23 December 2021
Dear Athena,
I think part of the reason Tauruses and Scorpios are opposite signs is that they’re both stubborn and tenacious.
I had a friend tell me yesterday that, while he’s wanted to tell me to sit down and take a breather, I be doing too much, he also gets it. His acting coach told him that before one gets what they really want is when it gets the toughest. I want The Waltz made. I want to found a Queerdom for my queer and trans babies before I leave this world. And most importantly, while being known for acting and writing and being a Duchess would be great, what I see in it is a means to support myself. Which is what I truly want. And why I work hard and can’t feel like I give up.
There’s that saying, in various iterations, of investing in oneself. I took a gamble on myself. All chips on Ava. All of my chips. I’m hoping the wheel is still spinning and the ball is still going and perhaps, perhaps I will achieve my aim.
Eddie has also told me he worries about how I push myself. Look, I know I’ve been running at red all year long. Same friend recounted what this year looked like, in reverse. Duchess Screenings at RoleCall Theatre. The Alliance Show. A Standardized Patient job I took on (incredibly fulfilling but incredbily exhausting emotionally and physically). Filming Could This Have Been An Email. Changing agencies. Rehearsals for the Alliance Show. Writing for the Alliance Show. The Harvest Cabaret. Rehearsals for the Harvest Cabaret. The Odd Couple. Attending Outfest, and the duchess screening there. Duchess Screening at Atlanta Underground Film Festival. Becoming a Sundance Fellow. Rehearsals for The Odd Couple. The Stonewall Tea. Planning for Stonewall Tea. Alice In Wonderland (absolute highlight of my year.) Rehearsals for Alice. Kicking off season 2 of The Ava Davis Show. There was a Zoom performance of a play for Proud Mary. There was a Zoom performance of a Shakespeare play.
Those are just the major highlights and broad strokes. I don’t think anyone doubts my work ethic, and I think at this point I’m long gone in proving that. Instead the motivation is — I’ve bet on myself. I have spent time, money, tears, sweat, and everything building up three brands — Ava Davis, The Ava Davis Show, and the Duchess of Grant Park. I’m pouring all subsequent energy into finding a way to make The Waltz happen.
So, the part two to this narrative is: catching the Rona.
What I know -
Thursday, 12:00 PM — Nose swabbed, PCR test. Came back negative. Performed at the theatre with strict covid policies in place. Had been tested the week before, and every month since Sept. All negative.
Friday: 3:00 PM, attend Agency Christmas Party, everyone vaxxed, no masks.
8:00 PM — record episode of TADS with two guest.
Sat. 8:00 PM — dinner with parents, brother, and GF, at Atlantic Station, wore mask up until eating
Sunday- no events.
Monday 1:30 PM — Lunch with a friend at an Indian restaurant. No masks, but also not many in a restaurant ( we were only diners)
8:00 PM — Duchess Screening at a local theater. Wore masks entirety indoors.
Here’s the timeline of symptoms:
Monday evening: slight scratchy throat but I don’t think anything about it. I’ll plead the fifth on activities that could have led to said scratchy throat and why I didn’t think twice about it.
Tuesday Morning, 7:00 AM I wake up. I feel tired, but again, if you go over that list of what I’ve done this year you’d be tired too. I think nothing of it.
7:30 AM — I leave for work, and text with my friend who’s getting tested that morning. They get their test done
7:45 AM — I get to the shop, open up. Turn on machines. Make a cup of coffee. Start emails.
8:00 AM — friend shows up at the shop, we both wear masks while I get orders ready for the day.
8–10ish — Friend and I hang out, kiki, and chat. I cough twice but don’t think much of it. Friend leaves so he can get food.
11:00 AM — start feeling worse. I look to make a PCR appointment, but the only one available is Thursday. I book it.
1:00 PM — I call my partner and tell him I think I have COVID, given the quick onset of symptoms that remind me of getting vaxxed and boosted.
2:00 PM — partner arrives at the shop, I go home.
4:00 PM — partner gets home with at-home test. I was going to go to one of the drive-thru places, but the lines were long and my fatigue was coming on incredibly bad. We do a test on me. It comes back faintly positive. Though the line gets darker as the day goes on. Partner tests negative.
6:00 PM full-on fever. 101.8. Vomiting. Body aches. Coughing. Overall malaise.
Wednesday, 3:00 AM — an oximeter is on the doorstep. I get it. Pulse is good, oxygen is good (>95%). Take Mucinex Night to manage cough and fever
7:00 AM — Settle in for a day of rest, while also trying to keep my lung whatever up. Get up to let animals out, take medicine. Every hour or so I try and force myself to move around.
8:00 AM — 7:00 PM — Symptoms remain steady. Seem less severe than onset symptoms. Headache/head pressure, swimmy-headedness, coughing, and fever ranging from 100.1–101.8. Alternate Mucinex day and night to control cough and keep fever checked (4-hour intervals )
9:00 PM go to bed, temp still hovering around 101
Thursday 3:00 AM — wake up drenched in sweat. Everything is soaked. Sheets. Pajamas, tshirt, cami. I get up and towel off, change clothes, but I already know. My fever broke. After I get dry, I take my temp. 98.0
8:00 AM — Except for a bit of foggy-headedness, and feeling a bit hot, mostly returned to normal.
I have a virtual visit in about an hour (I made this appointment Tuesday when I felt the symptoms coming on and this was the first one available). They may be able to find a PCR opening for me, but I’m not gonna cross fingers or hold my breath.
Update : It came back Positive. It’s official.
