Day 8 - COVID19: Standing in Line

An Hour Line Wait

DAY 8: On Monday, March 16 T.J. had now been completely isolated from his family a whole day. That meant he was in Joseph's room with the door closed. If he needed his meals or anything else he would call me or message me. I was taking care of Joseph. I was also working virtually. Schools were closed but classes were still in session.

The start of the week was challenging. I had to be available to answer any questions students and parents might have. There were many. My husband was isolated in our son’s room and my 3-year-old would sit next to me while I worked on the computer. Coloring books, blank paper, crayons, monster trucks, and yes, even the tablet were used to keep my son entertained. I had to keep Joseph busy one way or another. At school only the Head of Schools knew what was happening because we would communicate on a daily basis. She had asked me to not say anything to anyone. She did not want the teachers or the students and their parents to panic.

That Monday T.J. kept asking me to go get tested. I however had to finish my workday (from home) first. As soon as I was able to I drove to the hospital with Joseph. I washed his hands and mine before heading out. I wore the mask the doctor’s office had given me that previous week. I however did not have a mask for Joseph. I was as prepared as I could be. There was a lot of activity at the hospital when we arrived. There were about 30 people, give or take, waiting in line to enter the hospital or get tested. There were also a lot people inside the tent the hospital had set up the previous Friday.

I was consciously keeping my distance from the woman standing in front of me and the older couple behind me. I was making sure Joseph stayed next to me. We could be contagious. The wife standing in line behind us was wearing an oxygen type mask. I was scared for the woman. The line the hospital had set up seemed a bit dangerous. Who knew right? That standing in line with others would become a dangerous endeavor. The husband was telling the fellow behind him that their doctor wouldn’t see his wife and refill her oxygen bag until the hospital cleared her from the coronavirus. It boggled my mind. I understood the frustration. Supervisors and doctor’s offices wanted everyone to be cleared. Yet, I honestly didn’t understand how individuals in these positions of leadership expected that to happen. It was already known by that Monday that one, there weren’t enough tests in Florida and that two, you were only going to be tested if you met the criteria set forth by the Department of Health (you had traveled and were experiencing specific symptoms, you were experiencing severe symptoms, or you had been in contact with someone who had tested positive for the coronavirus).  
While the men conversed, a hospital staff member went down the line asking general questions and directing individuals to either the tent, home, or into the hospital. She never made it to us. There was an interruption.

A group of people wearing suits and masks stepped outside the hospital building. Maybe there was a doctor or two in the mix and a head nurse. The others seemed to be administration. They congregated in front of the line and through a megaphone informed that the hospital was not a free testing center regardless of what anyone had heard on the news. They said they would not be testing for the coronavirus for free. They said you must contact the Health Department and ask them where to get tested. If you choose to stay to get tested with them then you had to pay the emergency room fee. People were upset. Several individuals left.

Joseph and I stayed in line. We had been waiting for about an hour (just imagine having a 3-year-old in line for that amount of time) when someone finally approached us. I explained that we had been in contact with someone who tested positive at their hospital, my husband. I wasn’t sure if the symptoms Joseph had were remnants of his cold from the previous week (around the time his dad had returned) or if it was due to the coronavirus. We were immediately ushered aside, with lots of distance in between, to a bench far removed from the tent and the line of people. Two nurses came over and one had me put a mask on Joseph. Joseph started crying. He didn’t want to wear it. The nurse said in a commanding voice that he must wear the mask. Joseph was not happy and after several attempts to remove it he finally gave up when he realized I was just going to put it right back on. The tension could be felt from the nurses. A third nurse came over. They started barking questions. I provided answers as best as I could. I already knew what to expect. This was still all very new for them. Things had started blowing up the previous week and throughout the weekend. And here I was arriving with a child.

