Aug 23-25 Covid test

I opened the bedroom door and looked in on my beautiful child. She stared back at me with a woeful look on her face. I smiled and asked her how she was.

“I’m sick daddy, I couldn’t move all day! My head hurts, my stomach hurts and my throat hurts.” The last words came with a sob and she broke down. Silent cries wracked the trembling body of my daughter, Marijke.

She was definitely sick. Being sick in the days of Covid brings an entirely new level of anxiety to the common cold. I couldn’t help but get the haunting fear, was it Covid19? What about me? Krista? Her parents… all questions I couldn’t answer or worry about. The main thing was helping my kid feel better.

My heart was breaking; I missed the entire day of her sickness. I remember all the times I have taken care of my baby girl. She is not such a baby anymore; until she is sick.

“Medicine time.” I looked down on her shivering body and had to stay back. I couldn’t help but think about Covid, about being careful. “I will go get you some medicine.”

“Noooo!” my fourteen-year-old defied, “I don’t want medicine.”

“Honey you will feel better after you take it.” I turned and went down the stairs to the medicine cabinet. I found the cold medicine I had; a big blue pill or a spoonful of Buckleys Cough and Cold.

“Here you go.” I handed her the blue pill and a glass of water.

“I can’t take a pill.” She cried out as she stared at the tablet.

Admittedly they were big pills. “okay sweetie here is a spoonful of medicine.” I started to sing the song inside my head, willing myself to stay calm.

“Noooo!” came the defiant cry.

“Yes.” was my unwavering reply. “Just close your eyes, plug your nose and swallow” I put the spoon in front of her clenched mouth. “Do it quick and get it over with.”

She looked at me and reached out for the spoon, an abject look of fear and distrust on her face. “Ok, But I hope it doesn’t taste awful.”

“It works hon and that’s what matters.” I pressed the spoon toward her; she grabbed the spoon and opened her mouth.

“Yuck!!! Water,” she gasped dramatically, “give me the water.” She quickly drank down the glass in an attempt to dilute the flavour. I hope the commercials are right; it better work because Buckleys definitely tastes awful.

I wanted so bad to hug my kid, to comfort her. I stood back, distant. Should we get a test? I looked down on my weary, weepy kid. “You need sleep, snuggle in, and go to sleep.”

“I’m not tired.” she yawned back at me.

“Sleep” was my reply.” goodnight, my love”. I knew the next day we would have to see if a trip to the testing clinic was in order.

Sunday morning came down. My twenty-second Sunday of Covid, but who’s counting? I slept in and checked on the sick kid. She said she felt better, she wanted to hang out with her friend.

She sneezed. It’s crazy the anxiety a sneeze causes. Then she coughed, I could hear it in her voice. She was still sick.

“No my girl, you can’t hang out with anyone while you are sick.” I sighed deeply. “You should self-isolate until you are better. I think we may have to get you tested for Covid.”

“What? No dad I am fine.” She began to cough again. “besides, my friend has a sore throat too.” As if two sick kids together was ok. “It’s not covid daddy”

I sighed and started to do more research, to talk with her mom. I messaged my health care worker friend and she sent me to a site where you can self-evaluate if you need to get tested for Coronavirus. Marijke’s mom is working with a ninety-two-year-old and I am with people on the boat, we need to be very careful.

I went to the health bc website and had her take the self-evaluation test.Covid has many symptoms similar to the common cold. Sure enough, it suggested a test. I called her mom and shared the news. It was a new adventure in the coronaverse; taking my teenage girl to get a covid test. Weird.

I called to find out if we could get in on Sunday evening, they said we could come right away. We drove across the bridge to the drive-in test site at the Capri Centre. It was an empty place, a one-story building in the parking lot. The drive-in part was closed off and next to it two nurses sat guarding the door. We wore our masks. My daughter had a brave face on.; not that anyone could see it.

“Do you have an appointment?” they quizzed us when we walked up to the door. The ladies were both very friendly, one held a sheet with names on it. My daughter confirmed her name and address and health care number. They turned to me, “this is a covid19 test site, we don’t recommend you go in if you are not sick.”

“Are you going to be ok?” I looked at my kid.

“I’m fine dad, you stay here.” I smiled at her brave face. Of course with masks on, the smile was in my eyes. She turned and went inside.

The place was very quiet, two people came after and then my daughter reappeared at the door.

We hopped into my truck, I asked her how it was.

“That was the longest thing I have ever had up my nose!” she winced at me. “they were trying to find my brain!” she giggled a bit.

“I am proud of you, you were brave” I concentrated on the drive, the bridge loomed ahead and I had a tiny knot of fear in the pit of my stomach. “I am sure it will be negative”

She had paperwork the nurses gave her with the information on when the results would come back. She kept the tears from behind her eyes. “I will be fine, right? They said they will let me know in the next 24 to 48 hours”

“I hope it’s quicker than that; your uncle’s was fast” Her uncle tested the week before and had his results the next day.

“Any way you want it! That’s the way you need it! Any way you want it.” The catchy tune from Journey came blasting from the radio in the truck. My teenaged daughter was belting out the lyrics right along with the song.

I laughed, I smiled, I sang. We sang together on the road home, connecting. Forgetting for a brief moment the viral threat hanging over us, we were in the moment together, Marijke, me, and Steve Perry. Singing ‘Any way you want it’.

Monday I went to work, Marijke was still sick at home. I wanted to stay with her but sometimes a person has to work. She awaited the results, the test was in the back of my mind as I performed my tasks. I was rigging swing stage, not boating so work it indeed was.

The text came at 2:30 pm, less than 20 hours after the test. She was negative. I did a little jig and grinned. Relief washed over me, and I came home to a sick kid again, a kid with a summer cold.

We kept to the theme of 2020, we listened to the warning signs. We took extra precautions, in the end, we were fine. I have taken risks in my life, but sometimes it pays to be cautious and heed the warnings. If it works, it’s an overreaction. If you do nothing then… it’s not worth the risk.