed and was waiting for the result. Similar on how he felt while waiting for the result for Enday, he could not sleep even more. It was even more worrying to him this time. He notified her daughter that he would not sleep beside her as he might also be infected. He stayed in the living room while his daughter stayed in the bedroom.
Her daughter shed tears, saying she could not sleep with nobody beside her in the bed. She said she is afraid to be alone in the room. She asked if he could stay inside the room for her, saying even “please’. Dodong could not help but shed tears as well. He just made compromise. He said he would not turn off the light until she’s asleep. He said he would check on her from time to time. He promised he would not sleep until she was asleep. True to his promise, he would open the bedroom where her daughter stays from time to time until he was sure that the daughter was already sleeping until he turned off the light in the bedroom.
The Moment of Truth
Similarly, Dodong had another sleepless night waiting for the result. Alas, it came! He received a message with an attachment. He read the message first, stating he, was indeed infected! He re-read the message multiple times as if he misunderstood it. He opened the attachment hoping that it would reveal a different one. But the result stated in the attachment was just a confirmation of what was the content of the message!
He immediately informed Enday and for the second time, their world was shattered. This time, they were more worried about their daughter more than for themselves. The only consolation that Dodong had was that he is not suffering from other symptoms.
A Prisoner-Like Life
With that, Dodong informed his daughter, that he is “sick” but shall stay at home and both of them need to wear mask at all times and they must be isolated from each other at all times.
His daughter lived like that of a prisoner. She just stayed in the bedroom for days. Dodong would cooked breakfast, would knocked at the door, served the food and would instruct to eat it. Once finished, she could opt to place the used plate outside of the room only. It would be the same during lunch and dinner. She would only be allowed to leave the room when nature calls. But there would be pre-requisite. She was not allowed to simply go to bathroom. She had to informed her dad so the bathroom has to be disinfected first, as well as the doorknobs. She had to disinfect her hands with alcohol before she could get back inside her room.
The added challenge was taking her a bath because she could not bathe herself alone. She had to be assisted. Dodong then opted to bathe her at the back of the house to avoid prolonged direct contact with her.
Let's Do a Recap
Enday got infected. She had direct contact with Dodong and her daughter. Dodong was needed to be swabbed and tested.
Dodong got infected. He had direct contact with Enday and his daughter.
This time, their daughter needed to be tested.
She's to be Swabbed Too!
Despite being immediately isolated and mask was worn, there might a risk that their daughter was infected too. The only means to confirm it was thru swab test.
Dodong conditioned her daughter that she was to be sent to a medical facility for a “check-up” and has nothing to worry about. There would be no injections or blood extractions.
With both of them wearing masks and face shield, Dodong brought her where she had no idea what was going to happen.
In the swabbing area, she was terrified seeing someone wearing an astronaut-like suit and something had to be placed into her nostrils and throat.
Despite his limitation, Dodong was requested to be with her to assist her and to comfort the horrified child. He called her name, and asked to look onto his eyes. Calmly, Dodong explained that it would just like be a cotton bud and the feeling would like while her ears are being cleaned. Dodong told her to grasp his arms while swabbing is being done. With some difficulties, collection was succeeded.
History Repeats Itself
Dodong had to experience what he gone through with Enday and for himself, the waiting game for the result of swab test. It was one of the longest nights of his life. With another sleepless night, he had waited for this specific message at the break of dawn.
Finally, that message came.
As he opened the attachment, he read it once, he read it twice, was there a mistake? He closed the attachment and opened again and see if the content would be the same. It was! His daughter was negative! Tears fell. A lot of it. He was overjoyed. He immediately texted Enday about the good news.
The Dilemma
Enday was already admitted. Dodong was asymptomatic and isolated at home. Their daughter as negative but was in the same household with Dodong while at different room.
Dodong would opt to keep his daughter within the same household so he would know how she’d been doing any given time of the day. He would opt to keep the same set up to limit the chance of others to get infected. He would opt to keep her so he could still cook for her and attends to her needs.
But there would also some challenges and bigger risk! She would be again left alone in times Dodong needs to go to hospital to send supplies to Enday or to pick up used clothes.
The chance of her being infected was way too high every time they make contact.
At the same time, Dodong had this fear. What if, her daughter had just a false negative and she was infected? She might be infecting the others living in the different household!
But with a heavy heart, Dodong had gave in keeping her daughter. He sent his daughter to another household.
