COVID-19 – The Salty Exchange

Kendall: On Having COVID (In Her Third Trimester)

May 6, 2022May 6, 2022by thesaltyexchangeLeave a Comment

On the evening of April 8th, I tested positive for COVID-19. Here’s what happened…

On Wednesday the 6th, I started feeling like my allergies were coming back with a vengeance. This is a super normal spring time happening and it had been warmer and sunnier than usual. I could step outside and instantly react to whatever pollen was swimming in the air. Since 2017, I get an allergy cough that lasts for most of the hardcore blooming season. I didn’t think much of it. On Thursday morning of the 7th, I noticed my throat was scratchy. Again, this isn’t abnormal for me at this time of year. By Friday morning, I was exhausted. Since I am pregnant, this didn’t seem too off brand either. By Friday night though, I had chills. I instantly knew something was not “normal.” When I couldn’t hold myself up, I excused myself from our visiting family, my husband, and Rosemary to go upstairs and go to bed. I called my UVM midwife team. Please note: I had actually rapid tested at home for COVID-19 on both Thursday and Friday morning just to be sure because I am that super cautious citizen. After telling the midwife on call that my rapid tests had been negative, she told me I needed a PCR and that someone would call me the next day to book it. Me, trying to be on top of things, went on to our COVID state site where you can book that stuff. It wasn’t working (because, you know, technology and/or my lovely WIFI connection). Lucky for me, the site running the PCR tests happens to fall smack dab where a good friend of mine works. I called her asking if she had any ideas on how to make an appointment another way. Now, this wonderful friend of mine is super COVID savvy. She knows her stuff. Per her suggestion, I swabbed my throat (this is a thing… google it). Sure enough, I tested positive. The house went into lockdown. I went into quarantine. The whole family took tests- all negative!

Did you know that vaccinated and boosted pregnant women are currently 90% more likely to have breakthrough COVID than those who have cancer or have recently had organ transplants? Thanks to all of the baby sites I subscribe to, I had received this information earlier that week. I was (and am still) double masking because I know my immune system is down. I am still sanitizing after every trip outside of my car. I am still distancing from people who are generally sick because being pregnant in a pandemic makes me feel like the stakes are higher than when I had my first baby in 2018.

Anyways, despite my caution, COVID still knocked on my door. That’s how vulnerable I am. That’s how pervasive and transmissive these new strains are. According to multiple doctors and medical professionals I have since spoken with, getting the virus is just going to happen. At this point it is hard to completely avoid without going back into a lockdown.

OK, so being pregnant changes the stakes. Not only is my body going through some sh&% but add COVID into that mix, and look out! Friday night was a bad night. I was angry at having COVID. I was scared. I felt terrible; NOT in terms of the cold that was developing. My body felt so defeated, in pain, exhausted, and was experiencing chills. Sleep was hard to come by that night. I wasn’t hungry but my body was showing me signs that I needed to eat (thanks, baby boy). I was confused. My body just felt so… ground up. I felt like I had been spun through a pasta press and then put in a wood chipper machine. My cold, while annoying, was fine. Sure, coughing hurt but I could handle it. I couldn’t handle what my body was going through. The midwife had mentioned that as a high risk (read: pregnant) patient, I qualified for Paxlovid. Finding where Paxlovid was in stock and available was going to be a bit of an egg hunt. Supply has been low and what has been available has gone quick. Luckily, a friend knew it was available at a few local pharmacies and because of this, I was able to give my midwife some leads on Saturday morning. Within an hour, I had a prescription waiting to be filled. This is where I am putting on my unpaid Pfizer brand loyalty hat:

THANK YOU. Thank you, Pfizer. The Paxlovid worked. It really worked. I was sort of scared to take it since I am pregnant and there isn’t a ton of data available on pregnant women and this particular pill. But with the encouragement of my medical team and family, I decided it was worth it. And boy oh boy it sure was. Within 36 hours, I was better; not healed… but better. Able to cope. Able to move without wanting to curl up in a ball. Able to feel hopeful.