Once they had a room ready in the pediatric area we were immediately guided inside. A nurse came to check Joseph’s vitals. Joseph was crying and scared. After each wail he kept saying, “I don’t wanna go to the doctor’s!” The irony, one that should make us chuckle and that I did afterwards, is that at home my child is always requesting to go to the doctor’s office when he accidentally trips or has a minor scrape. Many parents can relate. The nurse was frustrated because she couldn’t get a reading on Joseph’s blood pressure. He wasn’t cooperating. He was crying too much. Soon after a doctor came into the room and swabbed Joseph’s nose cavity while I held his head in place. Another emergency room doctor then came to swab my nose. The swab is this long thin stick that is pushed far into your nasal cavity. It is an unpleasant sensation. Outside the room, through the glass, I could see the nurses and staff animatedly conversing and gesturing towards our room. And then that was it. Our emergency room visit was over. It was probably no more than 30 minutes long, if not less. We were asked to quarantine ourselves until the results were ready. I knew the drill. Joseph was happy as can be as we walked to our car. He was using his 3-year-old vocabulary to explain we had just seen the doctor. I think he was trying to express his eagerness to return home.

Now we waited. Again.

Later that day T.J. sent me an image of his updated online medical chart. It now specified that the negative results for the coronavirus did not include COVID-19. It was apparent that the Health Department had asked the hospital to update and specify the results on their online medical charts. They didn’t want a repeat of what had happened to T.J. with others.

Our normal was already self-isolation and quarantining. Everyone else in South Florida and in my family was just starting their new normal. I nevertheless kept appreciating and enjoying the multitude of memes being shared through a few of my WhatsApp groups. However, I also became very aware that our social media memes and social media PSAs (Public Service Announcements) were and continue to be the indicators of where exactly our thoughts are regarding the pandemic.


 

Day 7 - COVID19: Information Whiplash

Information Whiplash and Reactions to Test Results

DAY 7: Sunday morning, March 15. Joseph is a person of routine. No matter how early or how late he goes to bed the previous night, this 3-year-old will wake up at the same time the following morning.

T.J. usually takes care of breakfast on weekends: eggs, bacon, pancakes, the works. However, after the three of us finished our breakfast he said he was feeling tired. He decided to take a nap. It was relatively early, maybe 9:00 AM. We figured that he was still exhausted from all the traveling and especially from the coronavirus stress of the week. He was also experiencing a low grade fever. He woke up about an hour or two later. Though he was tired he needed to run a few errands before his work week started the following day. He didn't get to run his errands.

It was around 11:00 AM when he received an unexpected phone call. He was surprised to hear from the doctor who had taken the cell samples the previous day at the hospital. The doctor called him for one reason alone, and that was to inform him that he had tested positive for COVID19. You can imagine the varied emotions T.J. felt at that moment: shock, anger, worry, confusion, frustration, fill in the blank. One of T.J.'s questions to the doctor was why he received different information the previous day from the E.R. supervisor. The doctor explained that T.J. was one of the first cases the hospital had had so far. That means that he was most likely, if not the first, the second or third patient that tested positive at this hospital location.

The hospital did not have a protocol for COVID19 patients. T.J.'s online medical chart displayed negative results for the old coronaviruses but not the new one. We now speak about the coronavirus (COVID19), myself included, as if it was the only one that exists. However, there are several coronaviruses out there that cause our common colds as well as other respiratory infections. That is why this coronavirus is labeled COVID19 or called the new / novel coronavirus.

As soon as T.J. explained what was happening he started moving things around in our bedroom and in Joseph's bedroom. He needed to quarantine himself completely, even from us. And some of you might wonder, well, what was the point of doing that if he had already had contact with his wife and son throughout the week. I don't disagree but you see, there was always that possibility that Joseph and I were still okay. That we hadn't contracted the virus.

That weekend, while everyone was sending each other memes through the many social media mediums as a way to alleviate the surreal feeling of a non-visible enemy, the memes that were also making us laugh, became irrelevant to us. For us, one unexpected phone call had not only changed our routine again but made the virus all to real. T.J.'s exhaustion wasn't due just to jet-lag but to the virus. His low grade fever and need for a nap Sunday morning was due, again, to the virus. The other symptoms he was feeling were also due to the virus.

I was scared. There was so much information out there. Nothing exactly conclusive. We had been reading everywhere and everything about the virus the whole week. Those at higher risk are the elderly and the immunocompromised. Severe symptoms for them can be deadly. Though not as common, younger and healthy folk can also experience severe symptoms. Death also a possibility. Yes, my thoughts where flying at an exorbitant speed. I was thinking worse case scenarios. My husband has asthma. Was this going to be a factor?

