I’ve been out of isolation for almost three weeks. I’m grateful to report that I am getting stronger every day. The insane, rib-cracking coughing is almost finally at an end, but I still get tired very quickly. An hour on the beach on Saturday ended with me having a three-hour sleep when I got home. Every night I’ve switched off my light around 21h00, which for me is early.
A few things have changed since I took ill:
I used to be an avid coffee-drinker. Now, I can’t stomach it. I’ve spoken to other friends who had Covid, and some have experienced the same thing. Apparently, I will be able to drink coffee again sometime; I just need to keep trying it every now and then.
The same with booze, not that I’m a big drinker. A well-mixed gin cocktail is something I used to enjoy when with certain friends, wine too. Now, it all tastes ‘weird’. The irony: I got a bottle of gin for Christmas, a bottle of KWV Pinotage, and a bottle of Protea Pinot Grigio for Christmas.
I have also almost completely gone off dairy. Just earlier this week, I threw a whole block of cheese in the bin; it had turned into a science experiment in the fridge. I do enjoy the occasional bowl of cereal in the morning, or sometimes for supper, so I’ve bought soya milk for that.
I lost my sense of smell for a day or so. I lit my essential oil burner, and heard something crackling. The oil had burned dry! I went to the grocery cupboard, took out the vinegar and took a long sniff. Nothing. My Oscar de la Renta perfume too. Same story. I was mortified. Now my nose is super sensitive.
I have the concentration span of a gnat and I forget things. I have accidentally ghosted friends during IM conversations, because I think I’ve replied, when in fact, I’ve thought of a reply, but failed to follow through. #covidbrain is real.
Aside from the not-so-nice stuff above, I’ve already realized who my real friends are. So many people checked up on me every day while I was isolated, from all over the world and they still do now.
I think everyone has a deeper longing for connection, and while Covid has deprived us of that in a physical sense, many people manage to bridge the gap by just being there for others, even if only through IM. Compassion and hope will be two of the biggest things I will remember about this time.
On other news, I started doing #projectgratitude again this year. It’s amazing what being thankful for even the smallest of blessings can do. I feel more positive about life in general, and that can only be a good thing, right?
Reflections of a Misfit 