But of course as this was happening, my daughter got sick. Very sick. After swabbing her throat, she tested positive for COVID-19. Her symptoms were: fever, nausea, vomiting. We got her pediatrician on a telemedicine call within the hour. Chatting with her put her us at ease. Sure enough, with Tylenol, rest, light food, and water she had recovered within 48 hours and was back to being a regular toddler. It was during these first few 48 hours that my husband then got sick. While Rosemary and I didn’t have to quarantine from each other once we were both positive, I was not able to care for her yet. I was still too weak from my own battle with the virus. It was inevitable that my dear, sweet husband was going to get it. Despite wearing a real N-95 mask around her and me, he had the task of caring for her throughout that first night that Rosemary struggled with the virus. Within 24 hours he tested positive. And it did take a full 24 hours. He was negative the following morning but positive by bed time.

The relief at being able to hold him and sleep next to him paired with the Paxlovid made me feel better. I know, I shouldn’t say that. But it was easier on all of us to be sick together. By Wednesday, April 13th I was better and testing negative. While Rosemary had no symptoms after those first few days, she continued to test positive until day 7- Easter Sunday. Issy was sick for a bit longer. He had a bad cold and body aches. You would never know it since he managed to keep working, go to grad school in the evenings, and workout at 6:30 am most mornings. Unfortunately, the virus stayed in his system for a FULL 11 days.

Some of the big questions we get asked are 1) Do you know who gave it to you? 2) Was it as bad as they say? 3) How do you feel about COVID now?

Answers:
1) It doesn’t matter how we got it. We just did. We could try and pick a person or instance where we were exposed but it doesn’t matter… we still got it. “Blaming” someone isn’t really productive or helpful.

2) We each had different experiences. Issy hesitates on what to say. He says it’s too personal of a question to answer. I get that. And I agree. We can only speak to us and our experience. We realize people have lost their lives to this virus. We respect and honor them. We got through it. It was scary. But we got through it. We do not take that for granted.

3) I feel some relief that we’ve had it. Overall, I still feel the same. I am still double masking. I am still sanitizing like a mad woman. That’s just me.

What I want to drive home is how lucky we were that we were able to get our visiting family out and home safely. They never tested positive. So whatever we did or the timing of it all, we were lucky that the buck stopped with us. We were lucky that we had access to medical care. We were lucky that my sister and brother-in-law could run to the stores for us to grab medicines and even cake for me (yes, I was sick but I was also still pregnant). Neighbors brought us groceries and take out. Our support system here is strong. We opted to keep our journey with COVID off of social media and also didn’t tell a lot of people we were sick. This wasn’t done for any other reason than to protect the mental health of those we love. Worrying can be crippling. We didn’t want that- especially when we knew we were going to be ok.

Fast forward to today. We are good. Healthy. Baby Boy Arguello is doing 100% ok. Rosemary is back to her crazy toddler self. Issy never really changed. My aches and pains are now just regular pregnancy ones. UVM Medical Center is testing all placentas after birth to see if COVID has/had penetrated it. The chances are VERY low that it did. Like, super low. I am thankful for the Paxlovid. If you have any questions about it, PLEASE reach out to your doctor and care team.

Stay safe, friends.

Updates and Thoughts on COVID-19

August 13, 2021by thesaltyexchangeLeave a Comment

Hey friends! We have been MIA for about a month. Shari and I were both super busy and needed some time to really focus on people, events, and ourselves. We are happy to be back! Our month away has shown us A LOT about where we are in this whole pandemic. With that said, read on for our thoughts, experiences, and questions.

