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Welcome everyone to the Voice Monkey blog!  This is a place where I will be writing my thoughts and experiences in terms of voice over and life.  I will also be sharing my content including Monkey Business VO tips, Getting the Monkey off Your Back, Top Bananas, and Going Ape.  Feel free to share these with a friend and enjoy!

My wife woke up with a fever two days after Christmas.  We went online and finally found a place to get Covid tested that same day.  We drove about 90 minutes to get to the CVS where my wife entered the testing trailer set up in the parking lot.  Within a hour we had results.  Positive.  The long drive home was quiet and full of contemplation.  She followed the “rules”, so how did she get it?  A lot of thought was given to the future.  Quarantining obviously, but what if it spreads?  Will she be ok?  What about work? The kids? 

Fortunately, she had a fever for only one day and then was fine.  I on the other hand, wasn’t so lucky.  I woke up about 5 AM on New Years Eve with a fever and the worst headache I’ve ever had.  I had gotten it.  I was sick for about 10 days following that.  I had a low grade fever (99-100) for pretty much the entire time.  I think it slowly cooked my brain like a crock pot.  I looked up the Covid symptom list, and I had just about every one.  Fever?  Check.  Fatigue? Check.  Coughing? Check.  Headache? Check.  Loss of taste and smell? Check.  Congestion? Check.  Diarrhea?  Check.  It was horrible.  I started taking Zinc, Vitamin C and D, Tylenol and drinking like crazy.  Water, not alcohol.  I spent more time in the bathroom peeing than anything else.  The most frustrating thing was I was throwing everything I had at it, but I wasn’t getting better.  I would walk up the stairs and be out of breath and had to lay down.  It really wore me out.  My body was fighting off this new invader.  I was texting every health care worker friend I had asking questions and venting.  They told me that it had to run it’s course and I was not in the high risk group so I should be fine.  The longer it dragged out, though, the less confident I was.  I got a SPO2 monitor to check my blood oxygen levels.  I got the point where I was obsessed with the numbers and stats like my oxygen or temp.  I didn’t want to go the hospital.  I knew that would be bad news.

So obsession became worry and worry became panic.  I was in a dark place for a while.  My kids were worried about me.  All you hear on the news about Covid is doom and gloom and fear.  It’s hard not to let that stuff seep into your brain.  Finally about a week into it, I called my doctor.  I had a telemedicine appointment with the PA, who prescribed antibiotics and steroids.  That’s when I started to turn the corner.  By day 10, my fever broke and I started to feel better.  Still coughing like crazy.  Eventually over the next week, my strength and appetite returned and I was able to start 2021 finally.  We had a lot of support from friends and neighbors and GrubHub.  Ordering groceries on the WalMart app so we didn’t have to go into the store was huge.  I’m not the type of guy who asks for help easily. My wife supported me the whole time as much as I’m sure I worried her.  When you’re sick and not getting better and it just drags on, you can get very depressed.  You don’t see a way out and when you internalize your feelings, you only see an end, not a solution.  It’s not a great feeling.  Yes I know, lots of people have it worse than I do.  A lot worse, and my heart goes out to them.  This was just my experience.

I actually got a voice job when I first got sick and was able to make it through that.  I’ve had a few jobs over the time, and I’m finally able to stand and talk without wearing myself out.  I had a 2 minute read to do and by the time I was done, I was sweating.  It was rough, but now I can see the other side and am grateful to have made it through.  I’m looking forward to paying it forward and helping others who are sick.  My wife and I are looking to donate plasma to the Red Cross to help others.  One thing we need to do is stop vilifiing those who contract this virus.  My wife felt so guilty when she was tested positive, like others would look at her like “What did you do wrong to get this”.  That’s not the attitude we need to have.  Sometimes you get the virus.  It happens.  To think we can stop it 100% is a fool’s errand.  Let’s work toward learning to get along with Covid and preventing it’s spread.  If you have tested positive, you can use me as a resource.  I hope my experience will help others through their journey.  By the way, both of my kids were fine and after quarantining for 14 days, they’re back in school.  Thank Goodness.