12 Mar 2020 a call from my Medical Director that will forever be in my memory as this was the call and the day and the time that my #WorkingMom life changed as I knew it. And has continued to be changed today. The text read... "I think you have to go get tested for coronavirus and you can't come back to work until the test is negative and employee health clears you. Have you had a cough in the past 7 days?"
Flash to the week prior when I was traveling to Vegas for the opening round game of the Pac-12 Women's Basketball Tournament, the night before I developed a cough. It was post-nasal drip, it was from lack of sleep and I caught a cold, probably the fifth cold this winter which at this moment in my life causes a horrible cough needing intense treatment with inhalers. I started my Advair as I have recently done with colds and brought my Albuterol to Vegas. So yes I had a cough and yes it was in the past 7 days, so bad that 2 days prior to that text I took a half day off work because I couldn't speak in full sentences without coughing. But why was this cough different? Because when I was in Vegas with Colorado's WBB team COVID-19 "arrived" in Colorado and landed in Summit County so suddenly we were heightened and aware.
3 days before my "work trip" to Vegas I received an email and phone call from the NCAA asking if I would be interested in serving on a NCAA Covid-19 Advisory Panel, formed mainly to address whether the NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament should/could occur with coronavirus clearly in the U.S. I graciously accepted and now just 1 week following our first call which took place at 430AM PST I was getting a nasal swab, throat swab and being tested for respiratory viruses, influenza and strep. I was told I would have results by the end of the weekend... I received my results on 22 Mar 2020. They were all negative.
12 Mar 2020 was the last day I saw patients face-to-face in an office. My 2 kiddos, husband, and I have sheltered-in-place since that day, initially I didn't leave my home at all until I received my negative result. I didn't go outside of my yard because I didn't want to be positive and run into a neighbor and have to awkwardly "run away." Since the negative test I have only gone to pick up food, mostly via curbside pick-up but going to the grocery store once. Since 12 Mar I have only seen patients via telehealth and had at minimum 3 meetings via Zoom or Microsoft Teams discussing the NCAA, Pac-12 and CU returning to sport. We have converted my husband's home office to "our" home office. We take turns trying our hand at preschool homeschooling with my husband putting his non-profit Hope Shines as second fiddle to entertain a 2yo and 3yo during this time of home quarantine. I have been on the radio discussing the cancelling of NCAA's March Madness after only 1 week of conference calls with the NCAA Covid-19 Advisory Panel. I have been on a live interview on NCAA Twitter with a prominent ESPN personality. My work and my life as I knew it looks much different...maybe for the better in the long run?
Work had become a little monotonous and I was getting a little "homesick." I was trying to figure out how I could continue to have a prosperous career in Sports Medicine AND still be a very present Mama. I contemplated leaving all the NCAA "stuff" and just being a "Sports Medicine Doc." Well I think God definitely had another plan! I am thankful for this unplanned and welcomed time I have with my children and family who get to see me for brekkie, lunch and dinner every day. I am there for naps. I am able to try and expand my culinary skills (#Instapot). I am able to try and get this Blog off the ground #goals and hopefully be able to share some of my life to anyone who wants to listen. Never would have guessed a Pandemic but I believe this is going to change my career. It's still left to be seen if it's for the better but I can say it has been "for the better" for this #WorkingMom thus far.