Friends,

We will not be getting together on Wednesday and Friday again this week.  We need to let the COVID activity settle down a bit.  We’ll be getting back together as soon as I feel we can do it safely.  Hopefully soon!

Last week I asked for prayers for Cal and me as we caught the COVID bug.  A huge thank you to all who reached out with prayers, texts, e-mails, food and ice cream 😊.  Apparently you didn’t want us to stay sick very long because prayers are being answered.  We’re both doing a lot better already.  Thank you!

If you get a chance to avoid getting COVID, I’d highly recommend doing that.  I’ll share my experience with it a little.  I was exposed to it as we had a family member over for dinner.  Two days later, she was in the ER and tested positive for COVID.  I came down with symptoms two days later.  Once I knew she tested positive, I knew I was exposed and my symptoms are probably COVID symptoms too.

Within a day, my body was aching and hurting all over.  I reached a 101.9 fever and developed a deep cough that caused my chest to hurt.  That was on Friday evening.  All day Saturday, I tried to get tested but couldn’t get in anywhere until Sunday morning.  I was running a fever all day Saturday and felt terrible.  My fever finally broke Saturday night and I started feeling a little better.

On Sunday morning, I went to get tested at an urgent care.  The doctor asked me to take a deep breath and exhale quickly while he listened to my lungs.  I immediately started coughing really badly as I exahaled.  The doctor says “sounds like COVID to me”.  He gave me some steroids and an inhaler and sent me home.  The test came back positive for COVID by the end of the next day.

I felt pretty good on Monday and then each day started getting a little worse.  By Friday evening, my cough had gotten much worse, my chest hurt and my breathing was labored.  We felt I better go in and get a chest X-ray to make sure it’s not getting out of control.  Off to the emergency room we went.  Thankfully, my chest x-ray came out clear and they sent me back home explaining this is just how COVID behaves for some people.  Since then I’ve gradually improved and feel pretty good now again.

The question to be answered yet is “How is my MS going to behave through this?”   So far, it’s been behaving about the same as it usually is for me.  I’m pretty good in the mornings and it gets worse in the evenings.  I have a hard time sleeping at night due to my bladder being so active.  As of now, my MS is behaving about the same.  Let’s hope it stays that way.

Cal had a very similar experience as I did.  He ended up in the ER on Saturday morning instead of Friday evening like me.  He too is getting better each day even with his COPD challenges.

So what can we learn from this?  In my opinion, it’s the daily exercise and somewhat healthy eating that gives us a strong immune system.  It’s our strong immune system that’s helping us both through this nasty virus.  We can all do things to build a strong immune system even if we have MS or COPD.  I’d highly recommend starting with reading Dr Joel Fuhrman’s book called “Super Immunity” and start doing what he teaches.  https://www.amazon.com/Super-Immunity-Essential-Nutrition-Boosting/dp/0062080644  He explains what we can do quite clearly and in a way that makes sense and is sustainable.  It’s good for all of us with MS to build a strong immune system since MS is an autoimmune illness.

The other thing that helped and perhaps is the more powerful thing that helped us is the prayers you all sent our way.  I know we had a lot of people praying for both of us.  I could feel them.  Now it’s time to be thankful and continue to do what God wants us to do.

One thing that comes to mind right away is to encourage each of you to build a strong immune system so you can fight off the virus if you happen to get it.  I would also highly encourage you to wear a mask anytime you’re around people you don’t live with.  Let’s all do our part.

Our Zoom prayer group on Wednesday mornings are a great place to get together virtually, catch up a bit and give thanks.  Even though we can’t get together physically, it’s so nice to see all who joins us virtually.  It’s awesome seeing so many of you there laughing, listening, sharing, giving thanks and praying!   Even in this pandemic, we have a lot to give thanks for, don’t we?

We’ll be doing it again tomorrow (Wednesday) @ 11:30am.  We’ll get together either via zoom and share, talk, listen, give thanks, and pray in however God leads us.  It’s a way for all of us to get together virtually to catch up and be there for each other and with each other.  I hope you’ll join us!

Join Zoom Meeting with this link

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/82689557013?pwd=NzNEL0ExYkpSdnE5RllCQXlJeVo1UT09

Meeting ID: 826 8955 7013

Passcode: keepmoving

I hope you’ll join us on Zoom!

My heart goes out to all the people and families of the people that have been affected by COVID-19.  This is really getting serious and close to home.  Whether actually having it, being exposed to it, being affected by businesses being shut down, losing your job, working on the front line, etc.  These are tough times and we really need to take it seriously and do our part of practicing social distancing and all other recommendations.  I hope you and your family are safe.  Let’s keep everyone affected in our prayers and pray we all get through this as safely as we can.

As we all go through this pandemic together, I encourage you to share a smile with someone.  Perhaps you could give someone a call that you haven’t talked with for a while just to see how they’re doing.  This pandemic is tough in many ways.  We all could use a little extra love and encouragement during these times.

Let’s be thankful for all the doctors, nurses and everyone in the health care that are putting themselves at risk every day and every night as they serve those with the Coronavirus.  These are amazing, selfless, courageous people!  Let’s also give thanks to all the people in the world that are working diligently to develop testing equipment and ways to treat this Coronavirus.  Let’s also give thanks for all the people that are working diligently to produce protective gear, respirators, and any other medical equipment to help us get through this pandemic.

We may be inconvenienced in many ways but others have it much worse.  Let’s be thankful we have each other.  I know I’m thankful for you!

Let’s stay calm, focused, healthy, flexible, have faith and learn as much as we can about the challenges of each day and make good choices.

 

See you soon…better days are ahead!
Dan

http://msjustkeepmoving.org/