DAMMIT!
Enjoyed the Everything Local Conference but the souvenir that came home with me
Nearly Four Years of Luck, But It Just Ran Out
I had looked forward to the three-day Everything Local Conference in Springfield that took place last week, and really enjoyed the experience. I saw so many friends that it was almost like a class reunion, and made many new contacts too.
There was great content that produced two articles from on-site, one about a new $6.4 million, federally funded grant program for farm and food infrastructure and the other about Chef Rick Bayless’ Q&A.
I’d have had two or three more articles about the event written by now if all had gone well.
It didn’t.
I started feeling off during the long haul home Friday night via Amtrak and a taxi. By Saturday, my ear tubes were inflamed and painful, and my sinuses were producing a waterfall (trying not to be too gross). And by Sunday, I tested positive for COVID — a bullet I’d successfully dodged for almost four years.
And Barb just took a test and I have managed to pass it on to her.
First, I need to assure any Conference folks with whom I had contact that I had no idea that I was getting sick before I was heading home. I hope you all are well.
Being at a wholly indoor event for three days with several hundred other people may have been just the environment to break my lucky streak. But I can’t say for sure. I started the trip with a three-hour delay at Union Station waiting for the train that took three or so hours to get to Springfield, then three or so hours back. Last week was the deep freeze and I had to haul around in that miserable weather with two heavy bags. Or maybe I’d been incubating this for a while and the opportunistic little monsters found a way in.
Or maybe I just got cocky. I put off and put off and put off getting the most recent booster shot. I’m becoming convinced that was some wicked bad judgment. Life has also been good at setting me straight if the horse I’ve been riding is a little too high.
I guess my case would be classified as mild, given that I haven’t needed the ICU. But as I told a friend last night that mild is relative, like getting hit with a hammer as opposed to a sledgehammer. I was miserable. If you haven’t gotten that booster, get it.
And this morning, I got a prescription for Paxlovid, the heavily advertised medication aimed at reducing COVID symptoms. It had a remarkably immediate impact. The sinus waterfall stopped and I was able to stop blowing my nose and clearing my throat every minute or so (my whole face is raw). It’s not a miracle cure, I still feel pretty pummeled, but hopefully better every day. I have Barb to look after, too.
Anyway, I’m going to take another day or two of me-time to get myself closer to 100 percent. It is, unfortunately, the closest I’ll get to a vacation.
Your well wishes and healing thoughts will be greatly appreciated.
Bob, I'm so sorry to read this, and wish you both a speedy recovery.
Sounds great, and don't forget to sign -p for Pandemic Relief Program (costs nothing, until pai,d no out of pocket cost) https://ercfasttrack.com/GoodToKnow while you can (it's like a grant and good until gov. runs out of funds) all small business with 1-500 full-time employees 2020/2021 we have accountants, lawyers and retired government officials working at getting you paid (takes about 4 months). We all had disruptions