April 25, 2020, is a date I will never forget in a hurry for the strange scenario I experienced. I thought I was dreaming until I woke up that morning with heavy symptoms of the unapologetic Coronavirus. I had my temperature running up to 120.4 degrees. My energy was completely sapped off.

I could remember feeling dehydrated but there was no sufficient energy to drink the water. I was completely lost because I did not have a personal doctor to come to my rescue. Of course, everybody was quarantined and the hospitals had no single breath of space. I called the urgent care and they told me that the only available urgent care in the area was attending to patients with respiratory symptoms which was about 25 miles away.

So, my wife loaded me up in the van and we headed to the urgent care in Collinsville, IL. On our arrival, we had to wait in the parking lot and call for assistance. We were given a numbered place in line and were informed there would be about a two-hour wait, and if we left, we would have to come back the next day.

I remember laying in the van with no energy and barely aware of the questions being asked. I remember thinking this might be it for the kid. I reminisced about the movie, Poltergeist when I was a kid, and the mainline from the movie “look into the light Carol Anne”, where the light represented life. Consequently, I began telling myself to look into the light, Brian. Sometimes when you are at your lowest, you have to find something to laugh at.

Two hours passed and they finally came and got me. I thought to myself, I was going to get an antibiotic or something so I could feel better. Little did I know none was coming. They took my vitals and tested me for everything except the Coronavirus. All the tests came back negative and the nurse said I had a respiratory virus.

It could be Corona or many of the others that are in the air. She went on to say I did not mention I had a cough initially so I did not have all the symptoms and she was not going to give me a test. Then she said, “there is no cure and there is nothing we can do for you”. So, even if you had Corona, we couldn’t help you. She told me to take Tylenol to keep my fever down, and if it got worse, go to the hospital. With that award-winning bedside manner, I was on my back home.

I spent the next two weeks isolated from my family in my room taking Tylenol every five hours or so. I was in a daze for the first few days, and the only thing I had was my thoughts and the news. All they seemed to talk about on the media was the Virus and the estimated death tolls and body bags. I remember distinctly 400,000.

I remember thinking I’m not going in one of those bags.  My family would leave food at the door and knock, but I didn’t always have an appetite. No energy to talk and just alone with my thoughts and that dog on news. It was definitely one of the loneliest periods of my life.

I continued to check my temperature as the nurse instructed. The nurse said if I could go three days without a temperature, and without the aid of Tylenol, I would be ok. I remember getting to two days twice and having to start all over again. I eventually reached that three-day mark, and so, I went to the urgent care to be released back to work. There were cars and people everywhere. I thought to myself, don’t these people know there’s a pandemic. They all seemed nonchalant or at least thought it didn’t apply to them.

I was practically humbled by the experience, and so, I decided to share my story because it has negatively affected so many people in the world including St. Louis County Family Court. I want everyone to know they are not alone.  The virus has left a lasting mark on me. 

I have minimal feeling in my left thumb and index finger, and I still have breathing issues and low energy. I don’t mind dealing with those ailments because I survived. The good thing is that I am still alive. Hundreds of thousands of people were not as lucky as I was. This experience has forever changed my life. It gave me a new sense of appreciation for life.