'... going to work for them' Shelby, Montana teen writes how COVID-19 changed her life

Adria Lamb remembers learning about the coronavirus in one of her health classes when the respiratory illness was still in China.

"I had no idea that three months later it would be affecting my life so much," the 17-year-old Shelby High School junior said.

Lamb, a certified nurses assistant at Marias Heritage Center, said she called into work sick one day because she had a sore throat and had been "sneezing a bunch."

She said she got a call later that night that someone at the facility had tested positive for COVID-19 and staff was being tested as a precaution. There have been three deaths reported in Toole County related to COVID-19 as of Saturday and 12 confirmed cases of the virus.

"Little did I know that my test would come back positive," she said, adding she had to stay in home isolation for 14 days.

"This meant staying in my room or wearing a mask to my own bathroom then straight back to my room. I did end up getting sick and showing some mild symptoms. The biggest symptom was extreme shortness of breath doing simple everyday activities," she emailed the Tribune. "My chest also felt like I had an elephant sitting on it."

Lamb said she never had a fever and did have a very mild cough.

"My taste and smell was also very nonexistent, and is still kind of gone," she wrote.

Lamb said she should be allowed out of isolation on Tuesday, after two tests come back negative.

"I am feeling much better with most of my symptoms gone, and only a few more days of my isolation left to go," she said.

She posted about her experiences April 2 on Facebook. Below is some of what she said:  

When I started my journey to become a CNA I didn't know what the job would even consist of. I wasn't aware of the people I would get to know, or how much they would truly touch my heart with their stories and knowledge.

I learned to love going to work because it was simply like hanging out with 30 of my grandmas and grandpas. I quickly learned the desires and ways of each resident individually. I knew how one liked their bed made, and how another liked their back washed a specific way and the bathroom light left on at bedtime.

I found out how much the old people love their coffee and puzzles and would get very competitive with each other during bingo and cards. I learned that sitting down for a chat even though you had a million things to do could be the highlight of their days.

I never knew that I would quickly be holding hands with these strangers and telling them that God had more in store for them then they believed. I learned that being a CNA is so much more than performing baths and wiping butts.

 But about being there to wipe away tears and reassure them that everything is okay and there isn't anything to be scared about. It wasn't about going to work for the money anymore, but going to work for them.

Everyday that I had to work was another day that I got to help them live life. I was the one to hug them, tuck them in, wake them up, or make sure they all got food.

With so many unknowns, the biggest thing I didn't know was that Covid-19 was gonna completely change the way I looked at my job. When I was told that a resident had tested positive and I had to be tested, no amount of training, preparing, or precautions could have prepared me for what was gonna happen.

I didn't know that I would test positive and spend 2 weeks alone in my room. I didn't know that I would lose so many of my grandmas and grandpas to this silent killer. I didn't know that the last time I said I love you, or a simple hug to one of them would really be the last time.

But what I do know is that quarantine isn't a joke. You think staying in your house is bad? Imagine knowing that your grandma was sick and on the edge of living, and not being able to see her. Imagine being isolated in your room for 14 days and not being able to hug your siblings, parents, or even pets. Imagine losing one of your parents because they have asthma and you carried the virus into your house.

I know that you don't know or understand it, because I didn't either...

"I definitely have learned to not take anything for granted," Lamb wrote the Tribune. "Everything can change so fast and nothing is guaranteed."

"This whole journey has changed me so much (In a good way) and I've definitely felt all of the love from my community, and even surrounding communities," she said.

Lamb would not discuss any of the cases or people involved. She said she still works at the Heritage Center "and of course I'm still gonna go back, I'm looking forward to it actually."

"I'm still going to work there as much as I can in the future and love every minute of it. "

Reporter Phil Drake is our eye on the state capitol. For tips, suggestions or comment, he can be reached at 406-231-9021 or pdrake@greatfallstribune.com.