Well it happened, I tested positive for COVID last Monday. I’ll be honest, because of my age, weight, and heart condition I was a bit scared when I was told. I thought it was maybe only a matter of days before I would be on a ventilator.

A year ago we began to shut things down as this pandemic swept across the country. Now with the vaccines being administered a year later and this nightmare hopefully coming to an end, I was thinking I was one of the lucky ones to not get the virus. For the most part I have been careful all year long with doing the right things. Wearing my mask, washing my hands, not traveling much for work, staying away from large crowds. Even at high school games, being a broadcaster I’m pretty much sitting by myself in the press box. So I thought I was safe. I was wrong.

Last Sunday morning during church I started coughing. I felt perfectly fine but as the day went on my coughing got worse. Around 6pm the coughing was non-stop. I didn’t feel sick at all just the coughing. I was trying to sleep in my recliner that night and began to get a terrible headache. Monday morning I made a good decision and listened to my wife and called the clinic.

At this point oddly enough, I never thought that maybe I had Covid until the receptionist asked me on the phone what my symptoms were. When I told her she said we have to test you for COVID. I went to the clinic and got tested. Once again I didn’t feel sick, I had no temperature at the time, nor body aches, just a non-stop cough and excruciating headache. They swabbed my nose and I sat in the room alone for about a half hour waiting for the result to come back. While waiting, I thought about a friend that died from covid-19. Another person I know well was on a ventilator just recently for a week and almost died. He’s home now recovering. Finally, the door opened and the doctor and nurse told me I was positive. I thought the worse.

I was administered an IV with an infusion of antibodies. Early tests show that it can reduce the severity of the virus in some people. Its optional and I decided to take it. They sent me home later that afternoon and I believe that “cocktail” has helped me recover like I did. I have thanked God every day this week that I didn’t try and tough it out and listened to my wife and went to the doctor.

So, I am quarantined with my wife and getting better everyday. I have visited by phone all week with many different people hearing their stories about when they had Covid. It’s amazing how different this virus affects people. Some have no symptoms, some lose taste and smell, some have a high temperature, then some have difficulty breathing. Everyone has different stories of how sick they were. Then some have died from this virus. People I know have suffered and died from this horrible virus. It’s a terrible thing.

As I write this blog on Saturday the coughing is almost gone, the headaches are gone. Now just dealing with mild body aches, sinus issues and being tired. I want to thank Madison HealthCare Services. The doctors and nurses who work on you, knowing that you have COVID, are putting their own lives on the line. That is a hero! Thanks to my church family at Calvary Baptist for taking care of our needs, running errands for us and dropping food on our front steps. Maynard and Kris at work, setting me up so I can work at home while quarantined. My friends and family who have called or texted making my day brighter. Getting my boxes of Girl Scout Cookies delivered to my front steps was the highlight of my week! My friend from Prinsburg, Brad Greenwaldt, filling in for my basketball broadcasting duties. Saturday I missed my first section dance tournament since 2002. Thanks to Ken Franzky, Julie Asfeld and Dee Dee Schommer for taking my place. Congrats to the Shadows for winning sections again.

So thankful for my wife Roxie. She takes care of me. We laugh with and at each other because we have to be locked up in our house for 10 days! All day, together! For 10 days! We are not accustomed to being home together for any length of time. We could end up on Dateline some day!