It’s been a week since you last heard from me. My last post was all about how my week was off to a great start and what I bought at Trader Joe’s and here I am seven days later living a week that has had a markedly different start.
Last Wednesday I started having flu-like symptoms. Nausea, body aches, fever, sweats, chills, fatigue…all the things.
I woke up Thursday morning feeling like I’d been hit by a truck and got an emergency sub for my yoga class. I got Finn back that day and he was with me through today. I actually think I got this virus from Finn as he had his first bout with pink eye last week, and I read that adenoviruses (which cause pink eye) can cause the symptoms that I’ve had in adults.
I’d love to say that I made a quick comeback but that has not been the case. This is the virus that just keeps on giving and I joked with my dad that each day brings a new symptom. One morning I called him and said it hurts for my ponytail to touch my skin. I’ve had sinus pressure, ear pain/pressure, sore throat, all the coughing, loss of smell, laryngitis, painful joints, headaches, nasal congestion and pink eye.
I tried hard to balance resting with making the most that I could with my time with Finn. Needless to say, we spent a lot of time close to home.
I went to bed at the 8:30p with Finn every evening but the nights are the worst. I have been up every night from 2-5a because I feel so bad. I end up reading (highly recommend Part of Your World), going downstairs to take medicine, eating ice cream and tossing and turning during those hours.
I decided to paint my toes on Saturday afternoon and Finn begged me to “do his color.” He loves, loves, loves all things color and was completely tickled to have matching purple toes with mommy.
I went to urgent care on Sunday and received peace of mind that I did not have COVID (four negative tests between home and doctor’s office). I also tested negative for flu and strep. The provider told me that I just had a really brutal upper respiratory infection.
Here’s a snapshot of my Publix grocery cart when I’m not feeling well. We’ve got everything from Gatorade to ice cream to cough drops to cars and sprinkles for Finn and more.
I don’t have words to adequately describe how sweet, patient, loving and nurturing Finn was over the weekend. I didn’t ask him to be any of these things, it’s just in his nature. He wanted to take my temperature, instructed me on how to cough into my arm and told me to “close my eyes” and go to sleep. At one point, he said to me…”Mommy, I’ve got your back.” When I was putting him to bed he started asking me questions about who took care of me when I was a baby and then who took care of Meme (my mom) when she was a baby.
I treasure my weekends with Finn and it was hard for me not to feel guilty that I was sick. To be honest, this is the third time in three months that I’ve been sick with an upper respiratory infection from bugs Finn has brought home. While this one was by far the worst, and I know it’s part of having small children, I think I need to take a step back and look at what I may be able to shift and change to take better care of myself so that I’m not run down and extra succeptible to catching these viruses.
For now, I’ve subbed out all of my classes this week and I already had my classes subbed out next week for some travel plans. Hopefully I’ll get some R & R and be back to full strength by the end of June.
Being sick is a normal part of life but it’s become something that I’ve held back on talking about in the last couple of years because it almost feels shameful on some level. I’m sharing all of this today not to garner sympathy but to remind all of us that viruses and sicknesses still exist beyond covid and you’re not a bad person if you get sick.
And then there’s this…
I was giving my dad my daily sickness check in yesterday morning when I learned that my friend Aaron Hewitt had died of an unexpected cardiac event while walking the Camino de Santiago in Spain.
Aaron and I met through the Charlotte fitness scene about 10 years ago. We were teammates as Charlotte Marathon Ambassadors (he’s right of me in this photo) and I profiled him when I freelanced with Run, Charlotte, Run. He was a great cheerleader of mine when I became a single mom and made time to give me great insight and advice about my hip injury.
He and his wife had just move back to Charlotte after living in Naples, FL for four years. We had exchanged messages just last week and I had been following his Camino walk.