T.J. isolating himself in Joseph's room was the first step. His second step was calling his co-workers that he had had contact with mid-week and his two buddies that he had seen the previous day. I want to say that his phone call interactions were supportive with all those he made sure to inform. Unfortunately, it did not happen that way. One of his long-time buddies that same evening and for the following several days took to social media to rant about T.J. This folks, is why as we're all practicing social distancing and quarantining ourselves, regardless of whether you have the coronavirus or not. It is not just the responsibility of individuals like my husband to isolate themselves when they know for a fact they're sick but also the responsibility of everyone else who is not sick, who might simply not know they're sick, or live with someone who is sick to stay home or practice social distancing. Everyone is responsible for protecting those you love and even those you do not know.

We cannot control how others react but we can individually always choose how to react. This isn't an easy moment, for anyone.

My husband was experiencing mild symptoms and we did not know if they would get worse. He thought he had tested negative and had no need to worry. He went to visit friends. He finds out not even 24 hours later that he tested positive. Information whiplash. Now he had a lot more to worry about.

Later that same afternoon Joanna from the Health Department called T.J. The hospital had sent his results to the Health Department. T.J. had now officially become one of the first 100 confirmed cases in the state of Florida. Joanna needed to know where T.J. had traveled to and where he had been since his return. T.J. also told Joanna about the way the hospital relayed the information to him and about the results not being correctly listed on his medical chart.

I had to now call my supervisor to inform her of the unexpected news. I had spoken to her the previous day to tell her about my husband's results. However, now, again there was a need to worry about me. Now I also had to get tested. I'm a teacher. I have close contact with students. We also needed to call Joseph's daycare. He also needed to get tested.

Not everyone can get tested. Not everyone will be able to get tested. However, my place of employment was requiring I confirm whether I had contracted the virus or not. 

Day 6 - COVID19: Hospital Results

Are You Sure?

DAY 6: It's Saturday, March 14th. T.J had been back from his trip for 4 full days now. We knew it'd take 24 to 48 hours to get the results from the hospital for the coronavirus, however, we got them much sooner than expected.

Throughout the morning T.J. kept checking his online medical chart from the hospital. At some point in the late afternoon I heard him speaking on the phone. He was speaking with the E.R. supervisor.

When T.J. saw his medical chart online he noticed that his results came back negative for the flu, some other listed viruses, and also the coronavirus. They had tested his cells for any respiratory pathogens possible. He called the hospital to make sure that indeed that was the case. The E.R. Supervisor pretty much told him that if that's what you see, that's what your results are. T.J. felt such a huge relief. I however was a big skeptic and didn't believe it. I kept asking T.J. repeatedly if he was sure. He insisted that yes, the E.R. supervisor said that my results were posted. Can't argue with hospital supervisors or medical charts, right?

By this time a lot more people were talking about social distancing. Whether they were taking it seriously or not is another conversation. There was also a multitude of memes about people going crazy buying toilet paper. I remember seeing a friend's post on Facebook about how this toilet paper shortage in stores was an element that post-apocalyptic works missed out on (think films like Mad Max and t.v. shows like the Walking Dead). He wasn't speaking about the actual buying of toilet paper but this insane necessity people felt to hoard toilet paper at home during a pandemic. His keen observation, a norm for Dr. Raggio, made me laugh: "pasan las horas y no me dejan de sorprender todos esos vídeos y fotos de los rollos de papel. tantos años obsesionados con el imaginario de las crisis energéticas y de los muertos vivientes y sin embargo alejados del de lo escatológico y la limpieza de las partes más íntimas del cuerpo. #RabelaisEraElVerdaderoProfeta."

In any case, T.J. decided he was going to visit friends. Before you think it or point it out, I am well aware that on this day he wasn't practicing social distancing either, just like the rest of his fellow Americans. He is very aware of it too. A comment I can guarantee you he heard from me that day and not again. But when the famous phrase is said, "it's up to you" or "tú sabrás", it really means that (sometimes). He felt free! I didn't blame him. I would have been visiting family and friends too. I did something similar. When he left to hang out with his friends I messaged my Florida cousins through our group chat and let them know that T.J. had tested negative for coronavirus. I did a virtual celebration. At the time no one in my family other than my mother really knew what was going on.

