PCR Test

Good morning. Please forgive me for not sending out a tip the past two days but if you read my Sunday newsletter, you know that we were all sick. It started with my daughter on Thursday, my son Friday, my wife Saturday and then me. I had a fever on Sunday and Monday (high was 101.5) and just felt terrible. I decided not to even open my laptop, that’s how awful I felt.

My wife was feeling a bit better Sunday afternoon so she went to our local urgent care to get tested for Covid-19. I didn’t think it was Covid since our daughter was sick first and she really wasn’t anywhere she could have gotten it but it’s better to know for sure. BTW: We think the culprit was when she put her mouth on the handle bar of a slide at Legoland.

I went and got tested yesterday and I’m waiting for the PCR results (I don’t think it hurts at all getting a PCR test. In fact, it’s not even all that uncomfortable. But my wife would disagree as she said she almost slapped the technician as a reflex ?). FYI: Her test was negative.

I’m happy to report that Exer Urgent Care is very good. They have a virtual queue and they don’t make you wait too long for anything. I mean, I rarely go to my doctor anymore because I can’t ever get an appointment at the last minute, which is when you pretty much always need one. A virtual appointment with him was a five-day wait. In the old days, I used to text him but now UCLA requires that all patients go through their portal. Times are changing and not necessarily for the better.

My doctor is still the best when I can get a hold of him but this PA at the urgent care seemed to know what she was doing. She listened to my lungs and said that since I have a history of asthma, my age, and the fact that I was wheezing, I needed to get ahead of it. She prescribed a shot of steroids, and wants me to start taking them orally for the next five days. She had me do a nebulizer treatment, which I haven’t done since I was in college, and start a Z-pack if my phlegm turns brown, since it’s a sign of blood.

I told her we have a pulse oximeter (buy on Amazon here) at home, which she was happy to hear but it’s a little scary because she said that if my reading is below 95, that’s not good. Below 92 and trouble breathing I need to go to the emergency room. 92 should be an A- not an F, don’t you think?

Part of me wants it to be Covid so I know that the kids did well and I won’t have to worry so much but then the other (smarter half) hopes it’s not since we don’t know the long-term affects. But if it’s not Covid, it makes me even more scared because this virus we have definitely hit us pretty hard and I’m fully vaccinated for Covid and the flu. UPDATED: My test just came back NEGATIVE!

Related: These Italian cough drops that you can buy on Amazon really helped soothe my throat.

To pass the time, I did something I rarely do – watch a lot of TV. I ended up binge watching season 6 of Below Deck Mediterranean on Bravo since it’s set in Europe and is about an aspect of travel I don’t know much about – chartered yachts. The show sucked me in with all of the drama but it was interesting. Still not anywhere near as good as Ted Lasso but it’s entertaining, especially when you’re sick. ICYMI: Here’s the secret recipe to Ted Lasso’s shortbread biscuits.

16 Comments On "Why I Didn't Send A Newsletter Out The Last Two Days"
  1. JohnC|

    Strep throat is also going around with similar symptoms.

  2. Charlie|

    Get well soon, all y’all!!!

  3. Teresa Hill|

    Oh boy! I’m sorry you’re suffering and hope you all feel better soon.

  4. Rob|

    Covid does not exist.
    Stop inflating the communist “case numbers” with the fake-science PCR test.

  5. Virginia Arnold|

    I hope you all feel better soon. It is rotten when you are ill and have to care for ill children and spouse.

  6. sally|

    Prayers for all of you to come back to feeling good and over the illnesses. It is so scary when you are sick with little ones………….I wish you all well. How is your dad? I guess you missed going again recently, eh? Back on the road again…………..I hope to hear…………………..!

  7. Teresa|

    Whew!! That’s terrific news! Hope you’re all on the mend. Hang in there.

  8. Amy|

    During covid lockdown/pregnancy, my husband and I became hooked on Below Deck. I think it fulfills the travel bug we both had at the time. It is very interesting to see these spots in Europe from the POV of the water. Get well soon!

  9. annieb|

    Did you go to the EXER in MB? Husband has had good experiences there. Hope it’s just a bad cold. I somehow got sucked into watching RuPaul’s Drag Race Allstars and it was something else. No travel shows for me.

  10. Raymond W McCullough|

    Hope you guys continue do well – I know the following because my wife is a university hosp physician here in NY and one of her colleagues told me very recently – he’s a pediatrician at the local university children’s hosp – that yes obviously they have Covid cases but there has been a huge unexplained spike in a respiratory virus called RSV respiratory syncytial virus – in fact work is proceeding at Moderna with combo mRNA RSV/Covid/Flu booster –

  11. Tracy|

    Don’t be so sure your test was negative. Our unvaxxed brother in law was told he was negative, and then proceeded to go to church, have a dinner party and work while sick and feverish, all while refusing to mask or take precautions. He repeatedly told everyone “It’s NOT Covid!” He now has infected everyone he came into contact with, and we are all vaxxed. He returned a week later after most of us popped positive, and his wife was negative at first, even with a fever. His daughter has missed a week of school and now they are all on a 10 day quarantine. We are to leave for Portugal in 10 days and we are very angry, as people want the freedom to vax/not vax, which is their choice, however, DON’T put others at risk by going out and acting like you are bullet proof. He is now, 11 days later, dealing with a likely pneumonia because of his idiocy.

    1. Anonymous|

      Why would an sick person chose to be out and about even without COVID! All viruses are contagious.

  12. Carolyn|

    Why would a sick person being doing all those things? All viruses are contagious!

  13. Shalia|

    Based on your airplane cleaning method and being careful to not spread, I am sure you won’t be giving this to anybody. This is why even if there is no more pandemic (magic wand), I will still wear a mask on an airplane and wash hands a lot. There are so many things out there even if not covid. As for Tracy’s comment on her brother-in-law, feeling ill means you just stay home. Totally agree with her.

  14. Steve|

    You do have to use common sense and take necessary precautions if you have COVID like symptoms. Did anybody else who was vaxed get sick? There are tons of breakthrough cases all over the place.

  15. GEM|

    I think the culprit was Legoland. My granddaughter attended a birthday gathering there recently and became sick a few days afterwards. The bug then attached itself to the rest of the family. The week before that, another family I know visited Legoland and the youngest child (age 21 months) came down with a bug. It cycled through their whole family, too.

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