((((((Donna))))))* ~
In light of the pandemic chaos, this is good news. In "normal" times, your brother in law wouldn't have to wait. These, of course, are not normal times. Will he be at home, while he waits for surgery? Is he able to be with his family?
It must be so frustrating for you to be in isolation and unable to help or just be present for your sister and family. Even though you can't be together, I am sure that your love for each other is shining through the COVID cloud.
If you could have the goggles, gown, and mask that Nancy has, you could be there. I wondered whether any of our neighbors saw her walking up to our front door from the street. I could imagine someone being afraid that Jim or I have COVID-19 as a reason for her attire.
What a fantastic poem! Thank you for posting it. It speaks to all of our health care workers now, all of the delivery people, everyone, who is working to help us through this horrible crisis. They are carrying our water, sometimes in their bare hands without a pail.
The medical systems and care in every country contending with COVID-19 are in upheaval. South Korea and Iceland seem to have had a good handle on it, responding quickly. The countries, who didn't respond quickly, are the ones seeing the increases in COVID cases.
A giant mistake, in my opinion, occurred early on, when the CDC declared that masks weren't necessary, unless you are infected. Nancy, Jim and I discussed the absurdity of that at the time. Turns out we were right.
Why do I make everyone, who enters our home wear a mask, gown and gloves? Why do Jim and I wear masks, whenever we are in any kind of medical setting?
Because most viruses behave the same way. You feel fine in the morning, and that night you have a fever or other symptoms. Anyone, who has ever had any kind of flu or a cold knows that it comes on out of nowhere.
I don't know how many times our friends have said to us, "I feel fine. I don't have anything."
My answer is always, "You don't know whether you do. You don't now, and that's great. But tomorrow morning, you might wake up with a sore throat, or diarrhea, or the flu."
After a friend flew in to stay with us during Christmas in the late 90s, she got the flu on her last day. Jim drove her to the airport. He came down with the flu. She was fine during her visit. Three days later, sick, feverish.
That's when we established a rule of no visitors, who've been on an airplane, unless they've been here for a week, before they see us. Planes are germ factories. So are cruise ships. Last year, a dear friend wanted to visit. She had just returned from a cruise. We said we'd have to wait, just in case. Well, she got really sick. That's what happens when a bunch of people are crammed into close quarters for long periods.
It's not rocket science. I figured this out a long time ago. So, I can't understand why the CDC didn't tell all of us to wear masks at the first notion of an outbreak of this pandemic. It's common sense, for crying out loud. If someone, even a healthy person, coughs or sneezes on you, you're protected from the droplets and anything air borne from that event.
The EMTs and some nurses have asked Jim and me about our masks, "Are those to protect you from us, or us from you?" And that was before COVID-19.
We always answer, "Us from You. No offense."
I used to wear a mask and gloves at the door greeting Instacart shoppers, thanking them profusely for their help. I always explained that "I have vulnerable family members, and I can't risk catching anything from anyone. No offense." None ever taken. They can see that I'm old, and we are organic vegetarians (until tomorrow's chicken arrives). Many of the shoppers were former Respiratory Therapists, surprisingly. They just had to leave the field from the stress. At least one of them remembered Jon and Michael.
So, as we try to cope with this pandemic, I have to curb my anger about the poor information we have received, particularly about something as simple as face masks for everyone. Or any kind of face cover over your nose and mouth, like a scarf, which I suggested to Virginia, before it was suggested in a recent press conference. And wear glasses, wear your sunglasses, if they're the only kind you have. Protect your eyes too.
Gloves. Any kind of gloves. For everything you touch, which others have touched. We should wash our hands before we put on gloves and after we remove them. But the danger of exposure is far less, if we are wearing disposable gloves.
I learned all of this from countless ICU experiences with Jonathan and Michael. Before you enter the room, wash your hands, get a gown out of the bin in the hallway in front of the room, grab some gloves, and a mask. Remove gown, mask, gloves, wash your hands, before leaving the room. Stand in the hallway, 6 feet away, wave goodbye and blow kisses and "I love yous."