In the same way that I didn’t share my sickness to garner sympathy, I am not looking for sympathy here. Life is beginnings and endings. Love and loss. Sickness and health. A lot of it doesn’t make any sense at all. There are many, many beautiful people grieving Aaron and the meaningful impact he had on this world.
Aaron’s death has rocked me. If this touches you, please read his remarkable story here, and support his family here. Aaron did nothing but bring light into this world and he departed far too soon.
Closing this post with abundant prayers out to all of us for health, happiness and love. Always.
Big virtual group hugs and high fives to Aaron,
Jen
I feel you so much on this post. My vaxed + boosted boyfriend and I both had COVID-19 over the past 2 months (but separately since we isolated when I got it first) and his COVID-19 case was sandwiched between the deaths of my grandmother and uncle. Sickness and loss just feels like a LOT right now after everyone has already been living through the pandemic for 2+ years.
My COVID-19 symptoms were like a bad cold and it’s just not fun. I hope you are soon fully on the other side of your illness and the travel and R&R you have planned is everything you need it to be. Finn is just the sweetest.
Aaron’s story is incredible. So sorry to hear about this additional loss you are processing so close to the others you mentioned in another recent post. <3
Ugh, I am so sorry that you guys have been dealing with covid for two months. And yes, lingering sickness is EXHAUSTING right now after what we’ve all lived through over the last 2+ years.
Thank you for your kind words about Aaron and the others. It’s been a heavy season of loss and a lot to hold in the overall scheme of things.
Wow, I hadn’t heard this sad news. Aaron was my PA at OrthoCarolina a few years ago. Lots of love to his wife, family, and friends.
A huge loss for the Charlotte community. Aaron touched so many people in so many positive and meaningful ways.
I feel this post to the core. So very sorry about the loss of your friend Aaron.
We are on month six of some of the worst viruses my family has ever faced. Every two weeks my daughter has brought home something new from preschool. I end up catching it each time. I can’t seem to shake whatever she shares they just linger for me. Sending healing thoughts!
Thank you for your kind words, Amanda. I am so, so sorry to hear that you have also been dealing with a lot of sickness in your home. It’s hard on so many levels. Praying we both get rested and back to full strength this summer.
I’m so sorry for your loss!
I had an upper respiratory thing in January and I swear the only thing that got me through the nights was putting a humidifier on my night stand having the air blow directly on me – the blankets and sheets got soaked but it was worth it to get some sleep.
Thank you, Lindsey. And humidifiers are a life saver when you are sick! I also had to do the old school Vick’s Vapor Rub!
I have an almost-3-year-old and a 9-month-old. because of covid, my toddler had 1 cold when he was 4-months and that’s it. We have been super careful and isolated to avoid Covid until the kids are vaccinated (soon, hopefully!!), so I am so excited to get them out more in the world, but I am absolutely dreading the amount of illness we are going to experience once that happens. We have never had to navigate rounds of illness will one kid, let alone two!
Gosh, I feel this. In your rational mind you know that kids get tons of colds and childhood illnesses as part of building their immune systems but it is SO hard to live through it! One of my mom’s doctors at Duke told us your immune system is pretty much fully developed at 10-11 years old so buckling up for a few more years of this!
Oh Jen, I’m so sorry to hear about your friend. Sickness wise, I’ve been in the exact same boat (down to the same number of negative rapid tests and PCRs). Fun tidbit, we have an au pair so I’ve never met in person my youngest daughter’s best friend’s mom, we text a lot, but just never met in person. Turns out she is a nurse at urgent care, definitely was not thrilled to meet her the first time after days of not showering and looking (and feeling) like I got hit by a truck! I’ve also been catching everything my kids get and it lingers for a long time with me. I’ve also been asking myself why I am so susceptible to catching everything and what I could do day to day to take better care of myself. Trying to mother myself a bit! I hope you’re back to 100% soon!
Thank you, Sara. A difficult loss.
