By Elder Lynette Shek
Some of you may know that my parents and I were infected with COVID in the first week of March. God was gracious and merciful in how the events developed, and in healing all of us. My father was the first person to test positive on a Tuesday, so I had to make sure that he was taken care of, and the rest of the family were isolated from him. The helper and I tested positive 2 days later, and mum the day after us on Friday. On the day that mum was still negative, I needed someone to help look after her. Two church members who had recently recovered from COVID graciously came to help, and in fact stayed the night to care for her. For that, we are deeply grateful.
We were all picked up early because my friends had told me that swabbing the throat gives a positive result earlier and more accurately than doing a nasal swab. In fact, all of us had negative nasal swabs on the first day of diagnosis despite a positive throat swab. In God’s perfect timing, I had taken leave for the week after, and therefore did not have to worry about cancelling meetings or rearranging clinics. I had tried to book a room in a retreat centre for my week off, but no rooms were available. God knew I would not be able to go well before I did! It turned out that I would be using those days to care for the family and to rest.
I am also thankful because dad fell on the Thursday morning as he was feeling groggy and had to be admitted to hospital because he had a nasty bruise on his forehead. It turns out that this was a blessing in disguise. A chest X-ray was done on admission and this picked up early pneumonia. As a result of this, he was started on the new oral anti-viral drug, Paxlovid that had only come to Singapore hospitals 2 days earlier! I am thankful that he had to be admitted and the X-ray was done as it would not have been if he had stayed at home.
Mum also had her share of excitement. She tested positive on Friday, and I am thankful it was not over the weekend, which made it easier to inform her doctors (mum has a chronic lung infection). Due to her underlying condition, she too qualified for Paxlovid! However, they needed a blood test before that, and amazingly, she had one done 3 months before when she was unwell! At that time, I thought the blood test was unnecessary, but God was planning for the future! The hospital delivered the medicines to us without me having to bring her in for a blood test. This taught me that God allows things to happen for a purpose. How wonderful to know that He is in control of our lives.
There are so many other things and people I am thankful for. I am thankful that we got infected with Omicron and not Delta or the earlier variants which can cause more severe disease. I am thankful for my CG which was a wonderful support, sending food, getting us ART kits and delivering all these to us. I am thankful for the many people who prayed for my family. We are indeed a family in The Bible Church, and I do hope that all of us would be comfortable to reach out to each other when help is needed. All praise and glory to God.