Now, the COVID-19 patients in ICU or any hospital unit cannot have visitors. Their loved ones are prevented from seeing them or saying goodbye to them, before they pass. Nancy told us that no visitors are allowed in our hospital now, which means that if Jim needed to go to the hospital for any reason, I could not accompany him.
I can't even conceive of how unbearable that would be for both of us. Please pray with us that we never have to endure that tragedy. Thank you all.
This didn't have to happen. If China had listened to the doctor, who alerted the world to this virus, instead of punishing him, and then he died of COVID-19, perhaps this pandemic could have been contained. And if every country in the world, with intelligence networks, who were alerted to this potential pandemic had acted with the urgency it required, we wouldn't be here now.
But, here we are.
Like the levees in New Orleans during Katrina, the damage is done.
All we can do is listen to the experts and pray that we hear the truth. (I'm looking at you CDC.)
Please, everyone, we love you dearly. Protect yourselves and your loved ones. Stay home, as aggravating as that might become. Clean everything delivered to your door. Throw out the cardboard boxes and plastic, as they can continue to hold the virus for a day or more.
Off soap box ...
JIM UPDATE
Coughing all night and the majority of today. He took Ceftin/Keflex this morning with applesauce, followed by an egg and frozen organic french fries. No nausea so far. Even with coughing.
Stepped up the breathing treatments to every 4 hours. Cough syrup, which helped him to sleep for about 2 hours.
Too weak to pull himself up in the bed, so I unlocked the brakes, pulled the bed away from the wall so I could get behind it, and used the bottom sheet to pull Jim up in the bed.
As the poem says, Donna, we do what we have to do.
Our prayers are on the way for your brother in law, sister and all of your beautiful family. Stay strong and keep the faith. I know you will.
Love and healing prayers to all, and thank you for your prayers, love and support of our family.
Every day is a new beginning ~
Love & Light,
Rose
*Virtual Hugs Are Germ-Free!
In light of the pandemic chaos, this is good news. In "normal" times, your brother in law wouldn't have to wait. These, of course, are not normal times. Will he be at home, while he waits for surgery? Is he able to be with his family?
It must be so frustrating for you to be in isolation and unable to help or just be present for your sister and family. Even though you can't be together, I am sure that your love for each other is shining through the COVID cloud.
If you could have the goggles, gown, and mask that Nancy has, you could be there. I wondered whether any of our neighbors saw her walking up to our front door from the street. I could imagine someone being afraid that Jim or I have COVID-19 as a reason for her attire.
What a fantastic poem! Thank you for posting it. It speaks to all of our health care workers now, all of the delivery people, everyone, who is working to help us through this horrible crisis. They are carrying our water, sometimes in their bare hands without a pail.
The medical systems and care in every country contending with COVID-19 are in upheaval. South Korea and Iceland seem to have had a good handle on it, responding quickly. The countries, who didn't respond quickly, are the ones seeing the increases in COVID cases.
A giant mistake, in my opinion, occurred early on, when the CDC declared that masks weren't necessary, unless you are infected. Nancy, Jim and I discussed the absurdity of that at the time. Turns out we were right.
Why do I make everyone, who enters our home wear a mask, gown and gloves? Why do Jim and I wear masks, whenever we are in any kind of medical setting?
Because most viruses behave the same way. You feel fine in the morning, and that night you have a fever or other symptoms. Anyone, who has ever had any kind of flu or a cold knows that it comes on out of nowhere.
I don't know how many times our friends have said to us, "I feel fine. I don't have anything."
My answer is always, "You don't know whether you do. You don't now, and that's great. But tomorrow morning, you might wake up with a sore throat, or diarrhea, or the flu."
After a friend flew in to stay with us during Christmas in the late 90s, she got the flu on her last day. Jim drove her to the airport. He came down with the flu. She was fine during her visit. Three days later, sick, feverish.
