Prevailing Through a Pandemic

We were so careful. We did everything right and followed all the protocols. We respected the science and actual doctors. We researched proper masks and wore them even when no one else would. We got inoculated with the necessary vaccines, even our littlest members, even though TK ran a low-grade fever and got the chills 12 hours after every shot.

We stayed safe throughout 2020 when people were getting sick and dying. We remained healthy through 2021 when variants were confusing and vaccines became available. We started 2022 in the clear even though our closest family members got sick and we could not see them for weeks.

But it still came for us; it came for all four of us.

My parents were on vacation in Italy and it was TK's birthday when I woke up to head to work and my throat felt scratchy. TK said he felt similar that morning. When I got to work, I took my vitamins and Tylenol to stop the pain. My throat felt better but I got increasingly tired as the day went on. By 1 p.m., I could barely keep my head up and decided to call my boss to ask him to leave early. He suggested that I test myself when I got home. I exited my office while spraying Lysol on the way out. I wore my mask as I dropped off my leave form and started my drive home. Since it was TK's birthday, I popped into Publix (fully masked) to get him a cake but I could barely carry myself. I grabbed the cake, paid using the self-check, and got home.

When I arrived home, my family was surprised to see me. TK thought I left early to celebrate his birthday, but I told him it was because I was sick. I took out the COVID test and started to administer it. Within five seconds, the test popped positive. Since it was an expired test, TK recommended I take another so I did and that one was positive too. I was quarantined to the bedroom to eat my dinner when TK decided that he and the kids get tested as well. I made their appointments at a pediatric urgent care that we visited earlier in the year and called Teledoc to speak to a doctor about what I should do. Her advice was to hydrate, rest, and use Flonase because I was vaccinated and this would just be a really bad cold. TK and the kids were taken pretty quickly and after I was able to create their care accounts, I received a call from the lab. Jax and Addie were also positive and TK was still negative. Addie even had a fever in the office.

It broke my heart when they returned home and Jax was afraid to come near any of us because he said he had COVID. We comforted him by telling him that we all had it and would all be OK as long as we took care of each other. Since TK had the symptoms without the positive test, we decided to function as though we were all positive. We drank Gatorade, kept tissues handy, took plenty of naps, and took our vitamins. I worried about how this virus would affect the kids because they are little and their bodies are not fully grown. I also worried about how my asthma would affect my experience. 

Throughout all of this, we kept quiet. I didn't post on social media and we didn't tell anyone other than a couple of friends and family members about our sickness because we did not want my parents to find out while they were on a once-in-a-lifetime vacation in a foreign country. They wouldn't be able to help us and would just worry or cut their trip short―neither of which were wanted. We talked to them every day and enjoyed all their fun reports from their trip, but we left out a few details.

We were positive on a Friday. Our energy did not return until Wednesday and we did not test negative until Saturday. It was a long week of keeping an eye on each other, paying attention to everyone's breathing and temperatures. Luckily, the kids were in virtual school so they could still sign on and complete their coursework, but I had to stay home from work. I missed a big event but was able to work a couple days before becoming truly exhausted, slamming my laptop shut at 5 p.m., and falling asleep. It was brutal.

Fortunately, it's been five months since we had the virus and we aren't wearing masks everywhere anymore but we are testing when we feel sick and getting boosters. We just recently received the Omicron booster and I received the flu shot at the same time. We are grateful that we were safe for so long and when we were sick it was with a less severe variant. We still worry about the long-term effects, but we know that we are healthy and can still follow the science to stay that way.

My Journey to Ed.D.

I've always wanted to be a doctor. When I was younger, I wanted to be a medical doctor but knew I would cry every time someone got sick or died. That's not very professional or a great way to live. Then, I decided I wanted to be an academic doctor because I am a pretty good student. My mom likes to remind me that when someone says, "Is there a doctor in the house?" I can say yes but I can't save anyone's life or help them past administering CPR. But I can change some educational processes and maybe make people's lives just a little bit better and easier.  

I embarked on this journey in January 2020 and at the start of my first in-person class, we were involved in a deep discussion, and I was surrounded by intellectual individuals who wanted to soak up all they could from the professor and the content. As the discussion progressed, I felt that I was in the right place and made the right decision. 

Two months later, the world changed and my class pivoted to online. Luckily, I was already taking one class online and Zoom was easy to learn. I learned that I enjoyed learning remotely because I am comfortable using technology and enjoy grasping how to use new digital platforms. 

I proceeded to complete two courses each semester for six semesters and maintain a 4.0 GPA. My favorite course was Leadership Theory even though I had to take two hours off of work every Monday and Wednesday, rush home to shower (COVID safety), and hop on the computer for four hours. I was buried in work for that course, but I learned a lot and felt that I was able to contribute in a meaningful way to each class session. 

Currently, I am editing my prospectus for the second submission in mid-November. My first pass was not good enough, but that's OK. Nothing worth doing is easy. I've made it past the concept paper, chair selection, and literature review. I still have the prospectus, proposal, research, analysis, write-up, and defense left to complete. It is hard work, but it is worth it. 

My plan was to graduate in spring 2023, but after the prospectus setback, I am planning for summer 2023. For now, I will "just keep swimming" and take my dissertation bit by bit. Stay tuned ...