Buhay Pandemia: Post Exposure, Post Isolation

 It has been 19 days since the day of test. I got out of isolation on Day 8 following latest guidelines for mild or asymptomatic cases. I was still wearing a mask till Day 10, just to be very sure I don’t transmit to anyone in the household. 

I self-tested on Day 13  using the Clungene brand. Ugh I hate nasal swabs. But I was happy I mustered the courage to do it myself. And on Day 17, two days ago, I went for Saliva RT PCR test in preparation for the trip to the beach house.  Yes, all came negative. I’m clear.

Based on DOH statistics, I was part of 3.5% of cases that are asymptomatic. No sore throat. No colds or cough or sneezing. No fever. No diarrhea. Technically, I wouldn’t have known had I not been tested. 

I could have assessed myself to be Covid free after two to three days post-exposure of not developing any symptoms. I could have been roaming around, transmitting this had I not subjected myself to quarantine and testing.

So no, I do not agree with latest DOH protocols limiting testing to ‘manage the symptoms’. Pure BS. I agree with Sen Escudero saying that this is tantamount to the gov’t ‘giving up’. It is. After borrowing trillions on stupid strategies that ended up as luxury cars in garages of certain people, they are giving up on containing this, on protecting taxpayers from this. 

Nakakagalit. Inubos nila ang pera at iniwan na lang tayong ganito.

At kung yan pa rin ang gusto niyong pamamalakad, sige, ituloy niyo ang pagboto dun sa sinungaling. 

I will not end this on angry note. For I am still very thankful. I was probably asymptomatic on a combination of prayer and some modicum of health and fitness, and some dosing up on vitamins. I didn’t stop exercising even during isolation. And I stopped dieting just to make sure my body won’t be weak as it battles the virus then.

But sadly, I am not out of the woods. I can suddenly develop long Covid symptoms. I am now monitoring my BP daily as I am hypertensive. Covid has also ravaged organs other than the respiratory organ system. And with my history of childhood asthma, I also monitor my oxygen daily. 

I am now breathing in early morning West Philippine Sea air. And it feels wonderful.

Buhay Pandemia: Isolation

 Tinamaan rin ng lintek.

Nasa acceptance phase na ako. Di tulad nung Day 0, nung nakuha ko yun results ng RT PCR. Disbelief. Anger.

Ang daming tumatakbo sa isip ko, kasabay na rin ng mga dapat ko pang gawin ngayon na confirmed na ang pagka-positibo ko sa Covid.

Galit ako at nakapasok sa aming household ang Covid. 

Day -6 nung nabasa ko ang text ni bagong kasambahay 1. 4pm ko na nabasa, 1pm niya pinadala. Busy kasi ako sa WFH meeting ko. Nanlamig ako. May sintomas na raw siya nung umaga pa (sore throat). Binale-wala na niya muna. Kaso nag-chills at nilagnat na nung mga 11am. Kaya nakapahinga na siya.

Dali-dali kong sinabihan si kasambahay 2 na ayusin namin ang kanyang isolation room. Swerte ako na may hiwalay na unit, na may sariling CR at kwarto. Dun muna siya. Si kasambahay 2 muna ang magdadala ng mga pagkain niya. 

Nun pa lang gusto ko ng magalit kay Kasambahay 1. Bakit hindi kasi nag-iingat? Bago kasi! 

At binantayan namin lahat kung may naramdaman na kami.

Day -4 nung nalaman na namin na confirmed na positive siya for COVID. Tinawagan ko ang Barangay. Kaso sa susunod pa na araw siya pwedeng dalhin sa Quarantine Facility. Kailangan nakatutok na lang si Kasambahay 2 kay Nanay (na matanda na at Cancer and Stroke survivor). Ako na lang ang maghahatid ng pagkain ni Kasambahay 1 habang nasa isolation siya.

Ang buong akala ko, kaya kong protektahan ang sarili ko kahit ako ang humaharap sa kanya. Naka PPE pa ako, face mask pag pupunta sa kanya dala ang pagkain. Hinuhugasan ko agad ang kanyang mga pinagkainan. Puspusan ang pag-alcohol ko. Mula Day-3 hanggang Day -2, ako ang nag-aalaga kay Kasambahay 1.

