{"id":5748,"date":"2022-02-19T00:52:23","date_gmt":"2022-02-19T00:52:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/brendans-island.com\/catholic-citizen\/?p=5748"},"modified":"2024-12-15T00:27:06","modified_gmt":"2024-12-15T00:27:06","slug":"experiencing-covid-19-it-could-have-been-worse","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/brendans-island.com\/catholic-citizen\/experiencing-covid-19-it-could-have-been-worse\/","title":{"rendered":"Experiencing COVID-19: It Could Have Been Worse"},"content":{"rendered":"

<\/a>Another week has passed, and I still haven’t written about fusion power experiments on both sides of the Atlantic. It’s on my to-do list, but I’m putting it off until I’m less distracted and more clear-headed.<\/p>\n

Besides, this has been a distracting week.<\/p>\n

Or I’ve been distracted. Which isn’t quite the same thing.<\/p>\n

So – Tuesday I saw a doctor, who told me that I’ve caught COVID-19: along with about 80% of all Minnesotans.<\/p>\n

I decided to skip getting a blood test to verify my COVID-19 status: partly because it wouldn’t make a difference on how I deal with the situation. And partly because I didn’t see a point in expending resources just to satisfy my curiosity.<\/p>\n

I also left a urine sample and got an antibiotic prescription. The latter wouldn’t do a thing for COVID-19 or any other viral ailment: but was a good idea, since part of what I’ve been feeling looked like a bacterial infection.<\/p>\n

Lab results came in Friday. Good news, it’s a bacterial infection. Not-so-good-news, this particular microcritter is resistant to the prescribed antibiotic. So I spent a few very cold minutes Friday afternoon, picking up a new antibiotic.<\/p>\n

It’s a new one to me: ciprofloxacin. I looked it up, of course, learning that it’s a quinolone antibiotic. And, like every other pharmaceutical, it is not 100% safe and utterly risk-free.1<\/a><\/sup><\/p>\n

But I figure that it’s much less risky to try using an antibiotic to deal with a urinary tract infection, than ignore what’s happening and hope for the best.<\/p>\n

<\/a>Prayer and Making Sense<\/h4>\n

\"Sb2s3's<\/a>If you’ve been reading my stuff, then you’ve read why I think prayer is a good idea.<\/p>\n

And why I don’t think prayer and medicine aren’t an either\/or situation.<\/p>\n

I don’t remember how long it’s been since I talked about this, so here’s how I see life, health and using my brain.<\/p>\n

Being healthy is okay. Being sick is okay. What matters is how I act. It’s even okay to help others get or stay healthy. Life and physical health are “precious gifts.” Taking care of both is a good idea. Within reason. Obsessing over either isn’t. (Catechism of the Catholic Church, 1509, 2288-2291, 2292-2296)<\/p>\n

Prayer isn’t always easy, but it’s always possible. Which is a good thing, because living as a Christian without prayer doesn’t work. Prayer is what makes sharing the love Jesus has for us possible. (Catechism, 2742-2745)<\/p>\n

Happily, I’ve kept up my daily prayer routine this month. Although one day I didn’t do my ‘noon’ set until around 4:00 p.m. Maybe there’s some deep spiritual significance there, but I figure being feverish and mentally fogbound was a factor.<\/p>\n

<\/a>Part of a Majority? Me?!<\/h4>\n

\"Brian<\/a>I’ll admit that going along with 80% of everyone in the state feels a bit odd.<\/p>\n

Back when my number-two daughter and son-in-law were jumping through the bureaucratic hoops of adoption procedures, she picked three words to describe me:<\/p>\n