I am so, so sorry that you’ve been sick too. It’s just the worst to feel bad when you’re trying to also take care of little people. Your story is so funny. Definitely not the ideal way to meet in person for the first time…but a very “mom” kind of way for it to happen!
Hoping that we can both take a step back and get fully rested and back to full strength this summer. <3
As a former preschool teacher (and now a daycare consultant) I can empathize with Finn bringing home illnesses.
My biggest piece of advice is having Finn was his hands and change clothes as soon as he gets home to cut down on illnesses lingering and clinging. (I will agree it’s over the top but I haven’t caught the preschool plague in over 5 years so it must be working!)
Hope you’re on the mend soon!
Thank you, we will implement this – especially when he’s been out in an environment where he’s around a lot of other kids!
First, I am so so so sorry about your friend. So tragic and sad.
Second, I feel this so much. Since Addison joined Catherine at daycare in January, it has felt like 5 months of virus after virus, and Michael and I have been hit 3 times with bugs too. The parent guilt is SO high and it’s also so HARD to parent when you feel terrible and humans are relying on you. I appreciate the post. Reminder we aren’t necessarily doing anything wrong, just a horrible virus season. Hoping summer brings health and sunshine to everyone!!
Thank you, MC. <3
Yes, you are so right about getting hit with virus after virus and not doing anything wrong. It's just part of having little kids, the environments that they are in and building their immune systems. I find it helpful and comforting to hear from other parents that they go through the same thing!
So sorry to hear about your friend! What a life and legacy. Sending love to his wife and his family.
Thank you so much, Claire. Aaron was an incredible human.
Oh, wow! I am so very sorry to hear about your friend. It is so traumatizing to learn of the death of a friend at too early an age. It is just so haunting. I have a dream to walk the Camino, after seeing the same movie, and also after reading a memoir of a pilgrim. I don’t know if I will get there. I’m glad your friend got to at least start on his own pilgrimage.
Sorry to hear about your illness – that sounds just brutal! Sounds like Finn was the perfect companion for your down time. The only solace I can offer is that as I’ve gotten older I have gotten sick a lot less. Hopefully your immune system will remember this virus and prevent you from getting sick again with a similar virus. Take care Jen!!
Thank you, Trish. You’re right, it’s extremely unsettling and heartbreaking to lose friends and loved ones when it feels too soon or out of order. Praying for comfort for Aaron’s family and all who loved him and knew him.
It’s a relief to hear that you feel you’ve gotten sick less as you’ve gotten older. Pretty sure I’m building up a pretty robust immune system between working in hot yoga studios and the germs Finn brings home from his adventures and activities!
Thank you for opening up and telling us about your friend’s story and passing in this post.
Also, glad you went to Urgent Care. You are correct, it is hard to talk about being sick and I know several people, both adults and students, who have had the flu recently and upper respiratory infections. I think we automatically think it is COVID because people are still getting it, but they are getting the flu and other viruses as well.
Take care!
You’re welcome. Thank you for reading it. Aaron made an incredible impact on this world.
It was great peace of mind to go to UC and just know for sure that it wasn’t covid but a good reminder that all of the other common viruses are still around and that unfortunately, catching them from time to time is just part of life.
Girl. Just have to comment here as we just finished up our fun round with adenovirus. I have an almost 4 year old and 1 year old and you said it perfectly- every day brings on a new symptom from pink eye to UTI to just respiratory gunk it was not a great couple of months for us. But definitely a relief when someone was able to label it. Prayers for both of you for a quick recovery! And also lots of prayers for the family of your friend. What a terrible loss they are going through. Praying for peace for all.
Ugh, I am so sorry you had to deal with this virus for so long. I hope you’re all on the up and up. Thank you for your prayers. <3
Hoping you are well past the illness, now, and back to a more typical week in the life. I am so sorry for the unexpected loss of your friend… the unexpectedness seems to make it worse, somehow. Holding you in my thoughts.
Hi Anne – thank you for your kind words and thoughts. <3