On Tuesday, December 21, I took a dreaded PCR test just days before Christmas and was shocked to see the result come back positive the next day.
My heart dropped. I'm asymptomatic and don't feel ill in the slightest, but took a test as a precaution before planning to spend the festivities with my family.
However, in that split second, I knew Christmas was no more. No matter what people say, when you live alone and have to isolate, it's no longer about Christmas, it's about survival.
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I wasn't going to risk my family and I was forced to isolate just before Christmas.
This is the short story of how I spent my Christmas Day, while families, friends and couples up and down the country came together to celebrate.
For a start, I was entitled to a lie-in. Something I have never done in my life on Christmas Day.
Despite gradually growing older and losing the inner-child's excitement within me, I missed being woken up by my younger sister's who were both excited to start the day and open presents.
I would often be nursing the hangover from the pub the evening before and being forced out of bed never felt good as I groggily opened my eyes. However, I surprisingly missed that feeling this year.
It almost became a tradition to be woken up by my sisters desperate to begin Christmas Day, and I lost that this year, instead I woke up alone at 11am.
Unfortunately, I've not opened a single present. Being locked away has limited drop-offs and stopped the possibility of sharing the live reactions with family members as you appreciate your gifts - something I always loved.
Take away the presents, annual dog walk, drinking, games and family presence, the only thing left that symbolised Christmas for me was the dinner.
Thankfully I've got an incredible mum who dropped off a turkey dinner as a surprise with just the vegetables to boil and the plate to re-heat.
I saved the plate until all my family sat down at their home and we shared a facetime call where I was able to join them, albeit virtually, for the occasion.
Although it wasn't normal, the thought and appreciation was there and it cheered me up in isolation.
I poured myself a Christmas drink, but something just doesn't sit right about drinking by myself, and while everyone else drinks off the food coma, I instead volunteered to work the day to distract my mind from the festivities.
In truth, it doesn't feel like Christmas, it feels like any other day in the calendar and I can't wait to be out of isolation.
But for now, I'm thankful my friends and family have been checking up on me, messaging and calling me and have been very understanding of my situation.
Presuming I test negative on days six and seven, I'm hoping to have a late Christmas celebration with my immediate family - so at least I've got something to look forward to.
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