My experience with COVID-19
By: Evelin Robles
Tags: Personal Essay

On Saturday morning, Nov. 7, I woke up with an unbearable headache. When I touched my cheeks and forehead, I felt very hot. My temperature was at 101.3. The first thing that came to my mind was COVID-19. I immediately looked for a testing site who could give me rapid results because that same day was my boyfriend’s 21st birthday. I had a test on Thursday but I didn’t know my results yet. I was very anxious.

I had found a testing site that would have the results in 15 minutes in Burbank. I made my appointment and drove to the location with a knot in my stomach.

I feared COVID-19 because of my living conditions and I also feared getting my family sick. My family and I live in a small mobile home with two rooms and one bathroom with a total of five adults, one child, and a newborn baby.

I arrived at the testing site and I was so nervous to know my results. I did not go home. I went to the nearest plaza from my house and I parked there, waiting for my results. It only took 15 minutes for me to get my result. The test results came out positive, just seconds before I received my test results from Thursday, which had come out negative.

At that moment, I didn’t know how to react and began to cry. I felt disappointed with myself because I felt like I failed myself and my family. Luckily I did have a family member who allowed me to quarantine with them while I got better. I just went home to get a backpack my mom packed with my personal belongings and cleaning supplies.

The first day with COVID-19, I had a fever twice, a headache, an itchy throat, and a runny nose. That Saturday was very difficult for me emotionally because it was the first time in three years that we did not get to celebrate my boyfriend’s birthday.

We had planned to go to the drive-in for The Stranger Things Experience, eat cake, pan con pollo, and watch movies. Sadly, we could not experience that because I got COVID-19. The first day with the virus, I was constantly drinking tea and sleeping. I did have to deal with fever throughout the day.

This is the tea I was taking while I had COVID-19. I contains purple onion, garlic, ginger, lemon, and cinnamon. It is not the best tasting tea but it helped with the itchy throat and the cough.

The second day, I woke up with a fever of 100.2 and a headache. I took Tylenol every six hours and throughout the day for my headache. I did not have a fever throughout the day. I just had a runny nose.

I felt lonely and very emotional that day. I would distract myself by watching movies and talking to my family members.

The third day, I felt very sleepy all day. I did have to continue my classes as a college student. It was difficult to focus when all I would think about was sleep. I did not have a headache or a fever. The only thing that did bother me was my runny nose and congestion.

After the fourth day, I did feel a little better. The only symptom that continued to through the six days was a runny nose and a cough.

Unfortunately, on my sixth day of quarantine, my mom noticed that she had been feeling sick for three days. I had told her to get tested. She was tested the next day and came back positive. She noticed some of my family members she was in contact with and they were tested.

By Saturday, Nov. 14, my mom, my little sister, and my nephew, the newborn, came back positive. My family acted fast and quarantined together at other family members’ homes. My sisters who came out negative stayed home.

It was difficult for them to quarantine together because they had to share a bathroom. I decided to come back home after I had quarantine for nine days. I had to stay and sleep in my car because I did fear getting my sisters and my dad sick.

The first time I stayed in my car, I was not uncomfortable at all but the longer I slept in there, the more uncomfortable I felt. My cat would comfort me by sleeping on the top of my car. My sister would cook and take my meals to the car.

My cat stayed on the roof all night.

On my 14th day of quarantine, I did schedule a COVID-19 test for my sister, my dad, and I. Unfortunately, my sister came out positive, and my dad and I came out negative so I had to step in and take care of my sister.

Those two weeks were very difficult for me because I have never cooked meals. I had to clean, cook and continue my classes. I got HelloFresh and I tried new food I have never tried before and learned new cooking skills I did not know before.

As of today, it has been a month since I had COVID-19. Some of my family members still have the virus. The month of November is a very important month to me because it was my birthday month and Thanksgiving . We did not spend my birthday or Thanksgiving together because of COVID-19. It was a very difficult month overall and as well as a life changing moment for my family and I. We learned how serious COVID-19 is and how much our family means to us.