CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. (CLARKSVILLENOW) – Priscilla Dakin’s symptoms started in early June.

“I started having nausea, diarrhea, a cough and a low-grade fever,” Dakin said. “I was thinking it could be a stomach virus.”

When her 27-year-old son, who did not wish to be named, her 30-year-old son David “DJ” Slee Jr. and her boyfriend Jim Feenin also became ill, each with various symptoms, they went to the Montgomery County Health Department to get tested for COVID-19.

Both DJ and Feenin later found out they’d been exposed to COVID-19 through co-workers who tested positive at their workplaces, but they aren’t sure if that was the cause.

“It could’ve been any of them, or just from going to the grocery store,” Dakin said. “When my (youngest son’s) test came back as positive, I knew it wasn’t good. We all went and got tested, and we were all positive.

“When I saw my results were positive, I started crying. I have had strokes, and I knew this could kill me. I knew my son has medical issues too, and I was scared to lose my baby boy. It’s scary stuff, because you don’t know from one day to the next how you will feel.”

Stressful quarantine

Each of the family members quarantined in their homes and fought their symptoms as best as they could.

“COVID, it works you out. It works your whole system out from the fever, tiredness and nausea,” Dakin said. “You don’t know where to go or what to do.”

Dakin, 56, and Feenin, 61, live in the same house, so they quarantined at home. Dakin’s youngest son shares a home with two roommates, and he quarantined in his room. Slee quarantined in his apartment.

“It was stressful,” Dakin said. “When I talked to my (youngest son), and he couldn’t breathe, I knew something was wrong. He didn’t tell me how bad it was, but later told me he couldn’t even stand to take a shower he was so weak. DJ had chest pains. It was hard as a parent. You want to be there for your kids and you can’t. I didn’t want to give it to my youngest son’s roommates so we stayed home. We texted since he couldn’t breathe well asking how each other were doing. It was not fun.”

The family had various symptoms including extreme fatigue, lethargy, pain, coughing, vomiting, severe breathing issues, chest pain and more.

“There’s nothing you can do but take Tylenol, Motrin and stay hydrated. I ate popsicles. I lost my appetite and just ate soup,” Dakin said. “DJ lost his sense of smell, Jim was vomiting and coughing. He’s usually a busy person, but he was sleeping a lot.”

Dakin said it took about three weeks to start feeling better. Jim and DJ both had to be retested and await results to return to work. They all were eventually retested and tested negative for COVID-19.

She said she still has a lingering cough that occurs in fits after feeling hot.

Family may be facing second round

This week, they are dealing with the realization that one of them may have it again.

“I started showing symptoms again, and one of the guys I work closely with tested positive,” Slee said. “It’s the same feeling. The only difference is this time I haven’t lost smell. The worst symptoms have been the chest pains.”

Slee said, through heavy coughs, that he plans to stay hydrated, await his results and rest. On Thursday, July 16, it took him 4 1/2 hours to get tested at Richview Middle, where the COVID-19 testing site has temporarily relocated to prepare for early voting.

“I know if you get real bad or have difficulty breathing, go to the hospital,” he said. “It will take a week or longer for my results due to the longer lines. I’ll survive though. I survived the first time.”

‘I will not go anywhere without my mask’

Dakin encourages prevention and testing.

“It’s not going away. I don’t care what President Trump says, it’s not going away. People need to be proactive and keep your family and yourself safe. … Get tested to have the confirmation in case something serious happens, especially if you have underlying issues.”

And, above all, wear the mask, Dakin said.

“People are complaining about Kroger and Walmart and having to wear a mask. I was walking around with no mask before I got sick. Now, I won’t go anywhere without my mask. It’s a horrible thing, and it’s not stopping anytime soon. So just wear the mask; just do it if not to protect yourself to protect others.”

The family faced tragedy in 2018 when her grandson, David Slee III, affectionally known as “Monkey,” died at just 7 years-old. He had been abused by his mother when he was just 8 months old and suffered from brain damage and a seizure disorder.

Had he been alive, she said he would’ve caught COVID-19 too.

“He would’ve suffered. His little lungs were messed up from the pneumonia, and I wouldn’t have forgiven myself if he got it,” Dakin said. “People need to protect their families, and whether they want to or not, just wear the mask.”