Endless Reminder
Since their daughter stayed in a different household, Dodong had an endless reminder to keep her daughter to wear face mask at all times. He endlessly prodded her to disinfect even more frequently. There had been countless instructions to eat fruits and drink her vitamins.
Empty Room, Empty Heart
He had been thankful that his daughter was being attended, it would be one less of his worries. However, Enday was in the hospital while the kid was also away, it was really lonely
Dodong did not have any reason to cook for breakfast. He had nothing to peel the fruits for. Fresh-made fruits juices were then left in the refrigerator.
Dodong felt so empty.
Update on Enday
Few days since she was admitted, her fever had already ceased. However, she had still some difficulty in breathing. Her physician called Dodong to update with her condition. Her medications needed to be “upgraded” to out-phase the virus. She had to undergo various tests again including CTC scan.
It could be observed that she could only talk slowly. She would consume almost an hour or two whenever she would use the bathroom as she was really weak to walk, or to move. She would reply to the messages of Dodong a bit late as most of the time, she felt so groggy with all the medications. With the IV’s attached to her over time, and the regular painful injections to the different parts of her body had already caused bruises. But she had to endure all of these pains.
Light at the End of the Tunnel
Enduring all those injections and taking all of her medications much in the morning, some during lunch and there were also few in the evening, Enday felt she was getting better. Her physicians had also observed significant progress. As a matter of fact, no more oxygen for her!
After few more days, she was instructed that she could continue her recover at home!
Enday is Finally Discharged
That was the day they were waiting for. She was not completely recovered but she was allowed to go home. Of course there was some anxious moments while waiting for their bills. But with all those who extended their help, Enday was finally discharged.
Before going home, they have to drop from one pharmacy to another to buy all the list of medicines listed in the prescriptions.
Difficulty with the RHU and LGU
Close to 14 days, Dodong was almost done with his quarantine period. However, his second RT-PCR test had yielded another positive, though accordingly it is no longer communicable.
As he requested for a medical certificate, he was not provided as he was required for another 14 days of quarantine. Despite all the explanations and proofs he presented, the requested document was not granted. He had no options but to wait for another 2 weeks before he could go back to work.
Enday and Dodong are Finally Home
Before Dodong fetched Enday from the hospital upon discharge, he had cleaned and disinfected every corner of every room. He had changed all of the curtains, bedsheets, blankets, pillow cases and comforter.
Of course, Dodong had a “Welcome Home” banner too.
And they were finally home. It felt so good to be home, for both of them. In another 14 days, they had reminded each other to take their medicines before or after breakfast and dinner and during lunch for Enday. They did help each other to recover faster, physically and emotionally.
Emotional Reunion with Daughter
After completing another 14-day isolation, there came the time that they can pick up their daughter so she could also stay home.
They had a video call with her in advance informing her to prepare all of her things and she will be picked up the soonest.
The first time the couple set their eyes on their daughter was a pure joy. Seeing her in flesh was a magical experience. As she sat at the back of the car while heading home, she uttered, “I don’t know what to feel, I may cry”. Few moments and they noticed that she was crying.
Worried that she may not like to go back home that soon, Enday stopped the car and ask her the reason. Dodong asked her if she still wanted to stay longer at her Tita’s house. She shook her head. That was the only time they realized that their daughter was just overwhelmed with her emotions. She was just too happy that her parents were already there with her. She was overjoyed but she was not aware on how to handle it.
Upon reaching home, the first thing their daughter did was to immediately lay down comfortably. She might have been thinking, finally, I am home. When her mom approached her in bed, her daughter asked, “Mom, can I touch you now?” Her mom responded, “Of course, you can even hug me…” They hugged each other as they cried, but this time, it was tears of joy.
Their Hearts are Full of Gratitude
With their experience, they could not survive without the helping hands of those who were there with them from the get go even until they were fully recovered. From the physicians, nurses, and all the hospital personnel who assisted them directly and or indirectly, to Dodong and Enday’s officemates, their families, and friends and from the ONE ABOVE, they had been thankful to all of you.
Lessons Learned After the Long Journey
Life is God’s blessing. Enjoy every moment of it with the ones you love and show them on how you deeply care. Because you would not know, that may be your last moment with them.
Prayers can help you feel calm as you traverse through each difficult circumstance.. Your faith can keep you grounded.
Other people may still not understand you in your deplorable situation.. Don’t expect that everyone will understand you in your worst situation. Take that as an opportunity for you to understand them. Shower them with your compassion for their lack of empathy.
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