I was not feeling too well last weekend, and for a bit I was worried I may have caught COVID, especially since I was recently at the lab at the doctor’s office.
It began on Friday after I put Jackson down for a nap. I was feeling so tired — like my whole body was tired — and couldn’t get myself to do any work.
I started reading a New Yorker article about women giving birth amid COVID and while moving to the couch, I felt really faint. I wasn’t sure if it was the story getting to me, or something else.
Around the same time the next day, I started feeling yucky again and went to lay down. Some other symptoms popped up — little soar throat, some nasal drip — where I thought it may be the beginning of the coronavirus. We kept Jackson away from me, and I isolated myself in my room the rest of the night. I took notes on any symptoms and watched the incredibly boring and disappointing Mr. Rogers movie.
After sleeping and resting all weekend, I felt so much better. Pretty sure in the end it was just exhaustion. Too hard trying to work on coronavirus stories for the BGA and finish up the two classes I’m teaching this semester all while Jackson is at home and I’m dealing with the typical fatigue and other fun symptoms of the third trimester.
After what happened this weekend, I ended up taking a leave of absence from the BGA. Thankfully there is a new law that allows a partially paid leave for people who lost childcare because of the coronavirus. I am hoping I will be able to take advantage of this until my maternity leave kicks in. And then I will also be done with Loyola after final exams during the first week of May. All of this will certainly help take a huge a load off my plate right now!