COVID Two

Two rounds of COVID.  Ten days of isolation.  And, finally, two days of negative testing, and I can escape the confines of my house – but, only wearing a mask.  It’s been almost a month since I’ve been able to go anywhere away from home.  And, while I’m perfectly happy being at home alone, I did feel a little stir crazy.

Again, my wonderful neighbors and friends and Daughter #1 kept me going with wonderful meals and things to do.  Conversations from friends and relatives (by phone, of course, or through the glass of the front screen door) also really made my days more interesting.  And, flowers – wonderful flowers!  It is very gratifying to know that I can be on the receiving end of their caring.  All of that really gave me plenty to think about other than the fact that I now had the dread disease.  The disease that killed so many humans worldwide!

We’ve all been warned that aging (85 years old) and health conditions (heart disease, diabetes, and weighting too much) could exacerbate the effects of the virus.  That the incident of COVID is on the rise gave no comfort, either.

Clearly, another saving grace during this period (and it will continue from now on) is that I have started receiving Meals on Wheels since the nutritionist that I’ve been working with strongly recommended that I contact them for their services.  Each day, Monday through Friday, a MOW volunteer delivers lunch – a different volunteer every day.  A really good meal.  Because I have diabetes, and I don’t eat pork or beef, my meals are tailored to my nutritional requirements.

During my recovery period and while I was isolating the second time, Paisley came to stay with me while her mom and dad vacation in Mexico.  Paisley, you may remember, is an Australian Shepherd.  A gentle soul who loves to be petted and cared for.  She also tolerates Lady’s pesky character, just like Kate does.

Actually, I do think I’m absolutely well (although, I am still somewhat exhausted at times), so I need to pace my activity.  But, here’s the special reason that I think I’m well.  In addition to testing negative, twice, two separate days, I’ve had an interesting experience with my dog Lady.

She likes to snuggle.  Before COVID, she would ask to get on my lap, and then settle down for about thirty minutes to be petted.  As with most dogs (I assume) and prairie dogs (I know), she always checks my breath print.  Every time I pick her up.

During the weeks that I’ve been dealing with COVID, she would ask to get up, do her breath print, and was never able to snuggle.  She would squirm and squirm until I would get tired of that and put her down.  Two days after my last negative test, she asked to get up, checked the breath print, and snuggled for thirty minutes.  So now, each day, she does exactly that.  I think she could tell that I was sick; now, I’m apparently well.

I know that dogs can tell when someone is having a heart attack and when a diabetic is having a problem, but I never figured that Lady would be able to discern illness.

So, as I said, I think I’m well.  Lady told me so!

Be safe and Be Well
The Cranky Crone
Thoughtful comments are appreciated.