It’s been 18 months since the first cases of Covid-19 started showing up in our area, so Adam and I were actually surprised we hadn’t gotten it before now. We are careful to wash our hands well and often, but we choose to keep our people close. We also work to keep our bodies healthy and our minds and faith strong. We both agreed that we would probably get it one day, and unfortunately we did.

I thought it might be helpful to share our experience and include our symptoms, the remedies we tried, and tips for getting past it. I’ll break our story into 3 parts: physical, emotional, and spiritual. You might be thinking… wait what? It’s a virus… spiritual? Yep! Stay with me!

Physical:

Adam had soooo many more physical symptoms than me! He had a pretty typical onset with a relentless headache and low grade fever. Within 24 hours that progressed to the “devil headache” (as we call it) and loss of all taste and smell. It was the absolute worst head pain he’s ever had. That evening he started a Z pack and Ivermectin along with a list of recommended supplements (see below). The next day he woke feeling better. Excedrin Migraine and Tylenol gave him some relief from his headache when taken consistently every 6 hours.

For the first few days, he had bouts of nausea, fever spikes to 102, muscle pain (especially back), sores in the back of his throat, fatigue, dry cough and brain fog. After his antibody infusion on day 5, he began to have fewer symptoms and slowly regained his strength.

As I mentioned, my physical symptoms were extremely mild compared to Adam’s, and almost non-existent for the first several days. I took the same supplements, as well as a Z pack and Ivermectin. I had a mild headache and mild nausea, and finally lost my taste and smell on day 6. My fever never got over 99.3 and only lasted two days. My biggest complaint was that “my eyeballs hurt” (headache behind my eyes). This was most obvious to me when it was time for a little more Tylenol. After my antibody infusion though, I felt great within 24 hours! I didn’t experience a dip in energy or muscle pain, but I also had a mild, dry cough on and off for 2 days.

All three kids (age 3, 6, 9) had runny noses. Clark (age 9) lost some of his taste and smell. Their symptoms lasted about 72 hours.

Emotional:

I have rarely seen anything reported on the emotional effects of Covid, so I thought I’d share our thoughts on this very vulnerable side of it.

Having a positive Covid test is an emotionally charged experience. We’ve all heard the numbers reported, seen the horrible hospital footage, and most of us have known someone that’s died with it, so it makes for a very uneasy feeling when you find out you have it! Though we quarantined as a family, it was a very isolating feeling to know you can’t have any physical contact with anyone for a full 10 days. The feelings of uncertainty also set in because there are so many different symptoms and levels of severity reported. On top of isolation and uncertainty, we experienced some feelings of panic until we were able to secure medication locally.

Trust me, we felt all of this deeply. Around midnight on the first night we were sick, I was alone in my kitchen filling veggie capsules with liquid Ivermectin from the feed store. I learned to use a veterinary syringe that night. There I was… mom of three… taking matters into my own hands… in the middle of the night, in my kitchen, in America.

That night an overwhelming feeling came over me… a feeling of empowerment, mama bear-ness and bad ass-ness? Yes, but also feelings of betrayal and dread for the future. For the first time it was clear to me just how alone we were. In a country where we should have access to any, and every health benefit, (not free access, but access nonetheless), I was doing what I believed was right, all alone, and based on my own research.

The following day we were able to get the prescriptions we needed thanks to a family friend, but not having a personal doctor to turn to when we needed it, was a very insecure feeling if I’m being totally honest.

The trip to the hospital for our infusions was also an interesting experience. When it’s you infected with the virus, you are like a dirty bomb… the elephant in the room… and everybody knows it! All the warning signs… they’re about you… all the masks, gloves, hazmat suits… because of you. Riding the “Covid +” elevator is odd, the small talk and superficial conversations with nurses all feel like a scene from a movie. Though millions have been infected, being one of them still feels lonely.

Internally, my husband experienced a fair amount of anxiety related to feelings of helplessness and uncertainty. One night he told me he was “completely at the mercy of this wicked thing” and it struck me deep in my core. This leads me to the spiritual component of our experience with Covid.

Spiritual:

From the moment we saw the two lines on our “at home” Covid test, there was a noticeable, palatable shift in the atmosphere of our home. It was like a dark cloud settled over it. I would spend the next 10 days combating it and speaking/praying against it. Even in really dark minutes, the presence of God was with us. He provided our medication for us, dinner every night from family and friends, stuff to keep our kids happy, peaceful family time, positive kid attitudes …all of it was from Him. A virus created and meant for evil, chaos, division, destruction and death… but allowed by God for His glory. I don’t understand it and probably never will, but He was close, incredibly near during every minute of our healing.

The biggest surprise to me wasn’t how dark and spiritually draining this illness was, but how darkness and light, the spirit of the enemy and the Spirit of the Living God were both present, in my home… together, at once. It was as if we were getting a look into spiritual warfare through the agony of miserable symptoms drenched in the mercies of Jesus.

None of this may make sense if you haven’t had it, but I’d love to hear from you if you’re a believer and had a similar spiritual experience. It truly was an unforgettable 10 days.

Knowing what I know now, I’m reflecting on how I can be helpful for those that haven’t had it, but want to be prepared if they do find themselves in our situation. I’ve compiled some tips.

