Cagulada, John Ralph D.
Block 2
Reaction Paper : My Journey with Covid 19 Pandemic
On the 15th of March 2020, my anxiety was on its peak. Bohol closed its borders and no
one knows how long will I get stuck in Cebu in the middle of a pandemic.
The struggle during the early days of the pandemic was really hard. Medical school was
already tough but the pandemic made it worse. The privilege of getting support and
consolation from your classmates was taken away by the current situation. Failures
during this time is unacceptable knowing that all I have is the four corners of my room.
Luckily, I am not alone during the quarantine. My younger sister, who works in an
accounting firm in Cebu, lives with me. We need to constantly update our parents who
are in Bohol so as to keep their peace of of mind. Our dormitory doesn’t allow us to
cook food, so we need to buy it from cerenderias outside or from the delivery services,
with the fear of unknowingly contracting the virus. Doing the grocery is also an
additional hassle. All forms of public transportation have been suspended so we have to
walk to the mall or the nearest convenience store just to buy our basic needs. Again, the
chances of getting infected with the virus gets higher. Moreover, our dormitory is a
home to a lot of nurses and other healthcare workers. There was once a COVID scare
when one of our dormmates tested positive. This adds up to our anxiety knowing that
staying at home still makes us vulnerable to the disease. This was our dilemma during
the first three months of the pandemic.
However, we have to look for ways to keep our sanity. We constantly do videocalls with
our family and assure them that we are safe. I know it is also not easy on my parents’
end since it was the first time when both of us were staying away from them. In addition,
I and my sister attend online masses in order to keep an active faith amidst the
pandemic. The coronavirus helped me rediscover the joy of watching series and
movies. Netflix and YouTube became my friends during the isolation.
On the third month of the quarantine, a ray of light was shed. Bohol announced that it
will help the locally-stranded individuals get home. The excitement of going home
temporarily overshadowed my anxiety. Finally, we were able to get home on the 20 th of
June 2020, which happens to be my mother’s birthday.
I thought that the suffering ends by this time. But I was wrong, it was just a prelude to a
bunch of problems. My father’s mental health was also affected by the pandemic. We
have to bring him to Dr Bueno, his psychiatrist, and was clinically diagnosed with
anxiety. Months later, I lost my Lolo’s brother, who has been our family driver for years.
I also broke-up with my 2-year boyfriend due to infidelity issues. If you think I already
had too much on my plate, you are wrong.
In the midst of the pandemic and my personal problems, I need to continue my medical
education online. Third year medschool came and it made everything worse. We have
to do everything solo- study solo, have mental breakdowns solo, fail exams solo, and
cry solo. This is hard for a human being who was originally designed as social species
that relies on cooperation to survive and thrive. But thankfully, I survived third year
trough God’s grace and my friend- Remaelachy.
A week after the end of third year, another family dilemma came. My father was caught
cheating with our househelp. I felt sorry for my mom. I can’t imagine that pain that she
had during that time. But as their eldest son, I have to man up and prematurely fulfill the
responsibilities that my father failed to during those trying times. No one wants a broken
family, so I decided to confront my father and initiate reconciliation.
My new boyfriend and my desire to reward my family, especially my mom, after all that
she’s been through, motivates me to keep going.
Without any doubt, this year has been an avalanche of emotions for me, but that didn’t
stop me from living my life the way I want it to be. I had my own share of breakdowns,
darkness, and depression. I had bunch of sleepless and drunken nights. I have cried a
bucket of tears. But I have figured out how to be brave in facing mine and someone
else’s demons. The past two years have been tough, but I realized I am tougher. As
cliché as it may sound, nothing good comes easy.
In the end, I can confidently say that I am ready for whatever the coming years bring.
