Hi, friends! What exciting and terrible news I have to share in today’s blog! I don’t typically post much about my personal life, but when major life news and things that affect my health happen, I open up to share with you all. As this blog’s title alludes to, I’ve had a pretty eventful few weeks. Yep, Mike and I got engaged after almost seven years together…and not too long after I got COVID! Keep reading for a cute proposal story and my experience of enduring COVID.
If you’re wondering if I saw the proposal coming, my answer is no, but I should have. Looking back, there were so many signs that it was about to happen. Like the fact that Mike dressed really nice to go for a hike. Or when I protested against going onto the trail because it was closed off for construction he firmly insisted we go anyway.
But, in my defense, I was completely focused on my best friend because she was getting married the next weekend, and I was her maid of honor. Plus, I couldn’t visibly see any ring box in his pants, and he stayed so calm and collected that I never imagined he would get down and propose that day.
But he did.
We went to the place where we had our first date almost seven summers ago: a short hike to a beautiful waterfall in the woods. I always secretly hoped we’d get engaged there someday; I just had no idea that someday had come! But I’m so happy it did!
As we scaled the steep decline down to the falls, I talked about how nice it was to be there and actually remember it. I was so nervous on our first date that I blacked out and couldn’t remember much about the hike or the waterfall itself. Well, Mike and I are going to have to go back for a third time because guess who blacked out again at the waterfall? This girl!
What I do remember is that I was trying to take nature photos while Mike was busy poking around at the water. I even got a picture right before he turned around to propose to me. Then, I had a feeling he wanted to show me something in the water, so I put my phone down and walked over to him. No, I didn’t see a cool fish or pretty stone in the water, but I did see a flash of sparkles between his thumb and pointer finger.
As soon as I recognized my grandma’s ring, I gasped, and then — boom! — my memory goes blank. I don’t remember a single thing Mike said to me, which makes me so sad, and I don’t remember what I said in response. Obviously, I said yes, because I’m sitting here typing with a ring on my finger. But Mike said I started babbling, so, naturally, I’m curious about what came out of my mouth.
As if the surprise engagement wasn’t a surprise enough, his sister and her husband were on their way down the trail to take engagement photos for us. It was truly so special and so magical, and I’m still beaming over it.
But perhaps the most special part is that Mike agreed to use my grandma’s ring to propose. It was a gift my grandpa picked out and had made especially for her in New York City — where we currently live. So, in a way, he didn’t design it just for my grandma, he designed it for me too; he just didn’t know it yet. Family is super important to me, and I love that I can have a beautiful piece of my family with me all the time now.
And then after a short time of newly engaged bliss, I got sick and tested positive for COVID. Ugh. I had gone an entire three years without getting COVID (that I had known of) and then it got me. So, next, I’ll share a little about my symptoms, how I treated myself while sick, and how COVID affected my POTS symptoms.
It all started when I woke up one morning with a sore throat and a swollen gland. Immediately, I thought uh-oh. But I also deal with allergies, so I didn’t know if I was actually sick or just reacting to the pollen. Plus, there was a nasty cold going around. Mike had just recovered from it.
But then I got nasal congestion and a dry cough. Once I felt weird wheezing when I exhaled, I got a bad feeling in my gut and knew I needed to take a test. The rapid test came back positive literally as soon as the liquid hit the paper strip. Immediately, I was filled with dread.
Testing positive gave me a lot of anxiety. How would my chronically ill body handle this? I thought. Will this worsen my POTS? What if I get long COVID? And then I worried about my parents because I was staying at their house. What if I got them sick?
So I had to quarantine in my bedroom for an entire week, working right from my bed. Luckily, I work remotely so I can get my work done from just about anywhere with an internet connection. Plus, I didn’t get severely ill — something I’m extremely grateful for. For me, it felt like a bad cold, and it lasted for about a week. I did get a cough, and it did threaten to go into my chest one day, but I took Robitussin DM and that cleared it right up.
I was pretty strict about taking medicine and vitamins at the first sign of sickness and throughout the illness. This is typically something I do whenever I start feeling sick to boost my immunity as best as I can. I took an antihistamine (in case of allergies), 5,000 IUs of vitamin D every 3 days, Advil or Tylenol Sinus as needed, probiotics every day, and zinc lozenges a couple of times per day. Plus, I drank Liquid IV and made sure to stay hydrated.
I feel extremely lucky that I didn’t get severe illness from COVID. I feel even luckier that it didn’t even seem to affect my POTS. Maybe I really do have my POTS management under control! I went out for a walk 6 days after I fell ill, and I didn’t feel too short of breath. It did feel harder than usual, I will admit, but it wasn’t bad enough that I got discouraged. When I went out for a walk the next day, it felt a ton easier. And the day after that felt like normal.
Now, I’m feeling pretty much back to normal, aside from some lingering sniffles, which, again could also be from pesky allergies. But I know that not everyone has had this kind of experience with COVID. If you had it rough and are dealing with lingering symptoms, I see you. I’m sending you all the positive vibes and well-wishes that better days are ahead for you. Don’t get discouraged. Don’t lose hope. Just try to take it day by day and set small goals for yourself each day that can help you get back on track, whether that’s preparing for a doctor’s appointment or trying a new natural pain relief method.
Before I close this post for today, there’s one more exciting thing I’d like to share below!
Check out the recent Apartment Guide article I was featured in:
10 Expert Tips To Help You Build A Sick Day Kit | ApartmentGuide.com
Nothing is worse than waking up in the morning and feeling under the weather. Whether you’re sniffling or experiencing flu-like symptoms, you’re going to want to have necessities on hand to help you feel better faster. This is why you should build a sick day kit, so it’s ready when you need it. To help you get started, Apartment Guide reached out to us and other experts for our best advice on building a helpful sick day kit.
XO,
Laurie
Great writing! Thanks!