VOLUME I 03/18/2020

Here we are:  Day 6 of our quarantine, and not a lot has happened so far, besides my children banishing me from their presence while holding their shirts up over their noses and mouths to keep the germs away, and this is before I found out I had the CoVid19 virus.  After I found out that I had it, it was immediately in the news and I was a favorite topic for Twitter Haters who wanted to put out a Hit on me--Patient Zero in San Bernardino County--53 year old woman who returned from the UK.  Many of my friends came out of the woodwork gently asking how my trip went and when I told them they stated... I thought was you.  By the way, I am very grateful for my friends an their generosity of spirit and love. It was a great counterbalance to the twitter haters (but as my brother Rob said, haters be haters)

We arrived home from the UK on Wednesday night-- a week ago today-- the next morning I developed a fever and so I put myself on quarantine.  I wanted to be tested because I have adult learners and I didn't want to go back to school if I was infected.  After about 4 phone calls on my part I finally go to speak to an advice nurse.  The phone call went something like this:       
       "Do you have a fever?"
       "Yes"
        "Do you have a cough?"
       "Not really. "
       "Is it wet? "
       "No"
       "Do you have a runny nose?"
       "No"
        "You probably don't have it, but we want you to come into the ER to check if you have an                     embolism from your long flight.  They will determine if you need a Covid Test when you get               there."
       "I don't want to go to the ER and sit there for 5 hours. I just want a test!"

Kaiser told me to call when I got to ER and they would meet me out in the car.  When my daughter saw the nurses approach the car she said, "I know something must be wrong because they are full on Monsters Inc on you."  I was asleep in the driver seat.  They knocked on the window-- complete hazmat gear on.  They gave me mask and pulled me out of the car and escorted me through a different entrance.  The put me in a pressurized room.  I had no reception to be able to communicate with my daughter and family.  I lay on the cot shaking because of the chills.  I asked for a blanket.  "We have to get your fever down."  They loaded me up with Saline, medicine and said they would be back with the two tests-- flu, CoVid 19.  "You probably don't have it."  It's probably some sort of bug.  But let's get those lungs tested.  You could have an embolism."  I tried my best to sleep in the pressurized room with no contact with my family or staff.

6 hours later at about 12:30 am the doctor came in and turned on the lights.  With hands on his hips he congratulated me.  "Good News! Your lungs are clear.  You don't have an embolism or pneumonia, but you do have a mass on your left adrenal."  Coming out of a deep sleep, shaking my head and protecting my eyes from the blinding blue light,  I tried comprehend what he said. 
"It could be dangerous it could be nothing. Contact your doctor.  It may take up top a week to get the results back for CoVid19.  Self Quarantine for at least a week."
"Okay." I replied

(*NOTE the chance discovery of the "mass" on my adrenal is a serendipitous find.  They can be normal for one my age, which again is posted on Twitter if you didn't already know, and 90% are benign.  Of course the adrenal mass can wait.)

 The meds and the saline they gave me comforted my pain. I was free of chills and aches.  I went home where I have been ever since.  My children also self quarantined right away-- no work or friends.  We are making the best of our time in our home.

I wanted to share with you a little about the experience.  People are curious.  My symptoms are light.  I have not had a fever past the second day: I have fatigue and cough; food doesn't taste good; generally, I feel blah, but not bad.  This doesn't mean that you should think that this is simple virus--It is very dangerous.  My friends brother, who was in the UK with us, came home with double pneumonia.  This is why we are taking it with such seriousness.  Stay in.  Take care of your family.  Limit exposure.  Take a needed break from the world.  There have been many environmental gifts that have developed because everyone is taking a break--China has clear skies, Vienna's waters are clear again-- you can see fish, and swans returned to the canals.  Our homes can be equally healed with time well spent together.

TBH, The staff at Kaiser San Bernardino and the county of health  did a great job taking care.  Communication was excellent between advice nurse and the ER staff.  They were very careful to make sure I had little contact with people.  Kudos to San Bernardino Kaiser and the health department.  They contacted me within minutes of finding out that I had the virus.  They have been asking me my flight number, what people I came in contact with and have called me everyday checking in on my family and I.

Although I think we should all share our CoVid Stories, The real purpose of this blog is to share ideas of how to pass the time and bond with family friends and loved ones.  We will post daily.  We will share activities that we are doing and want to invite you to share with us as well.  Send your artwork to  quarantinechroniclesvol1@gmail.com.  We will share your work too.  Let's not just hide out.  Let's live fully and share fully.