COVID Updates from Kendall:

We’ve had mixed feelings about this topic. I mean, what is there to really say? Shari and I birthed The Salty Exchange during the height of the COVID lockdown. We spent hours talking about when things would get back to “normal.” Over the past 18 months we’ve seen our friends and family members all express their opinions, hopes, and fears to varying degrees. We’ve all worn masks, missed each other, dried our hands out because of hand sanitizer and hand washing, and we’ve all wondered what was next. It’s been an interesting time…

As a current resident of Vermont (and undoubtedly the safest place to be in during this pandemic), we’ve had our fair share of worries and woes. We’ve missed our families (TX and WA). There’s been cuts to our paycheck (thankfully that’s remedied now). Our proficiency with Zoom, FaceTime, and WhatsApp video chats has matured. In recent months, things have begun to open up more. With the vaccine available to the masses and a hopeful vaccination rate on the rise, there was a small sliver of time this year where it felt… familiar.

It was during this sliver of time (May-July) that my husband and I were lucky enough to see our immediate family members. We had a steady stream of guests for about 2 months straight. While this was a lot of work on my end as the hostess, I wouldn’t trade it for a minute. It had been two years since seeing my husband’s family. That’s far too long to go without seeing the people you love. As these reunions were taking place, Vermont was also lucky enough to hit our 80% vaccination goal. Life was starting to happen. Literally. I saw life coming back to the streets of my small state.

I still see that life. I still see that hope. My husband and I have done our part. We have vaccinated ourselves and anxiously await the day we can get Rosemary vaccinated. I don’t know when it went from “we are all in this together” to making the vaccine political. I get that there is a strong group of people who don’t like vaccines. I getcha- I may think differently than you, but that’s totally fine! I care enough about you to vaccinate myself to protect you. Even with all of these new variants like Delta and Lamda (WTF- Lamda sounds scary), I have hope. But every day I feel that hope slipping a bit. The anger of being asked to wear a mask seems pretty extreme and just too much for some. Why is it too much? I am genuinely asking. Is a mask really an infringement on your rights as an American? Because I just don’t see it but I am open to hearing your reasons why. Seriously. Let’s talk.

I often feel triggered by the news. The numbers of those dying are too high. The number of people not trusting science is too high. For me, I have yet to see anyone die from the virus. I know of people who have passed on because of it or are currently sick. Truthfully, it’s hard to process. We should care more about this stuff; specifically, we should care more about the prevention of diseases and viruses than we do.To not take the threat of this pandemic seriously means you are ok with the circumstances. It means you don’t really value what is right in front of you. You must be incredibly privileged to think you can beat it. It’s just the flu right? Well, surprise! People die of the flu. All the time. And it isn’t fair. It should be stopped. So when did trying to find a better cure or treatment plan become political? I have said it before and I will scream it again: I saw my mom die of the flu. And it was pretty much the same way people are dying of COVID. I can hardly think of that time without a pit in my stomach. I wasn’t even supposed to touch her because they were worried about us picking up her virus. But I still snuck in a last kiss. That’s the most basic and human thing I have ever done. I couldn’t let her go without hoping she felt it. Even if it meant I could get sick. So, for her, I vaccinate. And I ask that in her honor, you do too.

WORST CASE SCENARIO: Even if it turns out this is all a hoax, don’t you want to know that you did all you could to protect your family? Your friends? Your life? Don’t you want to know that you cared enough to do something?

COVID Updates from Shari:

When Kendall and I decided to write a Covid Update in August, I thought I’d have so much insight after just helping pull off the first in-person conference for my company since March of 2020. But to be honest, I don’t have much more insight. This is still a confusing time in life as we enter into what is undoubtedly another slough of restrictions and social navigation amongst family and friends.

Immediately before we left for San Diego, the CDC issued new guidelines for wearing masks indoors (including those that are vaccinated). My company informed us that all the employees would be abiding by this new information; so I promptly washed all my masks and packed them in my suitcase. Our event made national news as the first conference held at the San Diego Convention Center in 18 months. The event went as smoothly as it could with a significant drop in attendance (we missed our International attendees) but the smiles on faces, the side conversations that felt naturally unnatural, and the slightly awkward networking that proved how out of practice we are… was worth the distance, safety, and vaccination to be together again knowing we had done our part in it all. As a result, our event was outbreak free and we are so thankful everyone had a good time.

