COVID-19: Test Edition

(As seen on Facebook)

Last Friday, I started having chest pain with a cough. I had to go out and get a couple things at the store and when I came home I was super tired. I climbed into bed and Larry asked me if I was okay. I told him I was just really tired. He wondered if I needed to go to the doctor to be tested for COVID-19, but we decided to wait it out. By Sunday I was feeling better, not 100% but better. I'd get tired and feel a little sore now and then, but just kept pushing through it. By yesterday,  it was time to find out more.

I had to get tested this morning for the coronavirus. This was an interesting experience to say the least! I made the appointment yesterday after taking an online assessment of symptoms. It highly recommended that I be tested because of my symptoms and that I'm diabetic, have asthma, and have psoriasis. I drive this morning to Ogden in order to do this test. I have to stay in my car. They have several workers in almost full hazmat suits ready to help me. The tent I drive into is basically a large tent open on both sides with tables along the middle with tests and computers. They ask me for my QR code that I printed out and my ID. The code scanned but didn't bring what they wanted up on the computer. It showed the screen for just a moment that held all my info, and then moved onto a screen that said I was done or something.

They give the instructions to me. I have to roll my window back up. Then I hold this 5" swab in a certain spot to shove up my nostril 3"! They tell me that I will feel resistance at a certain spot, but have to continue on pushing through… then that I will get a little further and hit more resistance again and will need to push through once more. I'm here to tell you I lived through the ordeal… barely! I wouldn't wish that test on my worst enemy, let alone my friends! I hit the first resistance, and it takes me about thirty seconds to push through. I start to tear up at this point and it hurts, bad! Then I push through some more, and hit that second spot they told me about. Honestly, I didn't want to go any further at that point. It hurt so badly it burned! I sit there, trying desperately to push through, not knowing if I can even push it further into my brain! At the last second, the ladies discussing if I've pushed into my nose far enough, the swab pushes through the second barrier and I feel even more pain! I swab around as much as I can, and the ladies tell me I can give the swab to them. I pull this stick of torture out of my nose, with a bit of difficulty at the two barriers, give it to the one lady who then puts it into a biohazmat envelope thing and give me tissues to mop up my now-bloody nose. I mop up the tears from my eyes and they tell me I can go. I get the results within 72 hours via email or text.

As I began driving down the road, I had to blow my nose to clear the ick I could feel and it turned out to be a nasty blood clot. I stopped in a parking lot to get whatever else I could out of my nose before I finished coming back home. Now I have to self-quarantine until I get the results. Time will tell.