Sal Cruz, Drumline Instructor

What were your symptoms?

“Well, my daughter, wife and I all got it around the same time. My daughter and I only got mild symptoms (fever for one day and loss of taste and smell which at that time (last March when we got it) was not a recognized symptom.”

How long did it take for you to get better?

“My daughter and I were only sick for one day of fever but the loss of taste and smell lasted about two weeks. My wife was really sick for a full week and got better the following week.”

Did you think it was Covid at first?

“I did not think it was Covid at first although my son whose long-time girlfriend was close to becoming a doctor at the time informed us of how serious this “Covid” thing was and how it was going to get way worse before it got better and to take any sickness/symptoms seriously.
I honestly thought my family just had a cold and not Covid-19. What was very sad and scary for my family when we got Covid is it was so early in testing, knowing what symptoms were, and confirmed cases in Topeka that all the people we were told to call told us “we did not have enough symptoms to be tested”.

It was not until my wife got really sick with over six symptoms that we were finally allowed to get tested. We were not going out places or being careless, we just happened to be a family that got it and had to deal with it.

I can’t believe it has been almost a year since we went through all the fear/sickness. I feel horrible for anyone who has had it or who has lost family and friends to this pandemic.”

What did you do to get better?

“My whole family quarantined, rested, read up on the virus, and stayed away from family and friends for over 3 weeks. My sadness moment through the sickness was having to talk to my son through the kitchen window with a mask on and over 15 feet apart. We did have several blessings of family and friends (a wonderful close THS faculty member) who brought groceries and meals to our driveway through that rough and scary time for my family.

No matter how people feel about politics, religion, is Covid real? fake? etc…….Covid-19 saw no color, political view, or religious beliefs. It simply was a rare sickness that changed a lot of people’s lives forever.

I will tell you that it made me realize with all my blessings of years of teaching and students it made me realize how fragile life is but how important time and family are.

My family and I were very lucky to survive this awful sickness and I pray for all of those who lost loved ones or were close to losing their own lives.”