There was no GratiTuesday essay last week. It simply wasn’t possible for me to write. It wasn’t possible for me to sit up, or stand up, or keep my eyes open for very long. I was laid flat out with fever and chills; dizzy, exhausted and oh so achy joints.

That was last week. This week I write to express gratitude for my far away family, and community of near dear friends who rallied around me providing care and support through my illness.

As COVID infection rates are currently surging, the natural inclination was to imagine I must have contracted the virus somehow. But how? I’m ridiculously conscientious. Thank goodness for the free in-home test kits I had ordered through the USPS. I tested negative. The test kit recommended quarantine and re-test in 48 hours.

I made sure to reach out to a friend with whom I had close contact just a few days beforehand. I wanted to alert her and her family that I may have COVID. She immediately inquired whether I needed anything. As a matter of fact, I needed a thermometer to figure out just how high was my fever. Within an hour or so her husband dropped off a bag of groceries and brand new thermometer. My temperature, which is typically around 96 degrees when I am healthy, read 101.9!

A short while later another friend reached out with an invitation to meet up for one of our regular walks through the woods. When I shared my current state of dis-ease-ment, this friend kindly offered to bring me anything I might need from the grocery or pharmacy. By this time my temperature had risen to 102.9!

A third friend, whom I had texted to cancel a previously scheduled dealio, responded with links to a website for “Managing COVID-19 at Home.” When this third friend learned that I was treating my very high temperature with regular aspirin, she brought me Tylenol and Smart Water, and other road-to-wellness sundries.

The following day, in addition to spiking another 102 fever, I noticed a new set of symptoms. Number one, an itchless, though tender, splotch of red on my left side. Number two, redness and swelling of the left side – only! – of my top lip. What the… ???

On Thursday the second at-home COVID test revealed a second negative result. I thought, ‘Maybe it’s the flu?’ However, when is flu accompanied by a very red, very swollen upper lip – just on the left side! thank-you-very-much? I looked like a Bratz doll, for crying out loud. I took photos of the lip and the now much larger red splotch on my left side and emailed them to my primary care physician, who immediately sent me to an Urgent Care facility. There I tested negative for both COVID and the flu, and was told the redness was hives. Really? They don’t itch like hives usually itch. My fever again spiked to 102 just two hours after returning home from Urgent Care.

Friday was just more of the same super high 102 fever, plus more and larger red splotches. So why continue to chronicle the story of my not-COVID adventure? Well, for one to point out that all of my aforementioned friends, as well as family members continued to check in on me each day. Secondly, I was not convinced of the hives diagnosis and more than a little concerned about four days of high fevers. My second point being to advocate for your health care until you are satisfied you have received the best medical care.

Along about 5:00 p.m. my doctor called – while away on vacation!!! Naturally, she had followed up reading the treatment notes from Urgent Care and didn’t buy the hives diagnosis either. What’s more she was just as concerned about the high fevers as I was. We talked about alllll of my symptoms over the past week, my activities from the weeks prior, and with whom I’d had contact, et cetera, for over an hour. At which point, Dr. J arrived at a new diagnosis and an immediate prescription to treat… drum roll please… Lyme disease.

Lyme disease?!! Yeah, Lyme disease. It fits. I walk around in the woods pretty nearly every day. While I have never seen a tick anywhere on me or my clothing, and I always spritz with non-toxic bug repellent, those pesky critters are everywhere around these parts. And they can be hard to spot. For example, the wee baby ticks resemble specks of dirt… that walk around.

Be vigilant out there, my woodsy trail loving friends. AND once again, I thank you. I am so grateful for my far away family, and community of near dear friends who rallied around me providing care and support. My heart is full and I am on the mend, all thanks to you.

As always, each Tuesday we invite one another to express one thing – in the comments field – for which you are grateful, and/or Share that sentiment as a post on your favorite social media site. It needn’t be lofty and can certainly reflect something we usually take for granted. I’ll go first… I AM so happy and grateful for the care and support of my family and friends. Now your turn. I AM so happy and grateful now that/for: ____________________________________ #laurelblossomyoga #lbyofficewellness #corporateyoga #corporatewellness #virtualyoga #virtualmeditation #reiki #om #meditation #mindfulness #gratitude #gratituesday #lymedisease