That's when we established a rule of no visitors, who've been on an airplane, unless they've been here for a week, before they see us. Planes are germ factories. So are cruise ships. Last year, a dear friend wanted to visit. She had just returned from a cruise. We said we'd have to wait, just in case. Well, she got really sick. That's what happens when a bunch of people are crammed into close quarters for long periods.
It's not rocket science. I figured this out a long time ago. So, I can't understand why the CDC didn't tell all of us to wear masks at the first notion of an outbreak of this pandemic. It's common sense, for crying out loud. If someone, even a healthy person, coughs or sneezes on you, you're protected from the droplets and anything air borne from that event.
The EMTs and some nurses have asked Jim and me about our masks, "Are those to protect you from us, or us from you?" And that was before COVID-19.
We always answer, "Us from You. No offense."
I used to wear a mask and gloves at the door greeting Instacart shoppers, thanking them profusely for their help. I always explained that "I have vulnerable family members, and I can't risk catching anything from anyone. No offense." None ever taken. They can see that I'm old, and we are organic vegetarians (until tomorrow's chicken arrives). Many of the shoppers were former Respiratory Therapists, surprisingly. They just had to leave the field from the stress. At least one of them remembered Jon and Michael.
So, as we try to cope with this pandemic, I have to curb my anger about the poor information we have received, particularly about something as simple as face masks for everyone. Or any kind of face cover over your nose and mouth, like a scarf, which I suggested to Virginia, before it was suggested in a recent press conference. And wear glasses, wear your sunglasses, if they're the only kind you have. Protect your eyes too.
Gloves. Any kind of gloves. For everything you touch, which others have touched. We should wash our hands before we put on gloves and after we remove them. But the danger of exposure is far less, if we are wearing disposable gloves.
I learned all of this from countless ICU experiences with Jonathan and Michael. Before you enter the room, wash your hands, get a gown out of the bin in the hallway in front of the room, grab some gloves, and a mask. Remove gown, mask, gloves, wash your hands, before leaving the room. Stand in the hallway, 6 feet away, wave goodbye and blow kisses and "I love yous."
Now, the COVID-19 patients in ICU or any hospital unit cannot have visitors. Their loved ones are prevented from seeing them or saying goodbye to them, before they pass. Nancy told us that no visitors are allowed in our hospital now, which means that if Jim needed to go to the hospital for any reason, I could not accompany him.
I can't even conceive of how unbearable that would be for both of us. Please pray with us that we never have to endure that tragedy. Thank you all.
This didn't have to happen. If China had listened to the doctor, who alerted the world to this virus, instead of punishing him, and then he died of COVID-19, perhaps this pandemic could have been contained. And if every country in the world, with intelligence networks, who were alerted to this potential pandemic had acted with the urgency it required, we wouldn't be here now.
But, here we are.
Like the levees in New Orleans during Katrina, the damage is done.
All we can do is listen to the experts and pray that we hear the truth. (I'm looking at you CDC.)
Please, everyone, we love you dearly. Protect yourselves and your loved ones. Stay home, as aggravating as that might become. Clean everything delivered to your door. Throw out the cardboard boxes and plastic, as they can continue to hold the virus for a day or more.
Off soap box ...
JIM UPDATE
Coughing all night and the majority of today. He took Ceftin/Keflex this morning with applesauce, followed by an egg and frozen organic french fries. No nausea so far. Even with coughing.
Stepped up the breathing treatments to every 4 hours. Cough syrup, which helped him to sleep for about 2 hours.
Too weak to pull himself up in the bed, so I unlocked the brakes, pulled the bed away from the wall so I could get behind it, and used the bottom sheet to pull Jim up in the bed.
As the poem says, Donna, we do what we have to do.
Our prayers are on the way for your brother in law, sister and all of your beautiful family. Stay strong and keep the faith. I know you will.
Love and healing prayers to all, and thank you for your prayers, love and support of our family.
Every day is a new beginning ~
Love & Light,
Rose
*Virtual Hugs Are Germ-Free!
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