Now that I am back home and have a few moments to reflect on the past week in San Diego, and simultaneously take in the emerging news, I am torn. I just witnessed the connection and embrace of humanity in-person again. The reality that we are going backwards with variants and the spread of Covid again is a bit much to accept. I see meme’s from both sides of the coin and honestly… it feels like we are entering into an interpersonal civil war rather than one against the real enemy that is the virus. As a nation we are not a team. We are kids bickering going from one conspiracy theory to the next. Social media is our battlefield and it is obnoxious to say the least. Maybe it is my personality that causes me to be appalled by conflict or maybe it is the fact that adults seem to enjoy playing the devil’s advocate and it’s extremely exhausting.

Whatever it is, I long for some good news. So here it is…

Today I am celebrating the fact that a good friend of mine is on the mend after fighting for her life last week due to Covid and pneumonia. I couldn’t imagine losing her (I am sure I will write more about this eventually) but in the meantime, let’s work together for goodness sake. It is a helpless feeling when your friends or family are sick and I don’t wish it on any of you.

Shari On Adult Friendships (Especially In The Time Of COVID)

October 2, 2020by thesaltyexchangeLeave a Comment

Recently I saw a post on Instagram that said “Normalize Friendships Ending.” I thought about this for a while because it didn’t sit well with me and I quickly realized why. I don’t think there is anything normal about close friendships ending… however, it is normal for distant friendships to end. Let’s discuss. I am going to start by labeling friendships (from my perspective) into three categories:

Best Friends are friends who you would literally do anything for despite how inconvenient it would be for yourself. This friendship takes the same amount of time, energy, and effort from both parties.

Forever Friends are current and past friendships that naturally pick up where you left off whenever you see each other. These friendships can only be maintained if the expectation to “keep in touch” is low and the friendship is genuine.

Acquaintance Friends, these friendships are the proximity based friendships, quick, and typically based around a club, group or activity. Often acquaintance friendships make you feel like the person is closer to you than they really are but once the activity or group ends, inevitably so does your “friendship”.

Those are the three categories that I think of when it comes to friendships. I have very few people in the best friend category, although I am sure the line between any of these friendships can get blurred when you spend a lot of time around the person and start to consider them one of your besties.

*Notice I have not talked about family in these friendships, family is its own separate conversation. This discussion is purely about friendships.

People used to tell me I had so many friends because I hung out with so many people at networking functions; I would correct them and say, “Sure, I have a lot of acquaintances.” I corrected them because I realized sometime in my mid-twenties after the height of high school, college, and workplace friendships that people really do come and go from your life. As a recovering people pleaser, I was someone who desperately wanted to maintain every friendship relationship I encountered. I quickly learned that was impossible. Friendships were manageable to maintain in high school, less manageable in college, and just purely insane in the working and networking world. My circles grew and my ability to try and be the best, most loyal version of myself for everyone wasn’t worth the time, energy, and draining effort it took from me and away from those I deeply cared about.

Personally, I believe that perspective is everything, including perspective in friendships. It is guaranteed that you do not think the same way about someone as they do about you. I have learned this the hard way in friendships that I thought were more loyal and close than they actually were. This is where I learned the difference between best friends, forever friends, and acquaintances. I think it is important to note that just because you naturally, genuinely, and intuitively care about people does not mean that if a friendship ends (and you are blindsided by it) that it’s a reflection of you at all. It really is a direct reflection on the person that chose to giddy up and leave the friendship. The best thing you can do is respect their choice and accept that you may never know the complete story. People are interesting and friendships can leave just as quickly as they began.

