March 8
Amelia woke up two minutes after Chris and I had turned out our own bedroom light Saturday night and puked all over her bed and the floor. And then we brought her in our bed, and she puked there, too.
But after she’d puke, she’d tell a joke and laugh at herself or ask for something to eat and be totally back to normal. So it must have been food poisoning or eating too much. At least it’s likely not coronavirus, since they say that doesn’t include gastrointestinal problems.
Today Chris and I were like zombies. Chris spent most of his afternoon washing all the puked-on laundry.
March 11
Yesterday I woke up feeling nauseous and weak. I went to work but they sent me back home immediately. I slept and then I threw up and then I slept and then I threw up again. And then I slept more. Eventually, I thought I was feeling better so I came out to the couch but Amelia made me read her a whole bunch of books and I should have stayed in bed, but I missed her. It’s so lonely being sick.
Apparently what Amelia had on Saturday night wasn’t just overeating or eating something that disagreed with her. It was some stomach bug that got passed onto me. And I just hope now that I won’t pass it back to her or onto Chris. Because we’ve run out of laundry soap and there isn’t any more available anywhere. Fucking coronavirus.
March 13
Chris came home from work before lunch yesterday saying that he felt “icky” and couldn’t concentrate. He called his doctor who said that if he starts feeling worse, he should GET TESTED FOR CORONAVIRUS. Why would he suggest that? Gastrointestinal issues aren’t a symptom of coronavirus. Chris asked where he could get tested, but his doctor’s office said they don’t have any tests. Chris tried calling the Health Department, but–surprise–he can’t get through. At any rate, he has self-quarantined himself in the basement. I feel like this is all an overreaction. He hasn’t even thrown up! But then he’s worried that he has something different from what Amelia and I had BECAUSE he hasn’t thrown up, that he MIGHT have the coronavirus and he doesn’t want to give it to us. So I guess better safe than sorry.
Our governor, late last night, announced all Michigan schools would close and stay closed until after Spring Break. It was quite the shock to wake up to.
I went to Meijer. THERE WAS NO MILK. THERE WAS NO BREAD. Not being able to navigate the aisles without bumping into other’s carts, seeing the shelves bare, starting to feel panic that I might not find a gallon of milk left in the whole county, it really started to feel like the world was ending.
Amelia’s preschool is still open, and we wrestled with whether to send her this morning. We decided to because she let me drop her off yesterday with no tears (a first!), and I would hate to break that good streak. No tears again today! What a brave girl! Now, please, my brave girl, don’t catch anything while you’re there!
Oh, and the library is closing until “the foreseeable future.” But we might still have to go to work? To…clean the books? Who the hell knows.
And my mother keeps asking us to let her come visit. Hey, lady, if you want to GET SICK AND DIE, sure, come on over.