Thread by @NutritionMadeS3

How I got COVID and how you can avoid it 🧵

For the last year+ I've been essentially secluded, helping my mom recover from cancer (so far, successfully, but it's a daily battle)

She's >70yo, transplanted, immunosuppressed and recovering from cancer

COVID could be devastating for her

it could be lethal

so we've done everything in our power to keep her safe

I gave up everything. professional, social, personal life to give her a fighting chance

I have ZERO regrets. best decision i've ever made

we almost lost her twice last year. she was so sick and frail her doctors sat us all down and told us to accept it was the end

yet she turned things around. every time. to this day doctors are stunned at her progress

don't get me wrong, she's not running marathons. but her progress is crazy at every level

i'm not arrogant enough to believe i had more than a supportive part. she had it in her. she turned things around. she had enough physical and mental strength left when the best doctors had given up

I merely provided support and company. a fraction of what she's done for me

i guess it's only natural that try as we can we can hardly match the sacrifice our parents made for us and the impact they had on our lives

as luck would have it they never ask for more...

anyway, back to COVID

every time someone calls and we say she's been sick they ask if it's COVID

it's everything BUT COVID.

cancer, repeated episodes of infection and septic shock, near coma, chronic pain, GI issues, ascites, deteriorating kidney function, edema

etc

much of it we couldn't control. consequences of cancer, cancer treatment and immunosuppression. we could only deal with it and give her the best chances of overcoming

in the background of all this mayhem, a pandemic unfolded, and we continuously tried to shield her

we were both vaccinated the very day we became eligible

good start. but not enough, esp. for someone on immunosuppressant meds

we were extremely conservative about outings and visits

all other family members eventually contracted COVID, we were the only 2 who skirted it. our efforts worked. Until last week

Her caretaker was the vehicle. Not a surprise. Most people seem to catch it from their close contacts, often at home. when the guard is down

she had been with us for a couple months, vaccinated and had already had COVID. but Omicron still broke through.

Last Wednesday as she helped us on a hospital run she showed mild symptoms. A headache and a runny nose. nothing dramatic. she often complains of headaches

The same day I tested her at home. positive.

immediately sent her home to isolate. kept distance from my mother. both masked

last Friday, when I tested myself, it looked every bit like a negative except when I stared & squinted REAL hard I could kind of see the faintest tint

everybody else genuinely felt there was no 2nd band but my rational mind knew it was an early positive

i was already keeping a distance and masking at home. i secluded myself completely. during the night the symptoms started. in the morning the test was clear

I've been secluded in a room for 72h

she has so far tested negative every day and is symptom-free

don't ask me how. it's possible the immunosuppression delays the symptoms. it's possible it'll still come. or maybe we just got incredibly lucky 🙏🥲

my symptoms have been mild, basically 1 day that was worse and smooth rest after that. but i couldn't care less

the only thing that breaks my heart is I can't help with my mom's care. i have to watch from a distance or direct people over the phone to care for her

I have another week or so to go. we have family and friends doing what they can. this sucks so bad

up to this point my opinion of COVID, vaccines and the pandemic was solely based on peer-reviewed data. now I have the ancillary anecdote to go with it. FWIW.

I wish I had been even MORE careful, MORE vigilant, shortened our interaction with the source even MORE. It could have saved us massive chagrin

problem is, we can't keep our guard up 100% of the time for years. we did pretty damn well. but not perfect. so here we are

yeah, I'll probably be fine. I'm still (relatively) young, I don't have any significant disease or risk factors yet. Maybe there will be symptoms of long COVID. i guess we'll see

the problem is the collateral damage to those of us who have less defenses and more vulnerability

Based on the data, I'd take 10 vaccines over the virus

based on the anecdote, I'd take 100. all at the same time. with blunt needles

also pisses me OFF that I unwillingly participated in this chain of contagion that helps new strains evolve and propagates this pandemic

with some luck I didn't pass it to anyone else (with every day my mom tests negative that becomes more likely) and I was a viral dead end!💪👍

Please get vaccinated (to protect the few who can't), stay safe, and let's work as a #TEAM

all major problems our species faces nowadays are collective. we row together or we sink together

I do love every single one of you despite all the Twitter horseshit (LOL) stay safe! ❤️