Si Driver, lumabas na rin ng sintomas. Umuwi na siya sa kanila upang mag-isolate. Nahawa siguro dahil siya ang naghatid kay Kasamabahay 1 nung drive-thru RT PCR.

Day -1 nakapagtest na kami, home service. Lahat kami, walang nararamdaman. Baka naman hindi kami natamaan. Baka naman maayos ang aming mga safety protocols.

Day 0 Lumabas ang mga test. Ako lang ang nagpositive. Si Nanay, Kasambahay 2, Ate ko at bayaw ko. Ako lang. 

Saan ako nagkamali? Bakit ako nalusutan ng lintek na Covid? Buti pa si Kasambahay 2, hindi nadapuan. Mas mahusay siya sa pag-iingat? 

Ang sama ng loob ko. Naka-diet pa naman ako, simula pa lang nung Day -1. Gumamit ng Food Service Delivery. At ayan pa ang kalakip ng mensahe araw-araw. Nagkatotoo tuloy. Bwiset.

Naglipas rin ang sama ng loob. May bakas ng panghinayang pag-naalala kung ano ang mga ginawa at hindi ginawa. Ngunit hindi ko dapat sisihin ang sarili. Walang maitutulong. Ang malaking tulong ang na nailabas ko lahat kay c3, na nakinig lamang sa mga hinaing ko.

Ngayon, tuloy pa rin ang trabaho. Pero inabisuhan na magpahinga. Wag pwersahin ang sarili kahit walang sintomas. 

At nag-come out ako as CovPos (term ba yun? hehehe). Minabuti kong aminin at ipakita na wala naman dapat ikahiya ang pagkaroon ng Covid, may sintomas man o wala.

Akala ko madaraanan ko etong pandemic na hindi nakakaranas ng Covid. Hindi pala. 

Buhay Pandemia: A Comma, Not A Period.

“The end of the year is usually a period, another sentence starts. But for this year, I feel the holidys were just a comma in the paragraph of my life. The quicker I  continue where I left off, the better I feel.” My tweet earlier.

But I will still indulge in some 2021 navel-gazing.  Work was good, despite the pandemic. I felt I was on top of my game. I guess the Boss agreed to, as he gave me a promotion. 

Personal projects accomplished. The series Daddy Love shoot was Jan 4 and 5 last year. First ep launched in heyPogi around end of Feb (my birthday). Then the edited YouTube cuts followed. I was happy just to break even, as this was just a story I wanted told. I am ecstatic that the series did better than expected. Even ending with Rex Lantano getting a Best Actor nomination. Wow.

I finally have our ancestral land in Cavinti, Laguna transferred in my name. This was a promise I made to my father before he passed. I was blessed to have met good people who helped me in the process. 

We finally had our first harvest of rice from Fierro Farm in Cabangan in November. And it was good tasty rice! 

The new condo along Roxas Blvd. was turned over in February 2021. I finally finished renovation and furnishings last week. So satisfied with how it turned out. 

Physically, I peaked around June last year. It was a home-gym body that I was proud of, proud enough to have it captured on photos professionally. LOL. Then downhill since then. I had to stop lifting weights mid-November as my rotator cuff injury worsened. I tried being plant-based for 7 months. But my blood chem results did not show any difference. So I am back to enjoying meat. Just in time for the holidays.  

I also stopped my daily weigh-ins. I know I will be in for a shock (and disappointment) once I resume by Monday. Ugh. 

Two new cars for the year. One is a company-issue. The other is my personal car. I got to replace Simply Red (my Mx5) with an equally fun, quirky vehicle, Mini C (Mini Cooper S). And I am enjoying driving again. 

But going back to my original thought… a lot of projects are ongoing, year in and year out. Hence, there are no periods, just other punctuation marks. 

The Cabangan resort is opening up to guests. With a few more enhancements, I should be ready for full AirBnB listing. 

And speaking of opening up, I opened up to some team mates about being gay. It happened when they visited the resort. They so appreciated my candor and trust. And I felt so good being able to tell them about my truth.

I am eager to get back to where I left off: work, my personal projects, even working out and keeping fit.  And all the challenges that 2022 has in store for me, bring these on!