Coronavirus

[lighter]

Wow, P:
What an amazing place to think and heal for a bit.  Someplace away from the raging.  You'll think more clearly....without all the static and panic if you're away from W for a bit, IME.

You might even recognize your old self and welcome her back, glad to see her again. 

I will say this..... before you file divorce IF you file.... you might want to be staying at the cabin BEFORE filing so it doesn't appear you've abandoned the home and W..... it's just the way things were when you filed. 

It's OK to take time on your own, particularly with W upset over Covid. He might be all for your staying at the Cabin for a 2 week period, should that seem prudent to you.

A gal could set appointments with attorneys, to get information.  She could find more clarity around her situation, with her T, hopefully. 

I'm glad you can ask your family for support and love.  You might need a safe place to stay, where people can intercept W for a while and document the situation...... give you W free space to grow stronger and more sure of what you want.

You might need touchstones to form a plan with and keep you on track with that plan.

You might need a shoulder to cry on and shared cup of coffee, but it's reassuring you can ask for what you need... when you know what those things are.

Breathe.  Slow  and steady.  Always come back to yourself, in the moment...... the joy in a cup of tea or coffee. The amazing river and rapids,. the eagle.... everything around you is reality.  W problems aren't reality when you're away from him, so really sink into feeling safe and calm and in fellowship with your loved ones.

Lighter

[lighter]

How're you doing, P?

[Hopalong]

Lighter,
I'm sure you'd have said but since I'm being neurotic, did you re-test for Covid?

Hope all went well,
Hops

[lighter]

Hops:

DD19 was tested on days 5 and 7 after initial exposure.



She didn't exhibit any symptoms and both tests were Negative.

Lighter

[Hopalong]

Got it.
I was asking if you got re-tested yourself, is all.

hugs
Hops

[lighter]

No, Hops.  I didn't get tested.


Lighter

[Phyll]

Hi, I am back from my trip and am so glad I went.  I wrote a long post yesterday but somehow I lost it!

I remained (for the most Part) quarantined for 5 days after the funeral service and picked up a COVID test from Walgreen's on my way back.  You would think they would encourage the purchase through the drive thru pharmacy, but they sent me into the store at the front register.  It was negative.  I feel fine and from my closest relatives who attended the event, I hear no reports of COVID-like illness.

It was soooo good to connect with my family last Saturday.  I am glad I made the decision to attend.  It was healing and uplifting on many levels. I did not wear the mask like I said I would, but kept upwind and somewhat distanced at the cemetery and later outside at Brother B and N's house.

I enjoyed my solitude after.  Spent the first 2 nights at the resort. On Sunday I explored a state park with waterfalls and areas I had not been to before   The next 3 nights I stayed at the hotel near my cabin.  It was very peaceful at the Cabin.  The river level was lower so the music it played was quieter. Amadeus did not disappoint.  He put on quite a show soaring in large circles above my section of the river.  I did some painting and journaling.  I got in the river to cool off at one point but the slippery rocks were too much of a challenge for me to navigate.  Very few bugs outside.

My Brother B came by one day to mow the lawn, tack down the screens in the gazebo, and get the gas stove running for me.  We had a nice long chat about his wife, our family, and each other.  He is a dear man.

My last morning I got up early to see the sun rise.  It appeared as a big orange ball low in the sky as I drove to he cabin.  The steam was coming up from the river.  As the sun peeked over the trees  he  steam burned off and its light reflected off the rapids.  Got some nice photos..

W  is still the same, but I am tolerating/keeping boundaries  better than before I left.  More on that elsewhere...

[Hopalong]

That sounds SO lovely.
I'm really glad you had a happy, healing time.
I could see it vividly.

Back to my usual nagg...you'll be getting a second test too? I forget the interval but just to be sure after not using precautions with folks not in your household, I think a second one is recommended.

Doesn't sound like you've done a super-spreader though. And the nature sounded like HEAVEN.

So pleased for you, Phyll.
Fingers crossed on W.

hugs
Hops

[Hopalong]

My good-friend neighbor's hubby has Covid. Breakthrough. She's testing tomorrow.

Both fully vaxxed. This is a high-vax area, generally. Delta is a new beast. Scary.

She said he's pretty sick (they went to the ED for his test) but so far his breathing's not compromised. He was very ill months ago (unrelated, but hospitalized). He'll go to the Covid clinic Tuesday. I'm concerned for them. Many of my friends are in their late 60s or 70s, and many don't seem to remember that by definition we're at higher risk than our younger friends.

Brings it home when it's a stone's throw away. I've already started my higher-cautions routine. I boycotted my own Covenant Group's potluck last night since it was too hot to be outdoors and our host's house is tiny. Indoors, you have to take off your mask to eat or drink, and one of us is 80. Plus there's lots of loud talk and laughter when we get together. Sigh. A couple others decided not to go too and so just four got together. My 80 y/o friend reported "we sat in different corners" so I know they were careful as they could be.

Can't wait for the heat to break. I'm going to soak up every chance I get to meet friends one-or-two on one, outdoors, while we can. And later, bonfire!

hugs
Hops

[lighter]

Welcome back, P!

So happy to read your update. All that lovely nature and splashing and fellowship with beloved family members.

Good for you. 

I look forward to more updates about the trip and how W is handling his anxiety.

Lighter

[Phyll]

The Walgreen's test kit I purchased came with 2 tests.  I have not had any symptoms or reports of any family members at the funeral having any symptoms. 

