Powering Up

I haven’t been feeling well for a couple of days now. I have a nagging headache, itchy throat, and been coughing and sneezing (not flu-like, but more like what one would have during an allergy attack). I think I even have a slight fever the other day which I nursed by sleeping it off. 

Under normal circumstances, these are not something I would call in sick or stay in bed for. Normally, I would ignore it altogether. But we are in a pandemic, and the smallest of symptoms is enough to get us all edgy.

My brother is on his last few days of self-quarantine, and now it would be his wife’s turn to do so after we found out that many of her workmates were also tested positive (a detail she kept from all of us). She may already be asymptomatic with mild or no symptoms, but you all have to agree with me when I say that such recklessness is stupid, to say the least. 

Frankly, I have had enough of worrying and giving myself anxiety attacks over family members’ lack of good judgment and common sense. I have gathered all my self-restraint not to wring necks that I chose to continue following recommendations, taking the necessary precautions, and staying healthy instead. 

Thankfully, I don’t have any comorbidities that I should be worried about. I mean, I do have a history of arrhythmia but I haven’t had an incidence in two years. I may not be at the peak of my health but I can say that at 43, I’m okay. As a matter of fact, I’m not what you can consider sickly. I have years when I haven’t been sick with a cough or cold. I also take advantage of flu shots whenever I can so I think that helped.

Every day since my Radioactive Iodine (I-131) Therapy in 2007, I take my maintenance medication of Levothyroxine which acts as a thyroid replacement. It’s something that I must do for the rest of my life if I want to have normal mental and physical health. Apart from that, I honestly can’t be bothered with taking any other pills.

I believe I mentioned that even then, I don’t take multivitamins and mineral supplements. I always felt that its so-called effects were nothing but a placebo. I believe it will be useless and just a waste of money if one doesn’t follow a well-balanced diet and a healthy lifestyle. But this is not just me being defiant and nonconforming, as a lot of research has proven that we don’t need to take any vitamin or mineral supplements.

But with what’s happening right now, when everyone has been saying that strengthening our immune system is crucial, I’m willing to reconsider my stance. Even while there is no evidence that vitamins help in preventing coronavirus, I want to cover all my bases. Reducing the risk is better if I can’t eliminate it. 

So now I take multivitamins, Vitamin C (prevents viral, bacterial, and other infections) and Vitamin D3 (immune system-strengthening), on top of eating right and getting enough sleep (thankfully I’m now getting some since I only work twice a week).

If I will be infected with coronavirus because of no fault of my own, I hope that all the measures I took for almost five months now will be enough for me to survive it. Otherwise, it will be such a shame to die from something that could have been prevented if only some people have been prudent and responsible enough to stay the $%#!@ home.