I want to say that that was the end of it, but unfortunately, it was not.

Day 5 - COVID19: 24 to 48 Hours Later

Results

DAY 5: I'm writing this Friday post exactly two weeks since T.J. found out his friend's results.

It must have been around mid-day Friday when I asked T.J. if he had heard back from Jeff. It wasn't the first time or even the last time I'd ask him that day. There still wasn't an answer. Jeff wasn't allowed to leave his sky-rise apartment. The authorities hadn't decided what to do with him just yet.

I remember asking T.J. at the start if he knew where Jeff had traveled.  He knew it was Austria but not exactly where in Austria. I recall making the comment that Italy's northeast border is shared with Austria. Italy was an epicenter of the epidemic in the European and Mediterranean region. T.J. said he doubted Jeff had been exposed to the virus in Austria but that it was most likely in Germany. Jeff had had a connecting flight through Germany.

Earlier that week, on the same day T.J. heard the news from Jeff (Wednesday, March 11), the World Health Organization (WHO) had labeled the spread of the virus a pandemic. Several other epicenters were starting to appear all over on the world map visuals the news channels would show. 

Late in the afternoon T.J. finally heard from Jeff. It had been just a little over 48 hours since Jeff had gotten tested.  It was Friday, March 13. The week also happened to be a full moon week. Ah, when we start thinking of all these odd connections, it does make you wonder...

Jeff's results where positive.

As soon as he found out Jeff's results T.J. called the Health Department. T.J. could now confirm that he was in contact with someone who tested positive. The Health Department wasn't much help though.  

He was concerned. He had been around his co-workers and obviously his family. He had to figure out how to get tested. One of T.J.'s friends from his office had sent him a message letting him know that a tent was being set up outside our local hospital. The hospital was trying to create a center to attend the possible influx of coronavirus patients.

T.J. immediately made the trip to the hospital. When he got there he stood in line with three other people. He pretty much got there right when the tent operation opened. T.J. did have a mask on while he waited in line. He also purposely kept his distance from the other people. The Hospital's set-up was a bit of a fiasco, however. People were coughing everywhere. There were already people inside the tent. Maybe it was just a common cold or another chest infection for many, but who knows. Some man was saying he worked at a major electronic retail chain and wanted to get tested no matter what. By this time the news channels were already informing the public how there just weren't enough tests for people to get tested. If you wanted to get tested the only way it was going to happen was if you were pretty much showing extreme symptoms or could confirm you had contact with someone who had tested positive. At the same time, Governor DeSantis was saying that there would be free testing sites available. People probably didn't catch the "would be" part of his message because the testing sites wouldn't be up and running yet. That would take almost over a week to happen here in South Florida. 

When a nurse finally approached T.J. she immediately had him sit apart in a bench. The first thing he told her was that he had been in contact with someone who had tested positive for coronavirus. He didn't even go into the tent. He was separated from everyone. He was then taken into an isolated room inside the hospital. They used a cotton swab to take cell samples from his nasal cavity and another one from his throat. Now he just had to wait 24 to 48 hours for the results.

That week T.J. hadn't completely isolated himself at home because it was just a possibility. He was being careful. He used a mask at home and was conscious of washing his hands. He kept his distance, but we were all still in the same rooms.We were quarantining ourselves from his family, our friends, and the public in general. While everyone was panic buying toilet paper, T.J. and I were just watching the news and reading the memes. Joseph, well, he was playing with his monster trucks and asking us to dance with him to Toy Story Toons: Partysaurus Rex. Watch it in Spanish if you can. Rex is un aguafiestas.

So now we knew that Jeff tested positive for coronavirus. Yet we still held hope on the possibility that T.J. would test negative.

I always feel that the waiting part is the most nerve-wrecking feeling in any situation.

T.J. looked stressed and tired. Who wouldn't, right? Plus we figured he was still dealing with jet lag from his 16 hour return flight.

24 to 48 hours. Not much of a wait time. It's nothing...

