This is an interesting read. It’s OK to have a sense of humor about stuff even when the stuff is serious. And it’s OK if you are healthy and don’t need to worry about COVID even if you get it. However, please do not shame the people who are actually at risk of severe illness and/or death for being concerned, sharing real information, or taking steps you may consider unnecessary to protect themselves.
If you ARE one of those people, pay attention every time you are assured that most of the community is safe. You will never hear it without a disclaimer such as the word “most,” “healthy,” “young,” “normal…” to account for the small part of the population that DOES NOT fit that category and DOES need to worry, and may need to follow different instructions than what is provided for the general public by the CDC.
If you have a specialist such as a pulmonologist or a rheumatologist, you are probably at risk and should talk to them to confirm your risk level and ask how to protect yourself. If you are elderly, you are probably at risk. If you are immunocompromised you are at risk. If you have respiratory disease of any kind, including asthma, you are at risk. Several people in my asthma group are in the hospital. That’s just the group with asthma and not the group with autoimmune vasculitis, where asthma is only a small part of our daily lives and disease.
If you are at risk you know who you are, and you were already at risk prior to this outbreak. More than likely you already have worn a mask to protect yourself in the past. More than likely you have already reacted out of the ordinary when someone coughed near you or even spoke with a raspy voice. Those of you who are not us have seen us react this way. On any given day.
Most of us already had plenty of hand sanitizer at home that we use already, along with washing our hands. We already had extra vitamin C, and some of even had masks and gloves a year ago, before any mention of this virus. And we have used them already just dealing with every day life and things that are not offensive to the general public, but can shock our systems into a hospital or death.
If you are immunocompromised, or otherwise at risk, and you are not taking this seriously, read this article. I am posting Memes and I am laughing because panicking isn’t going to help. But make no mistake: I don’t think this is a joke and people at risk need to protect themselves. I have six family members who are doctors. I’ve seen and posted a pic of one in a full protective suit with helpful medical advice for EM/EMS folks. I am worried about those family members. Even the ones I’m not close to.
You cannot count on otherwise healthy people to keep from spreading it, nor do I think they really can even if they try. So it is everyone’s job to protect themselves according to whatever their risk level is, and to educate yourselves about what to do both now, and in the event you begin to show symptoms.
You cannot count on otherwise healthy people to keep from spreading it, nor do I think they really can even if they try. So it is everyone’s job to protect themselves according to whatever their risk level is, and to educate yourselves about what to do both now, and in the event you begin to show symptoms.
If you are lucky enough to be safe, maybe consider offering to lend a hand to those who aren’t so lucky, instead of laughing at them, like my neighbor did within 2 hours of a sign being posted on my door that I wouldn’t be answering and to leave items at the door or call me.
It’s just a thought. Remember that in an instant your life can change and you, your child, your parents, your sibling, your spouse or your best friend can become ill with no warning and suddenly be part of the “at risk” group. Treat everyone you see worried as if they or their loved ones are one of these people. Because to somebody, they are.
#StaySafe #NotMeantToEncourageTPHoarding #DontBeSelfish #BeKindToEachOther #ThereButForTheGraceOfGodGoI
I'm Still Breathing! 
Such great reminders!! One thing that I’ve been telling people is that with all the scary things that are happening, it’s a good reminder that those of us who are immunocompromised have already been doing most of the recommendations. For me, it’s been 3 years of this. All the panic that everyone is feeling, that’s the panic that we live with every day. Perhaps this will help others to see what we carry. ❤️ to you and yours!!
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Thank you. The same to you! It’s baffling to me that people are surprised when we say this is what our lives are like. 🤷🏻♀️
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The only that’s changed for me is that it’s now socially acceptable to be antisocial, err, socially-distant.
I am naturally an antisocial butterfly. Most people don’t know that about me because my parents taught me to be polite and to engage in conversation. My Dad loved meeting new people and my Dad loved talking. In fact, his very first report card noted, “Larry likes to visit with his neighbor”. He was the kind of person that it didn’t matter who he sat next to, he was going to visit with them.
My Mom was more introverted and had a large personal bubble. She was also polite and usually only confided her feelings of being crowded and overwhelmed by other people at home.
So I’m a conundrum, I’ll visit in public with strangers like my Dad while feeling I want to run away and hide like my Mom. 🤣😅😏😷
Gladys, thank you for sharing the link to your blog in our Fb asthma group. I’m enjoying your writing.
My Dad also wrote, composed music, acted and was a music teacher, school principal and while employed as a children’s pastor, he became an ordained minister.
He was involved in church and community activities. He was very creative and besides being outgoing, he also enjoyed just being home with family. Sometimes on Saturdays he’d call his parents, his inlaws and a few close family members just so everyone knew we were okay, then he’d unplug the house phone for a few hours. Or if a family member was out he left the phone plugged in and instructed us to let the phone ring once, hang up, wait a moment and call back and let it ring. He was thrilled when phones got the option to turn the ringer off and did the Snoopy happy dance when answering machines became a thing.
So I was naturally programmed to be outgoing while being an introvert. When I was diagnosed with asthma, I didn’t think it’d affect my daily life very much. Boy was I wrong. It was subtle, but I went out less and less because going out almost always lead to asthma symptoms and often attacks. A little over a year ago a cold put me out of commission for 3 weeks and took another 3 weeks to be back to “normal”. That’s when my doctor told me to stop wearing the surgical style masks I’d been wearing and get a N95 mask. It was great advice. It lessened my allergy and asthma symptoms and asthma attacks. Thereby lessening rescue medication needed. 😁😏
I’m protecting myself as best I can, my 15 year old daughter can’t drive yet, my legally blind sister is now staying with us. She’s diabetic, has hypertension and is on dialysis. She also has asthma, however that’s luckily been dormant for several years.
I am the one that does the grocery shopping because I’m the one that can. My bf is a truck driver and recently parked his car hauler trailer and is currently delivering essential loads all over the northwest and west coast of the United States. We live in Kansas.
I’m miss him and I’m also worried about him coming home. He is too. He doesn’t want to inadvertently bring Covid-19 home as a souvenir. He was so concerned about our safety that early March he bought us 3 months with of toilet paper, yes, I laughed at him a little bit. He also got us enough rice and beans to survive several months. He explained that he wanted us safe and fed if it came to not being able to leave the house. Gotta love someone looking out for you, your child and Seester like that. 💜
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Sounds like we have lived very similar lives. My sister has asthma, and so does my father. But they sometimes don’t seem to understand the difference between inconvenient asthma and life-threatening asthma.
I completely agree that the reason we feel so at home now is because nobody looks at us strangely anymore in a mask. Now they want one. I’m so tempted not to give them to people who have made fun of me in the past. I’m just not that kind of person.
Thanks for reading. I’m glad you enjoyed it. I enjoyed reading your comment as well!
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