Runaway June’s Jennifer Wayne is opening up about her battle with coronavirus. Now recovered, the 38-year-old was in California when she became sick, and is profoundly grateful for how well her body rallied.

“I was quarantining here in Malibu and there was one time that I went to the grocery store without my mom,” Jennifer recalled to People. “They were only allowing 20 people in the store at the time and you had to wait outside in line. I was standing behind a girl that was coughing. It was really windy that day and in my mind, I was thinking, ‘Oh my gosh, this is how I am going to get it.'”

Not only did Jennifer get it, but her symptoms came on suddenly –– and severely.

“March 31 was my mom’s birthday and that was the day I woke up with a dry cough,” Jennifer said. “The next day was my birthday and my entire body started aching. I mean, I was in excruciating pain. It felt like someone was literally crunching my back together. I knew something was very, very wrong.”

Jennifer contracted coronavirus just as the country was realizing its potential harm, and quickly self-isolated at her doctor’s advice.

“I would get up to go to the bathroom and I would be so exhausted that I would have to come back to bed and sleep for hours,” Jennifer recounted. “That lasted for a good five days. And then, I lost my sense of smell. That’s when I knew I had it.”

Jennifer, who miraculously did not pass it on to her parents, even though she was staying with them at the time, calls herself the “luckiest person alive” that she neither passed it to anyone else, or had as severe a case as some others. Although she was miserable for days, her illness and recovery taught her a powerful life lesson.

“I’m so hard on myself,” Jennifer conceded. “I’ve struggled with body issues and I have just been so critical of my body in the past, but it was my body that fought the virus and kept me safe. That’s my realization. I’m so thankful for my health and that I was able to fight off this virus. I definitely think this has changed me.”

Jennifer previously opened up on social media about the steps she took to help in her recovery.

“I loaded up on Vitamin C, Vitamin D3, B complex; chaga mushrooms and ZINC! Lots of Zinc,” revealed the singer. “I also drank more water and Gatorade than I ever have in my life. I wanted to flush that thing out of my system. Those vitamins and staying hydrated and rest were a lifesaver for me. I’ve read lots of articles about what to do as far as self-isolation etc… but not so many on what to do to combat it because there is so much unknown. But that seemed to really help me and I really felt I needed to share.”

Runaway June, which also includes Hannah Mulholland and Naomi Cooke, is back at radio with “Head Over Heels.” The song follows their recent Top 10 hit, “Buy My Own Drinks.” They plan to hit the road later this year with Luke Bryan, on his Proud to Be Right Here Tour. Find tour updates, and download or stream, by visiting RunawayJune.com.

Photo Credit: Courtesy of Broken Bow Records / John Scherrer