Dundalk Day 5

 What is next? That is the big question.  I contacted my travel insurance carrier and they said I would need a PCR test for me to be reimbursed for my travel plans. I was able to arrange a test but it is some distance away. It is day 5 since my first test, so I arranged a taxi with the front desk. At 9:30 I went outside with my kn95 mask and told the driver I had Covid and that I needed a PCR test. I was not sure if he was going to take me, but after talking with his boss and deciding it was day 5 he would take me. We left the windows open a bit and I sat as from him as possible. Please pray with me he does not get it. He has had it before and he needs gallbladder surgery soon!🙏🙏🙏

I told him that I am scheduled to fly tomorrow but trying to find a plane for Monday, which will be 10 days since onset. Believe me I have spent a lot of time trying to figure out when it will be safe for me to fly. I have relied a lot on my friend Scotti and her daughter Erin who is in the healthcare field to give me advice in the last couple days. The driver thinks I should just go ahead and fly since I will be beyond my fifth day and I can wear my mask. I don’t think it’s fair to anybody else for me to fly on that small crowded vessel.  But I appreciated all of his concern and his thoughts. We actually had a really nice visit which turned out to be a 30 minute drive to testing at the testing site in Ardee.



The testing site was at Saint Bridget's Hospital. Well, I might not have been able to do the Saint Brigid’s Walk, but I was able to visit her hospital! I am grateful for that. It is an old hospital that is no longer the primary hospital but is now used for rehabilitation and mental health services. They have also located the county Covid testing site there. I had made an appointment for 10 o’clock, and when I got there, I was the only one in line. There were two clinicians, and they were so helpful and thoughtful. It did not cost me anything for the test. Less than five minutes later, I was on my way back to the hotel with my driver. The cost of the round-trip ride was €65. It's not cheap, but I have a verification tomorrow that I have COVID-19  in addition to my antigen test.  Wouldn’t I be surprised if it came up negative?

After returning to the hotel about an hour and a half after leaving the room, I got to work on getting a flight for Monday. I had made the original reservation through the Capital One Travel Plan. After quite a while on the phone, I discovered that I would not be able to change my reservation through them and that I would need to contact Alaska Airlines. After contacting Alaska Airlines, they said that Capital One had not made the reservation correctly and they could not change the reservation. They said they would cancel my reservation and reimburse me. Unfortunately, then, when I went online to find a reservation for Monday, I discovered that a one-way reservation this close to leaving would cost me three times what my initial reservation cost. The new reservation and the extended days in a motel will cost me almost as much as the original trip. Oh my! The advice of the taxi driver was beginning to sound better!

I decided I needed some moral support. I called Doug and he said just do what you need to do, and we will figure it out. Then I called my friend Scotti, and she confirmed with me again that the 10 days was the best thing to do and that she thought I should call the insurance company again. So, with some bolstering, I called the insurance company again, and they said that the extra flight cost and lodging, including food, would also be covered. So I said OK, I will continue trying to make my reservation. 

On another note, I had not added international travel to my Verizon plan because I had been using WhatsApp, mostly to talk to Doug daily. However,  since Monday I have been trying to add it to my plan knowing that I would need to be making these phone calls to make changes. Unfortunately,  every time I would get to the place of adding the plan I would just get a blank image. Our family is all under my sister Kate‘s plan, so I had to text her and ask her if she could add a travel plan for me. Gratefully, she was able to get that done, and we had a conversation about access to it. Thank you Kate!

So, after lots of ins and outs, about 7 o’clock last night I finally have reservations to return on Monday, 10 days after the beginning of getting sick.

I am tired tonight. I guess I’m still experiencing some of that Covid fatigue. My nose is still stuffy, and I am coughing because of the drainage of my throat. I am not sure how I will spend the next few days, I am pretty restricted. Apparently, after having Covid for five days and wearing a mask, I can venture out. However, I still can’t eat out and must be very careful about being in public places. So, I will see where this takes me over the next few days. 

I am thankful for everyone’s prayers and concerns. Your prayers have helped me cope with my isolation and rest in God‘s plan.

Prayer

Mother God, I thank you for the nurturing I have received from so many people. I am thankful for the hotel staff, taxi drivers, health providers, friends, and family. I pray for your guidance for the few days I have left here in Ireland. I pray that I might make the most of them, being careful to guard my own healing and to be mindful of others and protect them from getting COVID-19.

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