Now, take all that, and enter in COVID- 19! It’s completely normal and a fact that friendships have been altered. Can I get an AMEN?! Those acquaintance friendships have probably all but stopped or have been halted. Those forever friends have probably reached out to check in on you (or vice versa). Then, those that you call best friends you have probably seen by now or they have been in your inner quarantine circle. Let me speak loud enough for those readers in the back: the acquaintance friendships that have stopped or halted during this season is NORMAL! Those people were brought into your life because of an external factor and that is okay. I challenge you to take a good hard look at your friendships and be kind to yourself and others. Do not put unrealistic expectations on anyone, especially not during a global pandemic. Life is not normal right now and neither are our friendships. If you are thinking about someone, text them, call them, let them know you care. Life is too short to create drama where it shouldn’t be. So yes, let’s normalize acquaintance friendships ending without drama and prioritize the friendships in our life worth maintaining. More than ever, we need friends – our best friends and our forever friends.

COVID Bride: Part 1

August 28, 2020August 28, 2020by thesaltyexchange2 Comments

A title I never thought I would have. COVID Bride.

Let me set the scene… Our wedding date- May 16th, 2020, our invites were sent, our wedding website prepped and ready, my beautiful bridal shower and bachelorette party already took place the beginning of March, and I was blissfully checking off my bridal appointments and to-do’s. Just when I thought I was perfectly on track, exactly 60 days before our wedding on March 16th, 2020, we started quarantine.

Honestly, I was in denial for the first week and if someone asked about our wedding I would respond and say “it’s still happening.” During the second and third week of quarantine, I started to unintentionally let myself grieve as my wedding dress alteration appointment was officially cancelled, relatives from the East Coast told me they didn’t feel comfortable traveling, and so many unknown details started to take up my brain space. Our goal was to wait until a month before the wedding to make any decisions. I thought I could be patient and press pause for a month but who am I kidding, I am a professional Event Planner. Asking me not to prepare and plan is like telling someone not to scratch an itch.

Needless to say my desire to have some control over my wedding and the unknown led me to something I never thought I would utilize…bridal support groups on Facebook (I know, it surprised me too). I joined a general ‘COVID Brides’ group and another group specifically for ‘May 16th, 2020 Brides’. In these groups I didn’t feel alone, I knew there were others just as confused, sad, mad, (insert every emotion) like I was. Sure, some of those brides took their emotions and vent sessions to the extreme rant level but it was also in these comments and questions that I took comfort and started to reframe my mindset. Rather than what our wedding couldn’t be, I started to think of what our wedding could be and talked to my soon-to-be husband about his thoughts on it all. The obvious trend was to postpone the wedding and that didn’t feel right to either of us. We wanted May 16th to be our wedding date and to push forward even if we got push back like so many other brides in my Facebook groups had. It was in those groups where I realized just how incredibly blessed Alex and I are. What could have been an absolute emotional roller coaster was met with flexibility and support from our wedding planner, vendors, bridal party, family, and friends.

One of the most memorable conversations during that time was a call from my dad. He said, “Shari, I met someone who knows someone who has an alteration shop in her basement. He thinks she might be able to alter your dress and if she can’t then your mom has another idea too.” This gesture from my parents meant a lot because honestly, I had given up on my dress. It was only a month before the wedding day and I had already bought a backup dress online and fully accepted that my beautiful, expensive, brand-new wedding gown wouldn’t be altered due to quarantine and restrictions on businesses. However, the determined call from my dad, who was simply trying to save his daughter and her special day… lit a fire in me. I decided to make some phone calls and get the ball rolling. Luckily the first alteration lady I called was able to get me in. She was the sweetest! We talked from a distance as she ripped apart my gown and on the same day I brought it in she had pieced it back together and put it on me. It fit like a glove. This, my friends, is the first time I cried. I was in my dress; I finally felt like a bride.

After the dress everything else seemed to fall into place. My talented friends agreed to do my hair and make up on the wedding day. My MOH altered her own dress and had face-masks made for the bridal party to wear, mine sparkly white. My wedding coordinator took my original decor plan and shrunk it into a micro version (Zeina your skills are unmatched). Our cake lady and good friend agreed to make individual ‘to-go’ mini-wedding cakes for our guests with disposable silverware attached. We found a videographer a week before the wedding who made my last stress disappear because now I knew our day would be captured for all those important people who couldn’t be there with us.