On a side note, I was right. Just a few days ago this week a news article stated that an Austrian ski resort was the culprit for a hefty number of people testing positive for coronavirus. (The article popped up on my feed. Mmmm, how did Google know I was curious to have more information about Austria?) T.J. forwarded the article to Jeff and asked him if that was the ski resort he had traveled to. Jeff was in shock. It was the same place.

If you're curious to know what's going on with Jeff as of today, Friday, March 27th, well, he's in an isolated medical prison type facility. The facility is 30 miles away from the city. The country where he lives and works does not believe in the civil liberties that we take for granted here in our good ol' U.S. of A.

Day 4 - COVID19: Uncertainty and Phone Calls

Uncertainty and Making Phone Calls

DAY 4: You know that feeling of anxiety I mentioned in the previous post? It was building itself up on Thursday and has kept on going with different flows and ebbs since then.

I can't even remember the morning routine on this day because it was different from our normal work week ones.  There was this feeling of "what the heck" as our morning started. I also had to call my primary care provider and see if there was any chance they could see me.

In the previous post I also didn't mention that when the principal called and asked me not to come into work, she also asked me to be cleared by a doctor before I could return. You're thinking, yeah, okay, so do it. I was thinking the same thing. No problem there. Quick visit, you're fine, you're healthy, go to work.

It didn't turn out exactly that way.

What happened this day is more about what I went through and the information I was able to gain for me and for T.J.

T.J. was at home reading up on the news. He was trying to figure what symptoms to look out for. He's stressed and on top of everything, still dealing with jet lag. The man looked exhausted.

In the mean time I'm calling the doctor's office. The front desk assistant said I could come by later that morning. T.J. had me call again and make sure to explain what was going on. I felt uncomfortable having to explain "a possibility story" again and why I needed to get cleared. The assistant said it wouldn't be a problem. Two things were happening here: one, my place of work was asking me to get cleared and two, my primary doctor was treating it like a regular visit.

Here's what I encountered: when I made it to the doctor's office I was treated like I had the cooties. That image probably makes us chuckle as we remember our elementary school days when we would wait in line and poke our classmate while laughing and yelling a variation of "you've got the cooties!" It would be better to say that the interaction confirmed what I already knew, that in our society individuals by no fault of theirs can be unjustly treated and ostracized. Yet, I don't blame the staff at the doctor's office. They were trying to figure out what to do. If they're not informed how can they provide the medical attention needed. They're out in the wild hearing all the news just like we are. I want to go on a rambling paragraph about how the dissemination of information, or lack thereof from governmental institutions and their officials (from local, to State, and Federal level) about the coronavirus left much to be desired. However, I can't because it's a lot more complex than just rambling and there are plenty of articles out there analyzing one way or another this issue. In any case, for everyone, this is an unprecedented moment. What I can tell you is that at the doctor's office I was given a mask, the phone number to the Health Department, and asked to reschedule. They wanted me gone. Did I get cleared to go back to work? Not at all. Was I taken aback in their interaction with me? Most definitely. I was shocked into silence and into unbelievable smiles and thank yous.

I get home and I call the Health Department immediately. I have T.J. call the Health Department as well. The doctor's office calls me not long after I arrived home to make sure I call the Health Department. Joseph is running around the house with his monster trucks. We didn't take him to daycare for obvious reasons. I'm in one room talking on the phone and T.J.'s in another room doing the same. The Health Department was directing us to our doctor. You see where this is going? The running in circles that the situation demanded, because why not?

The news is telling people to call and visit their primary doctors. The primary doctors have no information and are asking people to call the Health Department. The Health Department can't give individual medical advice. Doctor offices can't help out either because they don't exactly have a protocol in place for coronavirus patients. This is all new for everyone in our community and we were just the start.

A few hours later, the Health Department is calling me back. The doctor's office had called them. This office was freaking out! They wanted to make sure I had called the Health Department. Both T.J. and I had called, no worries there, we were more concerned than anyone else at this moment, believe us on this point. We wanted information too. We wanted to figure out what steps to take beyond self-quarantining. How to get tested, how to get cleared. We were taking as much action as possible. Before the general public was being asked to actively practice social distancing, to heed the message of protecting your loved ones and members of your community, we were already in quarantine.

The Health Department did tell T.J. he didn't need to get tested because it was just a possibility. Plus, he hadn't traveled to a high risk region.

