December 24, 2020 - Well...... I can be sure to say that this year of 2020 has at least been different for just about everyone. Not going to dive deep into the main news events of this year but lets just say that my projects came to a major slowdown and recently a total stop....

About three weeks ago I found that my sense of smell was flipping around and everything smelled wrong. Then the sense of smell and taste just shutdown. I had read that this was a symptom of the dreaded Covid-19 Virus but I was just in deniable mode as I, in general, stay clear of other people and avoid groups. Wore my mask and used hand sanitizer all the while having doubts of how effective that really was. On day two my temperature went up and would not break, reaching 102F and not budging. I was getting short of breath and loosing body fluids at a alarming rate. By day four I took the advice of others and went to the local ER. Man oh man. As soon as I told them the symptoms and my thought that I might have the Virus, I was placed as far a possible from others in the waiting room of the ER. Not long, I was taken back to MY room and was greeted with a vast amount of test supplies, IV's and everything in between. First off was the Covid19 test. NOT FUN...as the test I was given was the older style where the swab was placed way back in the back of my head. Well perhaps not but it sure as hack felt like it. The result came back a hour later and YUP, I had the Rona. In two days of ER work I was given 2 liters of IV fluids, enough blood drawn to paint my house. Chest X-Ray and a CT scan to check for bleeding in the lungs ( all clear ) The twin IV's were interesting as the the tech had a very hard time finding a good place as my veins had just about collapsed. My blood O2 level was between 91 and 92 so the Doctor gave me the option of going home for the night or stay in hospital. I choose home. This was in the first week of being sick and now it is week three and now feeling much better. I still have a bad cough and short of breath but even that is slowly improving. No fever for two weeks and about ready to think about my projects once again. At age 64, I know I am in the range where this could have gone much worse.

Do I think this Virus is game changer? I really feel that it is just another Virus that is out there to cause us problems. The thing I would have done is acted a bit sooner and got checked out a few days of when I did. I react very badly to ANY flu type vaccines so that is not a option.

Just a New Years wish to all that everyone gets a chance for a better 2021 that what we had for 2020.