In His Own Words: 'My COVID Journey Was Part Hell, Part Boredom' Says CBS4's Eliott Rodriguez
MIAMI (CBSMiami) – My COVID journey ended on day 9 with a negative antigen test. With a smile on my face, I put the stake in the virus the next day with a second negative test. Goodbye, COVID!! So long!! Hasta la vista, baby!!
My journey began on December 28, three days after Christmas and just in time to ruin my New Year's Eve plans. A positive PCR confirmed my suspicion that a mild sore throat and cough might be the dreaded virus that is running rampant in the U.S., especially in my home state of Florida.
Being fully vaccinated and boosted, I felt ready to take on COVID. Turns out, I was ready, but it wasn't a walk in the park.
I've heard people say getting COVID is like a bad case of the sniffles or a mild cold. Not for me it wasn't! I spent four days of pure hell. I had body aches, chills, fatigue, and a fever. I felt miserable with no energy. I had the worst sore throat of my life. My throat was on fire. I dreaded swallowing, and the pain in my throat when I sneezed was excruciating.
My treatment consisted of resting and hydrating with lots of liquids. Oh, the joy of drinking Pedialyte!
I tried every supplement and over-the-counter medication recommended by doctors, friends and Tik Tok users. I took Vitamin D, Zinc, Vitamin C, and a multi-vitamin. For pain, I downed Tylenol and Advil, and at night a shot of Nyquil.
I didn't lose my sense of smell or taste, but I didn't have much of an appetite. I had chicken soup every day and treated myself to chocolate ice cream, which made my throat feel better.
To open my nasal passages, I would lock myself in the bathroom with the hot water running so I could breathe in the hot steam. It felt good, but I worried someone would find me dead in the bathroom if I feel asleep.
The first four days were the worst. After that, the symptoms waned and the boredom set in. Not much of a TV binge watcher, I ended up doing just that. I watched two seasons of Ted Lasso--loved it--and The Morning Show--too close to home and too many self-absorbed people. I do, however, strongly recommend "Don't Look Up" for your COVID recovery TV viewing.
From day 1, my wife and I decided to social distance as much as possible. I moved into our small, but comfortable guest bedroom with its own bathroom. We wore masks inside the house and sat on opposite ends of the room when eating or watching TV. Since we are in the same household, I assumed she would get COVID too. I was wrong. Amazingly, she has consistently tested negative for the virus.
I'm pleased to say my wife continues to test negative. I'm also happy to report that I feel fine, except for a little congestion that is barely noticeable in my voice. Most of all I'm grateful to put COVID behind me--at least for now!
