Getting Sick During A Pandemic

 Getting sick at college is never fun- especially when it is your first time away from your parents. Not feeling well in the middle of a global pandemic adds some stress to that. You are allowed to just be normal sick and not covid sick, right?

Day 1: I woke up one weekend with a headache but didn’t think much of it because I figured I was just dehydrated or didn't sleep enough. I went on with my day like usual. That night after getting into bed I was so cold. I put on a sweatshirt, sweatpants, and had blankets over me but I couldn’t stop shaking. I didn’t sleep well and woke up in the middle of the night in a pool of sweat. I got out of bed and spent the rest of the night on the couch but I didn’t sleep any better there. 

Day 2: I took Advil in the morning and my headache went away a little bit, but every time I stood up I got extremely dizzy. I didn’t think much of it still and just had a chill day that did not involve moving around much. I felt like this was going to pass and didn’t want to worry my mom with a phone call. After the Advil started to wear off I would take my temperature; it was never a 100.4 or higher but it was higher than my typical temperature when I was feeling well or when the Advil was working. 

Day 3: I woke up in the middle of the night again shaking and decided to take my temperature. It was 99.9. I called my mom who is a doctor because I didn’t know what to do. That day I fell asleep during all of my classes and did not get out of bed once. Later in the day I realized my muscles were feeling very sore after I moved. I have never experienced something like this so I was getting nervous. I never had an actual fever and I could still smell and taste things so I didn’t think it was covid. However, when covid is all people think about, it was not a super convincing thought. 

Day 4: I tossed and turned but managed to sleep though the night. My muscles were very weak and sore to move but my headache wasn’t as bad. My parents sent food to my dorm so I didn’t have to walk to the dining hall and only had to carry a few bags up from the lobby. My mom and I decided it was a smart idea to make an appointment at the health center even though I was starting to come around. 

Day 5: I woke up feeling completely normal. I met on Zoom with a doctor from the UK Healthcare system and after talking about my experience she was also in agreement that it wasn’t covid. However, because the generic symptoms I had like headache, sweats/chills, and muscle fatigue also fit into symptoms of covid, she had me come in to the health center later that day to get tested. I forgot to take a picture of the room when I got there because I was nervous about the test, but it looked like it was right out of a sci-fi movie. It did not feel like a regular day in Kentucky the way everything was sealed and the safety garments the person doing the test wore. 

Day 6: My test results came back about 24 hours later. I was negative! 

This was a scary experience. Even though it was just a migraine that wiped me out, the steps and mental drain of going through it during a health pandemic heightened my fears. Overall, the healthcare system at UK was very helpful during this time and seemed to have everything handled well.