My husband Lucas despite all the precautions: 1. Wearing double masks and face shield whenever going to our hardware store. 2. Wearing an air purifier neck piece. 3. Constantly washing hands with soap and water or alcohol. 4. Keeping his distance with people. 5. Having been vaccinated and getting his booster shot. Yet on January 16 of 2022, he began to cough frequently specially at night. At first I thought it was just a kind of habitually clearing of his throat, (He has this habit of clearing his throat often during the day or while he is inside the bathroom, or brushing his teeth.) but his coughing that Sunday night disturbed his sleep. When he woke up on Monday morning, he was feverish. I gave him Biogesic paracetamol and he felt better. He went down to open the store and had himself tested with rapid antigen test, he tested positive. I informed all my children about the results through Messenger. (We are all dispersed in different places). They gave me preliminary advices on how to take care of ourselves, like isolating him in the room, wearing masks at home and for me to use the adjacent room and toilet. Yes, I could sleep on the adjacent room, it has a connecting door. We could keep our masks on, but Lucas needed me to care for him during this difficult situation. As you may know, my husband is suffering from progressive Parkinson’s disease. He moves very slowly and I have to help him in many ways. “O God have mercy on him and have mercy on me.”
My daughter Martha, that same Monday arranged for us a tele-consultation at 8 pm with her friend, a pulmonologist doctor. The doctor was very kind. He listened and he heard Lucas coughing. He gave us medical advices and prescribed medicines for me to buy on Tuesday. Cotabato City was running out of many paracetamol, cough and colds medicines. Luckily we were able to buy them. There was however this anti viral medicine called molnupiravir that was nowhere to be found. My son Tom however inquired and asked for help from many friends and sources and thankfully, he was able to make contacts. Raymond Tan temporarily loaned us a box of pills to be used and to be replaced when stock was available. Our stocks came all the way from Davao and Manila. From Davao was through the help of nephew Dominic Tan and Ian Co. From Manila, Tom got me molnupiravir also incase I get sick too. They came from my brother Wilson Ledesma in Manila. Thank you Lord God. His helping hand can be felt during these time of ordeal. Lucas got a little better after taking all the prescribed medicines. But covid can be treacherous. A person can be better one day, then get worse the next day, then get better again and worse again. We thought he was ok already on the fourth day but his cough got worse at night. I continued to viber message his pulmonologist. We got some allergy medicines too. I was thinking maybe it could be allergy since our house was so dusty because our neighbor the gasoline station was under construction.
To add more problem to our trials, one of my maids left us few days after Lucas got sick. She left me at a time when I needed her most. But to tell you honestly, I forgave her from the bottom of my heart. This much I can do for being grateful to God for helping my husband and sparing me from this illness.
Two weeks after Lucas coughing symptoms began, although he continued to cough at night, he went down to the store and got tested negative. I however continued to monitor his temperature and oximeter twice a day to make sure he had no fever and his oxygen level okay. At present he is back to work. He stopped taking his cough and colds and fever medicines but until today February 5, he still coughed a few times specially at night and once in awhile during the day. It could be allergies or habitual clearing of the throat and nose or whatever.
I pray to God to bring him to full and complete and safe recovery. Blessed Mother, please pray for him. O God, have mercy on us and please put an end to this covid and all the variants very very soon. Have mercy O Lord, have mercy. Thank you Lord for keeping us out of harm and danger. Please bring my husband Lucas to full and complete and safe recovery from this illness. Thank you.