The only face to face contacts I have had since the pandemic began in March 2020 were during the 2 court hearings to get the restraining order against our neighbor (and we all wore masks), the week I spent with friends while seeing doctors to find out why I was so sick, the 2 days in jury duty in which I was the only one to wear a mask, and this funeral service.  Otherwise, W and I have managed to order supplies on-line, with curb pick up for groceries and drive through or pharmacy deliveries. 

I have one more Jury Duty day scheduled for tomorrow.  I call in tonight to see if there will be a trial.  I really hope it will be cancelled, as the last 2 were.  I plan on refusing if a jury trial is  scheduled. I truly enjoyed the jury duty experience, but they are not taking any precautions against COVID. I guess they did in May but not anymore.  I called about it a couple weeks ago, and questioned why they would not follow the recommendations of the county's own health department. I was told it is up to the judge, and that I could wear a mask. She transferred me to speak with the judge's assistant - I left a message but never got a call back. Hopefully I won't be left in the position of having to refuse, and if I do, I hope they ( ) don't put me in jail! ()

[lighter]

P:

I don't think they'd put you in jail for failing to show up and I don't blame you for not putting yourself in harm's way.

My DD19 likely took that same 2 part Covid test.... you take it on the 5th and 7th days after any exposure.  The pharmacist said it was very reliable..... in the high 90% for Negatives and the mid 80% for positives, though I haven't found any consistent information about that.

Lighter

[Hopalong]

We just got an alert from our health district that local transmission is now officially High, and everyone should mask indoors in public, avoid all large gatherings, stay 6' away from others including indoors, and of course (though too late for delta) get the vax. What a shame what's happened in this country to prevent herd immunity ever happening. Unconscionable.

A month ago the daily case rate (cases per 100,000) was 18. Today it's 56 and climbing. The surge is underway. So much for folks who need hospital access for "ordinary" treatments.

I wish my covenant group hadn't cozied up in a small house for potluck the other night. Fingers crossed, it was just 4 of them but it's a very small house. Neighbor is still waiting for her test result.

Dang. I've got a date tomorrow. Outdoors at a restaurant but I don't have a detailed sense of the spacing. Maybe I'll just call the place, and check its website.

[Twoapenny]

I'm keeping everything crossed for you guys, things are pretty grim here at the moment as well.  Numbers have dipped slightly but it's still very high and I expect likely to stay that way as so many just can't not go to work.  I feel dreadful at the moment, no Covid symptoms but I've ordered a test just in case, seems sensible to check even though the symptoms aren't present.  Not expecting it to be positive but it will stop me wondering about it.  Have rescheduled the carpet installation - feel dreadful, son is really struggling, ought to check it's Covid, friends were coming to stay and I was stressing about how much they've been out over the summer with the numbers so high and our boiler seems to have packed up so someone is supposed to be coming out to look at that on Friday as well (that's assuming I don't test positive).  I just can't get everything organised and manage so many people in and out of the house on one day as well as manage son's rising difficulty and my own as well.  So I've rescheduled the carpets, told son we will unpack his room if he wants to and repack it when we do get the carpets done.  Cancelled the friends and will cancel the boiler guy if my test comes back positive, which I'm hoping it doesn't.  It's all so frantic, the guy at the carpet shop said he's spending half his day rescheduling things as people are having to change dates and staff are having to stay home for various reasons.  It's all just such a big mess.  Hope you guys are all okay over there xx

[lighter]

Old friend D's husband has pneumonia in an Atlanta hospital.

The regular ICU is full of COVID patients, so he's been in a secondary ICU unit.... I think that's been named ICU Blue.  His bed was needed by someone else so he's been transferred to the next level of care, I forget what that's called, but he should go home today.

The gist of this is...... Atlanta's hospitals are at capacity.  D and her h had to wait 6 hours in the emergency room for a bed....and his oxygen levels were at 74& which is really bad. 

During his stay, he missed regular antibiotic treatments (nebulizer) and walking excercises to determine his oxygen levels, bc staff can;t provide all patients with the care they're suppoed to have and that's just the way it is. 

D said everything is about stuffing a pill into patient's faces...... your h can't poop? Here.... take some meds and that's the way it is with every symptom..... here swallow this.... here, lets put this in your IV.... here, have another pill and then THIS pill for the worst symptom created by that pill. 

Yes, this friend and her hubby see the same nutritional practitioner.  The husband smoked for 50 years and is paying for it, PLUS he goes back and forth between Western and the Nutritional/functional medicine...... he's on a few "standard" drugs for his heart and lungs...... has taken his 3rd break from seeing the Nutritional Practitioner, but I'm guessing fear will drive him into her office this week.  Not being able to breathe or walk is a terrifying motivator.

He recently had his heart shocked to establish a regular heartbeat..... and that went very well.  Better than the docs thought it would, so there's that happy bit of news on their home front..

He'll have an oxygen tank when he returns home..... won't be able to get up or down the 2 flights of stairs in their townhome, unfortunately. 

D was hoping the renovation would be finished at the lake house so they could live here while renovating their master bathroom..... her h shouldn't be breathing that kind of dust.

I'm afraid things have stood still here for 2 weeks..... this would be the third week if contractor remains off site, which appears to be the case AND there's' certainly no shortage of renovation dust so that won't work.

I think they're considering installing an elevator. That seems crazy to me, but selling and moving seems daunting to them right now.

Lighter