Covid

 Well, right on the tail of Lucy's birthday, we got Covid. Well, some of us did. I was actually already sick on Lucy's birthday when I was running errands and whatnot, but I just assumed I had a cold. However, I did have sore muscles which was a little unusual for a cold. I happened to have plenty of auto tests lying around because I had initially purchased them thinking we would be able to use them to obtain Health Passes as we were doing our Toussaint trip. (But then the government changed the rules and said those couldn't be used anymore.) So the day after her birthday, I decided to take one for the heck of it and it came back positive!

Well, since the autotests are only considered "unofficial" results, I took mysel to a lab to confirm that I had Covid with a PCR test. It came back positive and then we had to enter isolation for 10 days from the first day of symptoms. All the kids had to stay home with me because they were "contacts." 

Someone from the lab called me on the phone to let me know I had a positive result. And their last words were "Bon Courage," which made me feel like they were wishing me good luck and "I hope you don't die."

Perpetual pajama party while in isolation. Passing the time with city blocks lent to us by a kind family from church (long before we ever had Covid.)

I made an apple tart!

Here's a bored kid who turned the toilet into a three-eyed monster smoking a toilet tube!

I was actually glad to have Covid at that point because that means I shouldn't get it when its time to return home to the States, and being about four weeks ahead of departure, I should be testing negative by the time we leave. (And I have gotten a negative test result on the auto tests since recovering from Covid. If I didn't test negative, I could still travel, but then I would need a doctor's note to accompany my positive result, and I think that would be rather complicated for me to do since I don't have a regular doctor here and they are kinda uppity if you aren't vaccinated, etc. So I'm just glad I don't have to navigate all that.)

I was really hoping that we would ALL get Covid and then I could just have peace of mind about that little hurdle. But only three of us got it. Sam and Lucy were a little bit sick, but evidentally with a different virus. I had to have the kids tested before they could go back to school and Simon, Clara (who had Covid too), Sam and Lucy, all tested negative. I even had antibody tests done on Sam and Lucy because they had had colds a few days ahead of me getting sick, but their antibody tests were also negative. Joseph also had Covid, but he started a little later, so he missed a couple of more days of school since he was actually still sick. He tested negative when it was time for him to go back to school.

Some of us then caught another cold immediately after having had Covid. Clara had her covid test on Wednesday, was going to go to school on Thursday, but then she was sick by Thursday morning with a sore throat, and some other symptoms... malaise, slight temperature, I don't even remember what anymore... and she had to miss a couple more days of school.

While were on Covid isolation, I also had to treat Lucy for pink eye. Then the following week CLARA got pink eye AND and an ear infection. She was in so much pain that she begged me to take her to the hospital. (It was Friday night and the ER is the only option outside of regular business hours.) Three hours later she was given a couple of prescriptions and some pain medicine and was feeling better enough to cope with life (barely.)

This is a sign from the Emergency room which I found interesting. It says:

"Of course there can be a wait in the Emergency Room!" 

 [Then it describes a little vignette of a child who doesn't appear to be sick and ends up getting called first because the health professionals know whose case is the most urgent.]

Then in the bottom black section it warns:

Any threat to a healthcare professional in the exercise of their duties is punishable by 2 years imprisonment and a 30,000 Euro fine. 
Any physical violence against a healthcare professional in the exercise of their duties is punishable by 5 years in prison and a 75,000 Euro fine."

Whoa!

I don't think we have those sorts of signs in the US! Fortunately, my two visits to the ER were calm and peaceful, albeit long and boring, but it makes me wonder what has happened in French hospitals for this punishment and warning to exist!

Simon never got anything at all during all this time, but now he finally seems to have a cold. He's a little congested, but its very mild and for anyone who is curious, he took an autotest yesterday and it was negative.

So we are praying fervently for negative Covid tests on Dec 22 so that we can fly back home without any issues! Please pray for this too!!  

We.are.so.ready.to.come.home!