Mixed in all those bigger wedding details were the small moments like my mom and I giving each other pedicures the week of the wedding since all the nail salons were still shut down. We soaked our feet and pretended we were at a spa. My best friend and her husband made a mountain shelf that acted as one of our main decor pieces for the wedding cake table and now has an honored place on our wall at home. The night before the wedding at our backyard mini-rehearsal with just us and the kids, we laughed so hard because our neighbor’s dog, Scamp, stood next to Alex in place of our officiant. And the real wedding MVP goes to Amazon Prime… all those last minute orders came in clutch with wedding attire for the kids and groom.

One of my favorite memories was a few weeks before our wedding when our dear friend and talented metalsmith, Marijo owner of Martini Metal Craft, came to our doorstep and dropped off Alex’s wedding band and my custom jewelry for the wedding. The jewelry was more exquisite than I ever could have imagined and Alex’s topographic map imprinted wedding band was so sentimental that he started to get emotional. It was these little moments that made those few months of uncertainty worth every second.

Alex and I look back at the last two months leading up to our wedding with so much gratitude. A huge thanks to our photographer telling us she would fly out no matter what, our venue for saying yes to a micro-ceremony and drive-by receiving line, and our officiant & marriage counselor virtually meeting with us during that time was so special and kept us focused on what our wedding was truly about.

Despite all the mountains of unknowns, we had done it. Our wedding team had rallied hard for us and we would end up having the best day full of celebration and love. More on our wedding day in another post. xoxo.

Kendall On Coping During Covid-19

August 20, 2020August 20, 2020by thesaltyexchange1 Comment

I am lucky. We still have income, our health, and general stability. What’s changed for me and my family is more cosmetic than anything. Vermont has handled the outbreak of COVID-19 with relative ease; this being a perk of living in a small and rural state. While we have had deaths in my state, we have had far more survivors. As of this writing, our current number of deaths sits at 58. It is still 58 people too many for my liking. People from all over New England are now flocking to Vermont to “ride out” the pandemic. This isn’t a joke- real estate has become competitive with out of towners looking for a second home oasis. Local businesses have rallied the best they can. Citizens are mostly responsible. Yet…

Yet for all those things, life has still been altered. Due to the economy, we had to take a temporary pay cut. Rosemary’s exposure to much of the world has been cut and/or limited but, luckily, she is completely unaware. Issy now works from home full-time and sees his coworkers from the computer screen. The list goes on… for all of us regardless if you see this whole thing as a hoax or not.

COVID-19 has awoken a dark fear in me. My mother passed away very unexpectedly and quickly from the flu. Seeing the swift actions taken to try and save her are still fresh in my memory. When I think of what the coronavirus does or can do to someone infected, I see my mom. And I am afraid. I do not want to die that way. I am not ready to go. There is so much left to learn, live, and see. I am not ready to leave my daughter without a mother. Sufficed to say, I am more conscious of my health. Pair this new-found alertness with a seriously lethal allergy season that has been rife with breathing and throat problems galore and all I can say is that 2020 has kept me on edge.

Despite the virus lockdown , I have been active with both myself and my daughter. I am always trying to figure out a new way to expose her to different things or a way to keep my mental health healthy. If you have any tips, PLEASE let me know. The alteration of one’s expectations and routines are never easy to accept but I remind myself that there are people who are truly struggling with the effects of this virus on a physical health, mental health, and financial health level/levels and I tell myself to, “STFU.” I am lucky. Life could be different.

Being in quarantine doesn’t bother me so much. As an introvert, it feels like this is the general way I have lived my life- and no, that’s not sad. I like the quiet. I like being at home. What I do miss greatly about normal life though is the freedom to leave when I want or take my daughter to the grocery store with me. Every outing has to be fairly calculated and that is not always convenient. I miss date nights with my husband on Church Street- selfish, I know. I miss seeing all the local shops jam packed full with people during this time of year. It’s quieter and I know that means more financial burden for the community and its members.

