Yesterday (Tuesday) I had some adventures.
I took my newly-acquired cloth mask and drove to Tallahassee Primary Care Associates for bloodwork. TPCA has it going on, for sure. Two ladies sat at a table outside the front door and did a little screening interview: have I traveled? am I sick? do I have a fever? have I been around anyone who is sick? Since all my answers were in the negative, they then asked what I was there for, and I said bloodwork. Their response was funny: "Go ahead, you should get right in, you are the only one here."
And sure enough, I was the only one in the waiting area. I went right in, was greeted by the lab tech, sat right down - and couldn't figure out what to do with my big fat purse. So I kept it in my lap, trying not to touch the arms of the chair. This is truly an alternate universe.
A big downside of wearing a cloth mask: muffled speech. Plus no one can see me smile. I felt myself smiling at people. I wondered if they were smiling at me. I don't think I like this mask thing at all.
After the lab, I stopped at Publix to pick up a prescription and the four things they didn't have when I shopped on Friday. They had all four. Now I am resolved to stay away from Publix for two weeks, for sure.
Positive tests continue to show up in our county. I'm truly worried about how our hospitals will cope. My feeling is that the lack of quick turnaround testing has so seriously exacerbated this problem that even our little community might be overwhelmed. Since folks showing up at the hospital are untested, the assumption must be that they have the virus, thereby calling for full PPE for staff who care for them. The vast majority turn out to not have the virus, but much safety equipment has been expended over the ridiculous amount of time it takes to get test results. This is inefficiency and dangerous mismanagement of the highest order.
Assigning blame at this point seems to be a waste of time - but I continue to feel that NO ONE IS TRYING TO FIX IT. We so desperately need a quick turnaround test. I know they exist - powerful people are getting it. Why isn't it available at least for our hospitals? No one seems to be able to answer that question.
Uncertainty. It's getting increasingly tough to deal with.
Wednesday, April 8, 2020
Monday, April 6, 2020
Pandemic journal - Thursday, April 2 - Sunday, April 5, 2020
One would think I had a busy life, given my lack of journaling for the past few days. And really, things have been a bit busy - but in a different way from my usual routine. I have spent much time either preparing for videoconference meetings or participating in them, and because my comprehension level about the technology is a bit shaky, it's pretty exhausting to try and hang on.
SO - thoughts from the last few days:
Things I have noticed:
1. People look pretty awful on the screen. I have renewed admiration for screen actors, and especially for their makeup and hair people. No one has makeup. No one has had a haircut for weeks. No one is shaving.
2. There are far more children in our neighborhood than I realized. With the beautiful weather we have been having and with families staying at home, outside activity has increased considerably. And here I thought we were all old, retired people!
3. Along those lines, we have far more dogs than I realized. I assume most of these pets were inside their homes during the day while their families were at work and school. During my dog-walking times (7:30-ish in the morning and 5:00-ish in the afternoon), those dogs haven't been out and about. Nowadays, they are everywhere at all times. This presents some logistical problems for Miss Trudy and me, since she wants to engage with every single one of them.
4. Traffic - there isn't much. We are doing the occasional takeout meal and I am the designated fetcher. Our neighborhood empties into one of the busiest traffic arteries in town. Now, not so much. It's nice, but I feel guilty for being on the road. Small silver lining: I filled my gas tank two weeks ago, and have driven under 30 miles since then.
5. Fear. I need to get bloodwork done. Even though the large physician practice I call home has in-house lab services, and they promise that they have strict hygiene protocols in place, I still think - do I really want to go into a building with all those sick people?
6. Inertia, a problem I have had to be aware of in the past and work hard to avoid, has now become endemic in our house. We could be doing so much - that pantry really needs reorganizing. Instead, I read. I work on the World's Most Ridiculous Jigsaw Puzzle (three weeks and counting).
7. Symptoms. It's allergy season. My nose runs. I cough. I am hoarse. I gobble Vitamin C gummies and zinc drops. My symptoms don't go away, but they don't get worse. Safe for another day.
Today, which is a Monday (my favorite day of the week - a clean slate, as it were) and I have some things to do. Change the hummingbird feeder. Order some zinnia seeds from Amazon. Work on some paperwork for my sister. Host a Zoom meeting this evening with family members. And there's that damn puzzle ....
SO - thoughts from the last few days:
Things I have noticed:
1. People look pretty awful on the screen. I have renewed admiration for screen actors, and especially for their makeup and hair people. No one has makeup. No one has had a haircut for weeks. No one is shaving.
2. There are far more children in our neighborhood than I realized. With the beautiful weather we have been having and with families staying at home, outside activity has increased considerably. And here I thought we were all old, retired people!
3. Along those lines, we have far more dogs than I realized. I assume most of these pets were inside their homes during the day while their families were at work and school. During my dog-walking times (7:30-ish in the morning and 5:00-ish in the afternoon), those dogs haven't been out and about. Nowadays, they are everywhere at all times. This presents some logistical problems for Miss Trudy and me, since she wants to engage with every single one of them.
4. Traffic - there isn't much. We are doing the occasional takeout meal and I am the designated fetcher. Our neighborhood empties into one of the busiest traffic arteries in town. Now, not so much. It's nice, but I feel guilty for being on the road. Small silver lining: I filled my gas tank two weeks ago, and have driven under 30 miles since then.
5. Fear. I need to get bloodwork done. Even though the large physician practice I call home has in-house lab services, and they promise that they have strict hygiene protocols in place, I still think - do I really want to go into a building with all those sick people?
6. Inertia, a problem I have had to be aware of in the past and work hard to avoid, has now become endemic in our house. We could be doing so much - that pantry really needs reorganizing. Instead, I read. I work on the World's Most Ridiculous Jigsaw Puzzle (three weeks and counting).
7. Symptoms. It's allergy season. My nose runs. I cough. I am hoarse. I gobble Vitamin C gummies and zinc drops. My symptoms don't go away, but they don't get worse. Safe for another day.
Today, which is a Monday (my favorite day of the week - a clean slate, as it were) and I have some things to do. Change the hummingbird feeder. Order some zinnia seeds from Amazon. Work on some paperwork for my sister. Host a Zoom meeting this evening with family members. And there's that damn puzzle ....
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