Column: One family’s virus horror story –– and they lived!

My husband, my two children and myself all contracted COVID-19

I 'm still processing what my family and I have been through the last three weeks. Quite frankly, I'm still traumatized.

My husband, two children and myself all contracted COVID-19.

Brian, who works at a nursing home, fell ill first, then me and then our children, Xavier, 13, and Nora, 8. I was scared. I could deal with the mind-numbing headaches, the painful body aches, shortness of breath, fever, chills, dizzy spells and rapid heart rate. I lost my senses of smell and taste. They're still not back. I could handle all that.

You know what I couldn't handle? The unknown.

Is this going to get worse? Would my husband and I die and leave our children orphans? Did we give it to my mother?

My 78-year-old mother, who lives with us, had to stay in a hotel while we quarantined at home. She survived Hurricane Maria in Puerto Rico nearly three years ago and breast cancer, but would this virus that invaded our home kill her?

I believe the advice I got from Russell Melmed, director of health at the Chatham Health District, to immediately get my mom out of the house saved her life.

Then it's the emotional toll that this illness places on your children. For several days, I could hear Nora cry from her bedroom on the monitor and repeatedly say, “Why is this happening to us?”

I was too weak to comfort her and afraid that I would get her sick. At the time, the children weren't showing any signs of the illness.

I communicated with my children through FaceTime. We played tic-tactoe by slipping a piece of paper under my bedroom door.

I couldn't let on that I was scared and feeling terrible. I didn't want to add to their stress.

Her brother, Xavier, became the man in the house. He would tuck her in bed, give her hugs on my behalf, telling her it was going to be OK. But was it?

On days that I felt a little better, I would go on social media to see what was going on in the world. What my friends were up to. Big mistake.

I couldn't believe that people were protesting because the quarantine was becoming inconvenient to them. Some were complaining about wearing a mask. Others were saying that COVID-19 was a hoax. And then there were people complaining about not getting haircuts and people risking their lives to get their nails done.

To those people, I say this: SHAME on you. Where are your priorities? You truly put the SELF in selfish. You could only think about yourself. Is that what your God is teaching you? Putting your needs before the greater good?

My son saw on the news a man holding a sign saying, “Sacrifice the weak.” He was shocked and couldn't believe that people could be so heartless and cruel.

I reminded him there was more good than evil in the world. And he saw proof of that nearly every day. My work family and friends dropped off or had meals delivered almost daily. They bought toys for the kids. They sent texts and emails to check on us. Some even took care of my mom by dropping off food and helping her pay for her hotel stay. I bring her back on Monday.

The Colchester School District also rallied behind us. Nora's teacher, Ms. Barnett, reached out and arranged for the school to deliver lunches to the kids, ensuring they ate a healthy meal. Xavier's teachers from the Zeta Mu team gave us gift cards to a local restaurant and grocery store.

That's the goodness I want my children to remember from this experience. I know we couldn't have survived without their support.

It took Brian a full two weeks to recover and he still gets tired quickly. He went to work this past week.

I'm still recovering. I still have a persistent headache, but my energy is coming back and I'm feeling human again.

Fortunately, the virus didn't attack the children as it did the adults. Nora's major complaint was a headache and stuffy nose. Xavier did have a fever for several days along with a headache. He's feeling better but gets a little winded every now and then.

And it's not over, we're going to have to make some lifestyle changes at home. On the advice of my doctor, both my mother and Brian will have to wear masks, as the illness is still present in the nursing home where he works. Because we don't know how long one remains contagious, we have to stay 6 feet away from my mother. She will mostly have to stay isolated in her room until we have a better understanding of this virus or there's a vaccine.

It will be worth it to keep her alive. She's already been through too much.

And if after reading this you still believe the virus isn't so bad, let's test that theory. My doctor said I could still be contagious.

Let's toss the face mask, embrace and share a drink using the SAME cup.

Izaskun E. Larrañeta is the deputy managing editor at The Day.