Muffler Shop Musings

By Ricky Swindle

Howdy, friends!

I knew the exact moment it happened.

At 6:45 last Friday morning I was brushing my teeth and realized I couldn’t taste the toothpaste. I reached into the medicine cabinet and retrieved my cologne. Two squirts and no smell, uh oh, business just picked up.

I went to my office to have my daughter run one of the Walgreens Covid tests on me. We have several of them we purchased for days such as Friday.

Test confirmed, I’m hot for Covid, and so is my brother.

My wife called the hospital to see what the protocol is to get the monoclonal antibody infusion. First thing you have to have is a confirmed test from your health provider.

Dr. Linder’s office at The Batesville Clinic, my doctor, now does rapid tests. So, down the street I went.

The next thing that takes place after your clinic confirms the case is a referral to the hospital for the treatment.

Dr. Linder took care of that end as I was retreating to my truck.

My wife called the hospital to confirm the order went through. There was one spot open for the afternoon round and I was on the list.

It was all about timing and if I would have stalled a few minutes I would have lost my spot for the infusion until later in the week. Anyone who knows my wife will know the words stall, wait, or any procrastinating verbiage will not be found in her vocabulary.

I’m lucky to have her. She compensates for my many weaknesses.

I was placed in a room in the hospital with others receiving the same treatment. There was one nurse and I knew her personally. She was busy as a beaver hooking everyone up for the infusion. Everyone was masked and playing on their phones, myself included.

The treatment lasts one hour, and they keep you there an extra hour to monitor and make sure there are no adverse reactions.

When leaving, they offered a $10 vitamin pack to add to the treatment. It is a neat little pack of everything you need all divided up and marked for days of the week. They gave me two weeks worth and for $10 I figure they are just covering costs.

I am doing very well mind you. The only symptoms I have suffered are the loss of taste or smell. I have had no fever or all the other issues that are Covid related, and I am grateful to The Good Lord for all His many blessings.

No taste or smell is a strange sensation though. My wife, along with being a tedious, taking care of business type lady, is also a wonderful cook. Look at me. I did not get this extra-large by myself.

I very much miss the smell of the great dishes she prepares. And to eat just to basically sustain life, and not enjoy the goodness of  food, is kind of like being cheated meal wise.

When my senses do return, I plan to savor, and not take for granted the little things that we all never give a second thought about.

Also, I have taken some bantering on social media for not only taking the vaccine, but condoning it, too. I’ll tell you this, as many people as I have seen and heard about whose Covid cases are so much more drastically worse than mine, I’ll re-do February and take those shots all over again any day.

As a matter of fact, as soon as my body overcomes this virus, you can bet the farm I will get my booster shot.

I believe it made all the difference in the world as to the degree of my symptoms. I am happy to be sitting inside my home writing this article for you today than being on a ventilator in the hospital.

I believe in using the tools available, whether it is the vaccine or the antibody infusion. You don’t have to agree and I respect your decision when it comes to your personal healthcare. But I sure am glad I took the vaccine.

Who knows? I may have had the same symptoms without the vaccine.

As Vern Gosdin sang “When It’s Chiseled In Stone,” it’s a little bit late for re-thought.

I want to go to Heaven, but there are a lot of things I want the opportunity to see on this Earth before I’m gone, and all those things involve my five GrandHeathens.

I’ve got to do what I can for me, for them.

Take care of yourself folks, and hope all y’all dodge this Covid mess. I’m on your team.