Helpful Tips:

• Buy an at-home Covid test kit to keep on hand for peace of mind and/or if symptoms start.
• Make a quarantine plan (with or away from family). Although I absolutely do not recommend being totally alone through this, you will need to know how you will quarantine.
• Know the protocol you want to follow. Do the research now, before you’re sick! Decide on the route you want to take to help your body heal the way you’re comfortable with. Write it down, screenshot it, etc. and communicate it to your family.
• Secure a prescription (if that’s what you decide) and/or a doctor that shares your opinion and values, add supplements (if you plan to use them) to your cart through a local vitamin shop/pharmacy’s website, know your BMI and/or risk factors for become sicker (if interested in antibody infusion).
• Make sure you have working thermometers, Tylenol, ice packs, etc.
• Get organized as soon as you test positive, before you don’t feel good. You’ll be more likely to stick to the protocol if it’s organized and easy to follow. (I bagged all of our supplements and meds and labeled them AM and PM.)
• Rest. Rest. Rest. Lean in to the Lord. Listen to what He wants you to learn from this time of sickness and stillness.

Overall our Covid experience isn’t something I ever want to go through again, but we’re on the other side feeling so blessed and grateful. I hope our real, raw account of what it was like will bring you comfort; not because it was fun or glamorous, but because sickness is part of life, and ultimately the overwhelming majority of people get through it with mild suffering and little inconvenience.

As always I’m an open book and will answer any questions you may have. Be sure you’re following along with my life on Instagram everyday @bloomco.interiors

Thanks for stopping by!

Disclaimer: I am not a medical professional. This post is not meant to give medical advice. This is our experience only. If you have questions or concerns, you should talk to a physician you trust,

Jamie

In the fall of 2015, my husband? Adam, developed some unusual problems. He began having flu-like symptoms that developed into intense muscle pain, weakness, fatigue and general discomfort. He was cleared by physicians all over our area including a neuromuscular specialist at Baylor Medical Center in Houston, TX.

Everyone, including us, decided it was stress and eventually moved on. His symptoms are much better now, but he’s never regained muscle stamina and often isn’t able to participate in strenuous activities. To this day, it’s unclear if a negative reaction to medication caused it, or if it was, in fact, stress-induced.

Although it was a very difficult time in both of our lives, one of the many blessings that came from that experience was the relationship we developed with our chiropractor and like-minded friends. It’s amazing what there is to learn about holistic healing when you continuously hit walls within mainstream allopathic and diagnostic medicine.

In the midst of disappointment, we found ourselves making life changes regarding our diet, as well as what household products we allowed in our home. We learned that being exposed to certain foods and toxins (processed foods, sugar, corn syrup, vegetable oils, heavy metals, dyes, etc.) stressed Adam’s system and needed to be avoided as much as possible. The more we learned, the more we realized there are so many reasons our bodies shouldn’t be working well, and there was so much we could do to help them be at their best moving forward.

After a year of tests and life changes, we decided to do a serious diet detox, both of us. During the spring of 2017 Adam and I ate an extreme elimination diet for 28 days in an effort to rid our bodies of any and all stressors. We learned what it felt like to fuel our bodies well. We both felt absolutely amazing. Energy, sleep, stress, all areas!

After the 28 days we began to add in a few other foods, but remained committed to eating primarily whole foods, and eating other indulgent foods very sparingly. It was the best I’ve ever felt and I was looking forward to living healthy and strong through my thirties.

That was in May of 2017, by June we had found recipes we loved, were enjoying trying new foods and creating snacks and loving our new healthy lifestyle.

So you’re probably thinking, this sounds great, what could’ve possible made you go back to your old habits… well, here’s when things changed. In mid-July of that same year, I found out I was pregnant. In fact, I told Adam the news while we were out to dinner on July 26th, our 9th wedding anniversary. It was magical. I remember thinking it would be such an easy pregnancy because I was going into it so healthy and feeling so strong.

I was wrong, I miscarried by the weekend and it was over faster than it began. It was painful and sad and everything you can imagine. After that, there was a drastic change in my attitude and behavior regarding my health. I was disgusted and disappointed in my “healthy” body.

Suddenly I wasn’t interested in eating well, taking the supplements my body needed, exercising regularly, resting, none of it. My body had failed. When it was supposedly at its healthiest, it failed. Why did it Whole Foods matter? Supplements? Rest? Was my health really worth it? I had two previous pregnancies that went great, why now? None of it made sense and I was struggling to understand.

Three months later I got pregnant with our Daisy and everything went beautifully, but I had left everything I learned behind and moved on, back to my “normal”, patterns. I didn’t want to spend my time or energy on healthy choices if it didn’t matter. I put it all out of my mind and made choices based on how I felt, or at best, in the name of “losing the baby weight”.

At the beginning of this year 2021, I committed to working on myself… physically, spiritually, mentally, relationally. I knew I would have to face this and I am. I’m revisiting the idea of fueling my body well and choosing not to believe the lie of failure. I’ve healed from the trauma that a miscarriage causes, and am facing my lifestyle head on, ready and committed to living my healthiest life.

Living a life centered around wellness doesn’t mean you eat only salad everyday and do yoga constantly. It looks different for all of us, but it’s a commitment to listening to and learning about what makes your body feel its best; what makes it feel blessed and not burdened.

Let me end by saying this, the clarity that I have now has not always been there. The Lord revealed what I had done, and how I had abandoned myself well after the fact. Daisy was a few months old before I realized that I had self-sabotaged and created a mess for myself and my family. Here we are another 3 years after that, and I’m finally putting my big girl panties on, acting on what I know, and putting into practice the healthy lifestyle routines that I committed myself to years ago.

The lesson here is this: trauma happens, time passes, God gives grace and hard work pays off if you don’t give up. I often wonder how my life would be different if I would have stuck with a healthier lifestyle all those years ago; but it’s never too late to restart.

Cheers to living and learning, and looking forward to great health in the future!

Love,