The Pandemic Finally Caught Up To Me
Well, after THREE entire years of avoiding it, I, unfortunately, contracted COVID. I'm starting to think that the universe and the Watson Foundation are conspiring with each other. One of the biggest goals of the fellowship is for us to have opportunities for personal growth and development. I have discussed, in numerous other blog posts, my trials and tribulations with having plans fall through, change, or being forced to just start from scratch to make this project work - with all of the travel, placements, and coordinating involved.
If you don't keep up with me on socials, you may not know that I am currently in Kuwait. It was a last-minute addition to my project that I squeezed in during the several free weeks, around benchmark events on my schedule, I had available between Senegal and Belgium. I arrived on March 1 and I am set to leave on March 25. During this time, I am working as a volunteer with KACCH & BACCH, an organization of children's hospitals that maintains hospital play rooms (staffed with Child Life Specialists and Play Leaders) and the first and only pediatric hospice in the Middle East.
It may go without saying, but my schedule going into this experience was packed. During my 25-day stay, I was slated to have 3 days off, work every weekend at 5 different events, and visit all of the associated children's hospitals, with other meetings and interviews sprinkled in there. During my onboarding, the volunteer director went over the sick policy and we both said out loud that, hopefully, this doesn't apply to me! And then, I said, "It would be really unfortunate to get covid and have to miss so many days since I am only in the country for such a short amount of time!"... So, I guess that was where I went wrong.
After spending my first several days at the hospice having a variety of meetings and helping with the child life month event, I excitedly began my first day at one of the hospitals on Monday. That afternoon, I got back to my AirBnB and remarked on a pretty substantial headache and a singular cough, but one that did not sound good...
Since I was scheduled to visit the cancer center the next day, I took out my stash of covid tests to reassure myself it was just adjusting-to-the-new-environment symptoms that would be gone in the morning. But, when I took the test, I thought that I could see the faintest of faint lines in the test column. It was so faint that I thought I may have convinced myself of its existence rather than my eyes actually seeing it. However, after a few hours of stressing and trying to relax but my symptoms getting slightly worse instead of improving, I decided to take another one. I texted my mom about this who thought that there wasn't much point rather than making myself feel better since any result likely wouldn't change much in the time that I waited.
Well, my symptoms must have developed quickly because, with that second test, there was no doubt that I was positive for covid.
I immediately texted the volunteer coordinators at work, my AirBnB hosts, and my family. I was met with nothing but kindness, while I was worried I may be faced with concern over bringing covid into the hospital that morning or having to temporarily relocate from my AirBnB. A woman from work helped me order groceries, my host brought me soup and left it outside my room, and family sent good thoughts from far away.
Every day of my quarantine (which ends today!) multiple people have checked in and me and made sure that I have everything that I need.
Doing this project, it is easy for me to recognize the challenges of being sick when away from home. Even if that sickness doesn't land you in the hospital. It was different to experience it for myself, though. Although I'm very glad that my symptoms remained fairly mild this whole time, being ill makes you want your family, your own bed, and your own shower. I wanted normalcy and the typical comforts around me while resting and recovering. Especially since for the past three years I have had a lot of fear around covid. As a Type 1 Diabetic, I know that I am at a much higher risk of developing severe illness, and even with 4 vaccines in my system, I was still worried about things turning downhill.
Luckily, though, I am preparing to go back to work volunteering tomorrow and didn't miss out too much. I did have to miss the big 10th-anniversary celebration for BACCH (the children's hospice), but everything else will find its way back onto my schedule before I leave.
And, this time forced me to take a break, something that I don't do very easily or willingly. I got a lot of rest and let my brain shut off for a while which has helped calm my nervous system, allow me to figure out logistics I had been overcomplicating, and even crochet an entire cardigan for my travel companion who has been a bit neglected the past several months.
It is quite astounding that this is the first time that I have gotten sick during my time away, especially with all of the travel and working in hospitals that I have been doing. Hopefully, it is the last time too! Because even though the break was nice, there is so much that I have planned and want to get done during my dwindling time as an active Watson Fellow!
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