I have hope that a vaccine will be developed. But I also realize that the development of a vaccine isn’t going to instantly bring back our economy or restore people’s stability. That will come with time and time can be pretty darn cruel. Eventually though, life will resume to a level of “normal.” And when it does, I hope to see you; maybe even give you a hug or kiss. Until then, I hope you are doing ok and if I can do something for you during this crazy time, let me know.

Kendall: Dear Karens Of Covid-19

July 28, 2020by thesaltyexchangeLeave a Comment

** Please note, the following post contains explicit language.

Dear Karen,

I am writing to you to apologize. This whole COVID-19 thing is a bitch, huh? The masks, the gloves, the hand sanitizer, the fight for Clorox wipes, the rising cost of food items… it’s enough to make you pull your hair out and scream at people to suck it up and get back to business as usual… right? It is unfathomable that to get your hair cut and colored, you have to have your temperature taken and a mask must be securely fastened to your face. Where is your right to say, “Screw this! I am NOT wearing a mask to my dental appointment.”? All great questions. You are, after all, an independent woman with rights as an American citizen. You do not appreciate being painted as an angry white woman (imagine the nerve). Girlfriend, I getcha. This shit sucks. People die of other diseases all the time and we don’t shut down our country… so everyone just needs to pull it together!

And that’s where I say, you are wrong, Karen. Yes, this whole thing sucks. It feels like we are living something out of a science fiction horror novel. It sucks that life as usual has paused. But, guess what? It will not get better until this whole thing gets better; until cases are down and deaths aren’t, well, deaths. I know masks seem stupid… but if you could protect one vulnerable person, why wouldn’t you? Do not call yourself pro-life when you proclaim that masks inhibit your freedoms and that this whole thing is fake… are you willing to bet YOUR life on that? If so, girlfriend, you are not pro-life. That is not respecting the sanctity of one’s life.

When you throw out numbers… please do so carefully. I know that lots of people die of the flu every year and that those deaths don’t shut down economies! Trust me, I KNOW. Those deaths are tragedies too… perhaps if we wore masks (like other countries) around flu season, we wouldn’t have so many deaths to be using in your argument to justify why this whole Corona beer thing is crap…

If you don’t trust scientists, then fine. That’s on you, Karen. As such please don’t seek the aid of anyone in the medical field, or send your kids to school (science class be damned!), or get vaccinated. If you don’t trust other countries and the measures they are taking to reduce and contain COVID-19, then please don’t ever leave American soil. You are not wanted or welcome in countries that are doing the best they can to save their people.

Did you know that other countries and NOW the US have had to start using freezer trucks to store bodies because the morgues are full up? Ain’t that some shit? I am sorry that your regularly scheduled programming has been interrupted. I am sorry that you feel the way you do, I truly am. It must be terrible to feel that way.

I am not sorry enough though. I will continue to wear my mask in public and offend your sensibilities. I will continue to keep my daughter at home and away from crowds. I will do whatever needs to be done to help keep the numbers down, to protect my daughter, to protect my at-risk father, to protect my husband… whatever is asked of me, I will do. As a person who gets claustrophobic, I will wear my damn mask. I will sanitize my house often (though that’s not new- I am a bit OCD and my house is always properly sanitized and cleaned). I will get to Costco first thing in the morning to try and get Clorox wipes. I will do my part to support nurses and doctors on the front lines (shout out to Kate and Alisa- you ladies are heroes). I will do ANYTHING to not have to ever see another person die on a ventilator whether it be COVID-19, the flu, or any other virus or disease or WHATEVER. If we could stop cancer by wearing a mask, wouldn’t we? I mean, come on… WOULDN’T WE? Why is this virus so hard to take seriously? Are you that untrusting of your country? The world? Of your friends and family? For that then, I am truly sorry for you.

Though you may not care if I die from COVID-19, I really hope you don’t. I want you to see what your disbelief has impacted. And I want you to live with it.

Regards,
Kendall