A Cough Wasn't Just A Cough

It all started with a dry cough. I'd have to stop in the midst of a conversation to drink a glass or two of water because I couldn't stop coughing. For Ruben, it was a fever. For Starr, it was exhaustion. For Soli, it was a headache. COVID-19 came crashing down upon us dimly and unexpectedly.

We wore our masks. We washed our hands. We distanced ourselves from those who were working on our property. We did all of what we knew to do, yet it hit us.

We immediately began to send texts for prayer at the onset of our symptoms. So many of our family and friends prayed and carried us through the dark season of extra isolation. It was hard to take care of ourselves while we were sick, but we refused to let anyone come near us!

Family and friends in the DR made trip after trip up the mountain to deliver soup, tea, meals and mail at our door. Friends and family stateside kept our phones busy with texts, phone calls and messages. We are so blessed to never have to face anything alone.

As our symptoms became worse, pain was on the rise! My head hurt like never before. I'm used to migraines, but this was worse than any migraine I'd ever experienced. Ruben's fever kept rising, Starr kept feeling sluggish and Soli's oxygen level kept dropping! It was definitely a time to trust God at a new level because we all have some type of condition that COVID cold make dangerous.

We continued to sit on the sofa every morning and on my bed each evening to read God's word together and to pray. Those moments made us stronger and gave us the faith we needed to continue.

Natural remedies, many tests, vitamins, lots of sun and medicine galore became the normal way of life for a few weeks! Thank God for the lemon and guava trees on our property because we drank something with lemon in it every day. We added onions, lemongrass, garlic, wide cilantro, chamomile and red peppers to our daily brew. It just became the norm for us to drink it, but I didn't care too much because I lost my taste!

I still can't smell anything and minor headaches keep coming, but I'm better. Ruben is still tired, though you'll typically find him outside working on something once the sun goes down. Starr and Soli are enjoying the fact that mom lets them sleep in every day. They are getting better. Our tests are now clear, but we are still taking precautions.

If you find yourself coughing, stay away from everyone please. COVID-19 is no fun for those of us who've had to face it.