T.J. hadn't heard back from Jeff yet.

The principal called me again that evening. Since we still didn't know anything, she asked me to not come in to work the next day (Friday) or the following week (the last week before Spring Break). I could return once we knew Jeff's results were negative or I had been cleared by a doctor. I'm sure some of you are probably thinking, vacation time! Not so much as many of you have by now experienced.

However, it was still all a possibility by the end of Thursday. We did learn that the Health Department was still trying to figure everything out. I learned that because I resided in one county but was a teacher in another county the other Health Department also had to be involved. I learned that primary care doctors couldn't help you because it's a big unknown for them if you come with the possibility of the coronavirus. I learned that by this time the community at large was just waiting for public schools to be cancelled. Universities across Florida had already started cancelling classes.

So here were, quarantined at home, with no definite answers and an unknown.

Day 3 - COVID19: Our Weekly Normal... Or So I Thought

Back to Our Weekly Normal...Or So I Thought

DAY 3: It's Wednesday morning. My morning rush was less rushed this day.

Before dismissal during our planning time, two of my co-workers had just walked into my classroom and we were discussing our end of 3rd-quarter to-do-lists. That's when I noticed that T.J. had called me an hour earlier. I called him back, thinking he just wanted to update me about having left work early since he had just returned from an exhausting trip the previous day. He did leave work early but not for the reason I thought. He left work because he heard from his friend Jeff.

My conversation with T.J. was short. His friend Jeff had called him late in the morning when he was at work. Jeff had left him a message explaining that one of his travel buddies in his skiing trip to Austria had tested positive for coronavirus. Jeff was informing T.J. that he was getting tested that day and would know his results in 24 to 48 hours. Jeff was bummed to have to share the news with T.J. I can only imagine. You haven't seen your college friend in almost two decades and this is the memory they'll share of meeting up. T.J. shared the message with me later that evening. The man sounded somber, apologetic, concerned, not just for himself but for T.J. and his family. I am thankful for his response, for immediately calling my husband, for taking on the importance of the situation, for being aware that informing others is taking care of others.

Mi querida familia y amigos, it was finally real. My heart dropped. You know that tight feeling you get in your chest but it feels like it pushes further in? Yeah, well, that's what I felt. Anxiety sometimes feels like that, like a pressure that expands. For me at least. This feeling was my heart dropping, not the anxiety one, not on this day. In any case, my mind was racing. What did all of this mean? Was T.J. okay? What did we have to do next? What did I need to do?
 
During school dismissal my co-workers and I joked about me keeping my distance. I did because, although my co-workers were joking and I along with them, the news had been picking up and we honestly weren't too sure how to approach, interact, react, act, with this coronavirus possibility hitting so close to home. At this point it really only was a possibility. It was the friend of my husband's friend that tested positive. Not Jeff. Not T.J.

I kept bouncing this information in my head. I did speak to one of the administrators about the possibility that my husband was in close contact with someone who might possibly be positive for coronavirus. Maybe, possibly, who knows, but just in case... It was all just a very removed possibility but I still wanted to give a heads up. The supervisor listened, showed the appropriate amount of concern (listen, there's a large staff, and I honestly don't expect administration to know me that well), and asked me to keep them updated. It was close to home, it was real, yet, not just real enough. To keep it in perspective, for me all of this happened within a span of one to two hours.

I was calm on my drive home. And for sure in a state of disbelief. My father-in-law had picked up Joseph from daycare. T.J. had left work immediately and spent the whole day cleaning and disinfecting the house. He started keeping as much physical distance from us as possible that evening, not anything extreme, but definitely treating the situation in a way that neither his son nor his wife could get sick in case he was contagious.

Later that evening, my WhatsApp group with my coworkers was blowing up around dinner time. Major sporting events were being cancelled. The local news channels were in high excitement with the latest information about the coronavirus. The day T.J. had returned from his trip, our very own county already had a couple of cases confirmed (see this timeline). It was starting to become ground zero for our State. All this is simultaneously happening the same week T.J. received news from Jeff. We were experiencing this regional frenzy first hand, if not at the very beginning, then definitely not far behind it.

