LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) — "I felt normal. I felt like a regular person."
That was Meghan Harpole's reaction after she got to take a couple of brief walks around her neighborhood Monday. It was the first time she felt some kind of normal in the 32 days since she first got symptoms for COVID-19.
"I could only go a couple of blocks before I started breathing fast and my heart rate went up," Harpole said. "But I was excited to go two blocks. Tomorrow, I'll try to go three blocks."
The healthy, active 43-year-old nurse and single mother of one has had a couple of negative tests for the coronavirus in the last week but realizes the road to recovery needs to be a slow one.
"My feeling was I'd test negative then 'All right, let's do this. Let's do life. I'm ready.' And no," Harpole said. "I was completely humbled when I got sick on day 20. I did too much, and COVID said 'No, you're not doing that today.' I need to be self-aware and listen to my body."
She's also been warned that she could still get the virus again.
"My doctor told me that I need to basically pretend like I've never had COVID, because there's a chance I could get reinfected," Harpole said. "He told me there's about a 10-15% chance I could reactivate, and it can be anywhere from when I test negative to months after. So that's concerning. I'm worried, because I can't do this again."
That included times when she wasn't sure she was going to make it, long nights and days of throwing up and feeling weak and feeling so sore that she thought her bones might break.
Now, Harpole hopes to get back to work in some limited capacity in a week or so, buoyed by the outpouring of support she and her 13-year-old son Gentry have received from family and friends throughout this ordeal. The latest was shown in a front yard full of encouraging signs that she was surprised to see Sunday.
"I saw the signs. I just cried. I cried," Harpole said. "It just felt like so much love, and to be loved when you feel so isolated is an amazing feeling. I'm so forever grateful."
"Every meal, every grocery, every medication — my son and I would not have survived without the amazing village that I have and this amazing community. I know I can't repay them, but my goal is to pay it forward to somebody else in any way I can for the rest of my life. I'm forever indebted."
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