I can't believe it's already been 5 days of self-isolating with a confirmed case of #COVID19. I'm ready to say hi (virtually) to the world again, and wanted to share my experience of putting myself in isolation with other '30-somethings' out there...

(1/10)

Last Friday, I was starting to feel tired. Perhaps I had worked too hard, I thought. After receiving a negative COVID result earlier in the week, I was certain my body was just asking for a Chai latte with lunch.

So, I kept calm and carried on.

(2/10)

By the time I returned home from the office, I had more work ahead. Cooking dinner, cleaning the kitchen, doing some laundry. Catching up on T.V. I felt a bit lazier than usual... but it was Friday, after all.

(3/10)

But then, dinner didn't seem to agree with me. First came a foreboding sense of nausea, then some diarrhea, then muscle aches. I fell asleep knowing something was wrong.

(4/10)

By Saturday, my sinuses were full of phlegm. I felt quite warm to touch. My voice sounded rather sultry (like $1.99/minute hotline sultry). It was easy to nap through the day.

"It must be a bad fajita," I said, not wanting it to be COVID.

(5/10)

I spent all of Saturday morning in bed trying to research the microbiome of a bad fajita. Google agreed it 'could be' salmonella.

But, I knew this was starting to look like COVID. I ultimately dug into my pantry and scavenged for Vitamins C & D, Zinc & Melatonin.

(6/10)

My partner was ultimately the hero I needed last weekend. Seeing the 'man cold' unfold first hand, he looked disappointed and said bluntly: "You're part of the problem."

This was just the shock I needed to declare myself 'symptomatic' to AHS later that day.

(7/10)

The problem is that #COVID19 symptoms are nothing like a 'usual' course when you are a '30-something' millennial facing the disease.

It's easy to generate new meanings about your symptoms, especially since they progress so slowly through the day and at times disappear.

(8/10)

I was 1 day away from becoming a 'super-spreader' over my half-baked fajita theory.

And, I realized something...

It is people like me. People who insist on showing up when the going gets tough.

We are the biggest risk for #COVID19 spread.

(9/10)

"Unable to work" said the subject line.

I wrote the e-mail, but wasn't ready to press send. I needed a hero to save me from myself.

For the person who takes care of others, who never takes a sick day... also doesn't want to burden society with their plague.

(10/10)