My boss called me later that evening during my son's bedtime routine at 8:30. She asked me not to come to work the next day. It was a precautionary measure. I was freaking out after I hung up. There were so many things I had to do in the next couple of days. Furthermore, my personal paid time off was limited to when my son has a doctor's appointment or gets sick. I couldn't afford to just take days off. There were so many emotions I was experiencing after that phone call. Yet, I knew and agreed that it was crucial to the well-being of others. Even though my husband hadn't traveled to a high risk area, our quarantine started the day T.J. received Jeff's call.

However, as real as all of this felt, especially because it was affecting us directly, there was still that chance, that possibility, that Jeff's results would be negative.

Day 2 - COVID19: Welcome Home

Welcome home!

DAY 2: As I write this post, it's been exactly 2 weeks since my husband returned from his work trip abroad. Tuesday.

It was Tuesday 6:00 AM. The alarm went off and I heard it as a far away sound. I remember thinking of my to-do-list when I jumped out of bed at 6:30 AM. At this point it had been none stop for two weeks. It was way past the time my son and I headed out towards his grandmother's house. You see, in order to not drop him off at 6:00AM and pick him up at 6:00PM from daycare (a 12 hour day for a 3 year old) my husband T.J. had asked his parents if they could kindly help us not disrupt our son's schedule too much. Joseph would spend part of the morning with his grandmother before she dropped him off and then he'd spend part of his afternoon with his grandfather when he picked him up. Moments like these, I will openly admit, is when I miss being near my own family: with my mother, my brothers and sisters-in-law, my nieces and nephews, and my aunts, uncles, and cousins. 

Joseph did not want to wake up this particular morning (he didn't want to go to bed the previous evening either) and yet we made it happen. He made it to grandma's. I made it to work. I was excited. My husband would be back before I arrived from work. We had agreed the day before that after he snoozed from his return flight he'd pick up Joseph from daycare.

As much as I tried to leave work on time this day I got caught up on a few conversations. They were extremely brief, just a few minutes long and yet, these minutes determined the length of my evening commute time. As such, when I finally made it to my car I already knew getting home would take me about 20 minutes longer. On my drive home I tried reaching my husband (using my car's Bluetooth, mind you) several times but to no avail. I knew he was most likely passed out. As I headed straight to Joseph's daycare I called to verify he was still there. I was on time and Joseph was ready to go home. He was talking about his friend Ethan and his carritos and who knows what else as I told him that papi was home. It might seem children don't know what's going on but I can tell you that Joseph had the biggest smile on our way home after he heard his papi was back.

When my son and I got home we walked upstairs to surprise T.J. He was sleeping. We woke him up with hugs and wet kisses. He looked exhausted but happy. The majority of his flight happened during the daylight hours while we were still sleeping. The three of us fell into our routine but not before T.J. gifted us with the souvenirs he brought us. We were all tired by the time we had dinner, T.J. more so, and bedtime was exactly at 8:00 PM this evening. 

Meanwhile, the news had picked up locally about the coronavirus. It wasn't too crazy just yet. It still didn't feel quite real. At work, the conversations between coworkers about the coronavirus were happening a lot more. We were taking it day by day and waiting on the directives from our supervisors.

Our Day 1 - COVID19: Work, Life, and Routines

Work, Life, and Routines

I'm blogging this in a retrospective manner and mostly for my family. I've been thinking much about it ever since my brother Steve not only encouraged me but asked me early on to share our experience. I was unsure where to begin and kept putting it off. I kept thinking, "At what moment does our experience with this pandemic start?" I came to the realization, that just as epidemiologists trace and continue to trace the origin and the spread of COVID-19, I too had to trace where my family's experience begins with this new current reality. It didn't start when my husband received his test results, but a couple of weeks before.

DAY 1: Our day 1 is a combination of moments, days, conversations that lead to my husband's departure and return between the end of February and beginning of March.


