A Coronavirus Quarantine Journal, Day 10
IN WHICH: our intrepid heroine and hero begin the day with their usual chipper attitude, then encounter a rocky spot on the trail, then settle into an unaccustomed subdued, introspective patch.
Up early, showered and dressed in my prison garb, ready for my Weet-Bix, juice and flaky croissants...another day in Quarantineland.
If you've never tried Weet-Bix, I recommend giving them a miss...they turn into a gloopy mess as soon as the milk hits them! Those pears look good, but will need a day or two to ripen. A treat to look forward to. Couldn't resist the morning pastries, though.
I had been planning to draft emails to the Prime Minister's Office and to the Hotel Manager, expressing our appreciation for how well-thought-out and well-executed the quarantine process has been, so that was task one for this morning. Got those posted or sent, feeling very pleased with myself for handling that little chore early.
We knew we were up for another swab today, but hadn't heard from anyone when that might be, so we wanted to be up and ready for when the knock on the door happened.
Given our experience on Wednesday, we felt relaxed and ready. Poor schmucks! The vigorous knock came, we confidently opened up, ready for our procedures. This time we had two male nurses, with the taller one as the swabber...an outgoing, pleasant, energetic fellow. He informed us that he only swabs the throat and one nostril, not both. Excellent, right?!
Ross went first, and from his rigid posture and spluttery cough after the throat swab, I realized we might be in trouble. He soldiered through, and I took the hot seat. Here was a case where being overconfident wasn't helpful. Where Wednesday's nurse was gentle, reassuring and fluid, our guy today was swift, no nonsense and businesslike. Throat swab caused a major coughing fit for me, and I needed a couple of swallows of water before the next step. The nasal swab was fortunately quick, but essentially fast jab in, swab around as if you're mopping a dirty floor, and yank the swab out...OUCH!
The two nurses were gone in a flash, and Ross and I looked at each other dazed. I felt like yanking the door open and shouting down the hall to our friend three doors down, "Run for it!" Clearly, this is a case where technique is everything. After a couple of tissues dabbed into the right nostril finally came back without the bright red blood spots, I settled on the bed to read and relax, and wait for my right nostril to stop aching. In a few minutes all was well, and I stopped feeling sorry for myself.
Lunch duly arrived, and it proved to be underwhelming. Ross's smoked salmon sandwich was pretty ordinary, and my fatty roast lamb with nearly raw green beans and potatoes was unappealing. How about those floating mandarins? Pretty neat, eh?
I decided to have cheese and crackers for lunch, instead of the lamb, and then retreated to the bed to start a new book.
A quiet afternoon of reading and napping, with times of reflection on why I felt a bit flat. Realized that we are now only days away from the end of the process, and we're starting to feel a bit antsy and REALLY missing fresh air and walks. Not surprising, really.
I was very glad I had already sent my appreciation emails...given the swab experience I might have held off or been less complimentary in my comments, and that wouldn't have been fair, because, in truth, the experience has been amazingly trouble-free and my appreciative comments were, and are, true.
Dinner arrived, and it was excellent. Ross had delicious fresh Barramundi, and my Angus Beef Pie with mash and gravy was really good too. Salad was loaded with fresh beets (beetroot, for you Aussies), and lots of fresh rocket. We did give the dessert a miss again, though my true confessions require that I cop to heading for the licorice all-sorts almost immediately. Don't judge me.
Up early, showered and dressed in my prison garb, ready for my Weet-Bix, juice and flaky croissants...another day in Quarantineland.
If you've never tried Weet-Bix, I recommend giving them a miss...they turn into a gloopy mess as soon as the milk hits them! Those pears look good, but will need a day or two to ripen. A treat to look forward to. Couldn't resist the morning pastries, though.
I had been planning to draft emails to the Prime Minister's Office and to the Hotel Manager, expressing our appreciation for how well-thought-out and well-executed the quarantine process has been, so that was task one for this morning. Got those posted or sent, feeling very pleased with myself for handling that little chore early.
We knew we were up for another swab today, but hadn't heard from anyone when that might be, so we wanted to be up and ready for when the knock on the door happened.
Given our experience on Wednesday, we felt relaxed and ready. Poor schmucks! The vigorous knock came, we confidently opened up, ready for our procedures. This time we had two male nurses, with the taller one as the swabber...an outgoing, pleasant, energetic fellow. He informed us that he only swabs the throat and one nostril, not both. Excellent, right?!
Ross went first, and from his rigid posture and spluttery cough after the throat swab, I realized we might be in trouble. He soldiered through, and I took the hot seat. Here was a case where being overconfident wasn't helpful. Where Wednesday's nurse was gentle, reassuring and fluid, our guy today was swift, no nonsense and businesslike. Throat swab caused a major coughing fit for me, and I needed a couple of swallows of water before the next step. The nasal swab was fortunately quick, but essentially fast jab in, swab around as if you're mopping a dirty floor, and yank the swab out...OUCH!
The two nurses were gone in a flash, and Ross and I looked at each other dazed. I felt like yanking the door open and shouting down the hall to our friend three doors down, "Run for it!" Clearly, this is a case where technique is everything. After a couple of tissues dabbed into the right nostril finally came back without the bright red blood spots, I settled on the bed to read and relax, and wait for my right nostril to stop aching. In a few minutes all was well, and I stopped feeling sorry for myself.
Lunch duly arrived, and it proved to be underwhelming. Ross's smoked salmon sandwich was pretty ordinary, and my fatty roast lamb with nearly raw green beans and potatoes was unappealing. How about those floating mandarins? Pretty neat, eh?
I decided to have cheese and crackers for lunch, instead of the lamb, and then retreated to the bed to start a new book.
A quiet afternoon of reading and napping, with times of reflection on why I felt a bit flat. Realized that we are now only days away from the end of the process, and we're starting to feel a bit antsy and REALLY missing fresh air and walks. Not surprising, really.
I was very glad I had already sent my appreciation emails...given the swab experience I might have held off or been less complimentary in my comments, and that wouldn't have been fair, because, in truth, the experience has been amazingly trouble-free and my appreciative comments were, and are, true.
Dinner arrived, and it was excellent. Ross had delicious fresh Barramundi, and my Angus Beef Pie with mash and gravy was really good too. Salad was loaded with fresh beets (beetroot, for you Aussies), and lots of fresh rocket. We did give the dessert a miss again, though my true confessions require that I cop to heading for the licorice all-sorts almost immediately. Don't judge me.
And so ends my tale of Day 10. Getting Short-Timers Syndrome for sure, now!
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