My husband took the day off the previous day not just because he needed to finish packing and get ready for his work trip but because we had also purchased a new mattress the previous weekend. We had been discussing purchasing a new bed for 4 years now. I kept pushing off the big purchase every year convincing my spouse we were fine. Granted, we complained about not sleeping well and in my case, especially during and after my pregnancy, the back pains were not enjoyable. My best friend Catherine had recently purchased a new mattress. As I enjoy doing with my closest and dearest friends, we had discussed the pros and cons of different beds as well as the costs! It's a major purchase that should never be done lightly. My husband after hearing me have these conversations over the phone suggested we should check out some mattresses as well. He said, we're only looking, we don't have to buy anything. I'm always nervous about making big purchases. I could get into the reasons of why, but that's another blog post. Well, "looking" turned into finding and purchasing. So here he was, the Friday before his trip waiting for the delivery of our new purchase as he packed and got everything in order for his over seas trip. His excitement was twofold: he was going to a country he had never been before and he was going to sleep, if only for one night, in the new mattress.


His mom kept jokingly reminding him the day before and the day he left that she was not going to see him for two weeks after he returned because of the Corona-virus. Though she was joking she was also quite serious. She was worried. She does not like to get sick. I don't blame her. It is because of my husband's family that I take being sick seriously. If you have the common cold, stay home, don't get others sick. People depend on their livelihoods. All of us do. It's called being aware. However, working until you drop seems to be a cultural trophy of sorts in our country and unfortunately, in many others as well. Or, we don't have an option. Cultural reasons as well? I know I don't stay home either. We all worry about our jobs, our careers, about others expressing displeasure for missing a day of work. All of us at some point or another have experienced that frown or flippancy from supervisors,  coworkers, and even family members. To assuage her worries, my husband insisted he would be fine. After all, both his flights would be direct flights with no layovers and moreover, the country he was traveling to was not a high risk area.

There is always nervousness that accompanies trips, whether they be local, regional, national, or abroad. We all feel nervous, worried, giddiness, sadness, excitement, and so forth when we travel or a loved one travels. Taking a trip is a combination of feelings not just for the person traveling but for those that stay behind.  We, my three year old and myself, dropped my husband off at the airport in the middle of the day that weekend. My husband made sure to kiss and hug us good-bye. Though we knew he'd be back soon, it was a bittersweet moment. After all, he would be and was gone for almost two weeks.

My son and I had to change our morning and evening routines quite a bit. He had to wake up a lot earlier and I was making it to work, through rush hour, just barely on time. My husband was working long hours but was also enjoying the experience of a culturally different region. After he completed his job assignment he stayed a few extra days to meet up with his college roommate. It had been almost 20 years since they had last seen each other.

My husband checked out of his hotel and stayed with his friend the remainder of his trip. His friend, let's call him Jeff, had just returned from a skiing trip with friends of his. During the week I made sure to speak with my husband, even if just for a few minutes, at noon every day during my lunch break. When we spoke he told me that Jeff was sick, probably due to all the partying he did while on vacation. We laughed about it and reminisced about the single life over the phone. He said they were going out to dinner that evening and that they'd figure out what to do the following day. It all depended on how Jeff was feeling. Well, they only went out for lunch the next day because Jeff wasn't feeling too well.  He was tired and appeared to have the flu.

After staying with Jeff for a few days my husband was more than ready to return home and be back to his normal routine. As you can probably imagine, back at home, we're beyond excited to see him. We had missed him. Our routine would be back to normal.

Well, as you can deduce by now, it didn't turn out quite that way.

Meanwhile, in the news, the Corona-virus was still something that was only happening abroad or definitely not in our community. Our local, state, and federal officials weren't necessarily showing much concern. At least not enough that our news outlets were dedicating a 24 hour cycle to the corona-virus epidemic. Yes, the news mentioned it, and it would discuss Washington State and its corona-virus spread, but it all seemed so far removed, nothing that had to do with our home, our family, our community, our State. For everyone that was following their day-to-day routines and not necessarily reading, watching, or listening to the news, this seemed like something that was just part of the news. At work, it was being mentioned through emails (I think I received at least one email per week) but not through active conversations. The email memos and briefs encouraged us to be aware and remind our students about washing their hands. We made sure to have tissue and hand sanitizer in the classrooms. Check, check, check. These guidelines however are the norm in schools. But we all know that children do get sick and that they also come to school even when it's just the common cold. Yet, it still didn't feel real. For them and even for me. The children would make jokes. Someone would sneeze and they would blurt out "corona-virus!" They obviously were quite aware of what was happening outside our community, but it wasn't just yet real.