Tag Archives: covid 19

It Has Been A Year

19 Mar

A year ago today I was in a two week isolation period because I was exposed to someone who had come back from the states and didn’t quarantine and my full-time job said “nope, you can’t come here for two weeks”. There was a lot we didn’t know about Covid back then, and while we know quite a bit more now there is still a lot we don’t know. Testing for the general public wasn’t a thing then so the only course of action was to act like everything was normal and potentially spread Covid to others or be extra cautious (some back then called it paranoid) and isolate yourself.

I don’t have horrible memories of those two weeks. I repotted plants, I organized my pantry, I worked on random projects in my place. I couldn’t work on larger ones because I couldn’t go to the stores to buy supplies and there were not as many delivery options back then as there are now.

I remember my InstaCart person couldn’t find eggs or flour, remember all the panic buying? A friend of mine found both those items at her local store and brought them over. That was my first sample of social distancing when with a friend, she handed the items over then we both stepped back and talked from what felt like an unnatural distance. It was a fun convo but I felt like a jerk for not being able to invite her in. Now, if I stand closer than 6 feet with someone I feel uncomfortable and want more space, and I’m perfectly fine not inviting people in to my place.

I also remember back at the beginning of all this being a bit pouty on a Friday night because nothing was open, you couldn’t go anywhere, there was no real fun to be had. Not like I was in a partying phase when this all started, but I did hang out with friends and go do things. This past Friday evening as I was finishing my last load of laundry, while wearing sweats, and wondering what movie to put on Netflix I realized that I don’t even notice that I can’t go out anymore, because it is normal now to be inside on my own when not at work. Going out and doing something, on those rare occasions that happens, always has me feeling a bit uncomfortable, like I shouldn’t be doing whatever it is I am doing. Just to be clear, I am not doing anything that breaks the Health Authority’s rules, it just feels wrong to me, it isn’t actually legally wrong.

I can’t say that I’ve accomplished anything impressive over this past year. I watched on social media as people went through bread making phases, and plant phases, and knitting phases, and realizing how important teachers are phases, oh so many phases. I saw them, dipped a toe in here and there, but didn’t really participate because after that two weeks of isolation in March 2020 I was working full-time, I was classified as an essential worker (I work with seniors) and I was working my regular shifts. I also, for a chunk of last year, worked my part-time job, it transitioned so I could work from home and I liked the change. I was dressed for work from the waist up and in pajamas from the waist down, I could sleep in a bit, I sat wrapped in a blanket with a hot water bottle on my lap (my apartment is a basement suite and always cold), and basically I wished I had a full-time job that could transition to working from home because it was great. Eventually the company I worked for part-time started struggling and I got laid off, so now I am down to one job and oh boy does that hurt the budget, sigh.

I got my vaccine two Tuesday ago and immediately started having side effects. I wasn’t surprised, I react badly to vaccines and a lot of medicines, and my body very much believes in an all or none attitude. Either I seem to get all (or almost all) the side effects from something, or I get none. Wednesday I was sick, I mean not actually sick, just side effects sick, so I stayed home. I went to work Thursday and got sent home because what if my side effects weren’t actual side effects and I had Covid? Friday and Saturday were my normal days off and I still wasn’t feeling great so I rested. Sunday morning I got a text from my manager saying don’t come in, get tested and wait until you have a negative result to come to work. Sigh. So off I went for my sixth Covid test, my poor nose!

I appreciate that now, if I am exposed, or have symptoms, I can go get tested and know within 24 hours if I have Covid or not. It takes away the need for 14 days of isolation, which is good. It does mean having that swab up my nose each time, which isn’t awesome, but it could be worse…least it isn’t a needle!

So many things have changed in one year. Every time new rules are issued I get used to the new normal and go about my daily life and then randomly it hits me how much has changed. Some days I am mad at the changes, or one new change pushes me past my tolerance level for that day (or week) and I get angry and exhausted and even more stressed. I don’t stop following the Health Authority’s rules because I’m not that big of a jerk, but I am angered by them. Then I adapt to the new change, remember that it is not there to restrict my life but to keep as many of us safe as possible, and I once again go about my daily life. I think it’s better to adapt to the changes than be mad at them, isn’t there enough going on right now without holding onto anger? I don’t know about you but I just don’t have time for that.

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Plague Time Dentist Visit

26 Sep

I go around thinking I’ve got this new way of living figured out and can’t be phased by things any longer then something happens and it makes me realize all over again just how much things have changed. Does that happen to you?

Yesterday I had a dental appointment, nothing major, just my regular cleaning. It was cancelled when most everything was shut down and they eventually got around to rescheduling me. I wasn’t upset they took this long to get to me and would have been fine if they took a tad longer, though I’m glad to have gone before the second wave hits.

They phoned me two days prior to my appointment and went through the questions you would come across on a disclosure statement, making sure I had no symptoms, hadn’t been in certain areas, or traveled, or been near people who had tested positive. I fill out a similar form every day for work so not a big deal.

I got to the office and of course there were plexi glass barriers all around the reception area, they were definitely in a little bubble. They were also masked and gloved. Its interesting trying to talk with someone through my mask, and the plexi glass, and then hear them through their mask and the plexi glass. We all need to learn sign language.

I was asked to come around to a side area, I was still separated from them by the plexi glass and was told I had to use the hand sanitizer, which of course I did. Next they took my temperature by putting one arm around the plexi glass to aim the thermometer at my forehead. Then they handed me a form and a pen and asked me to answer all the questions on the form. It was basically the written version of the disclaimer I had answered over the phone two days prior.

After all of that I was allowed to sit down, in one of two chairs that were spaced far apart from each other. It felt very much like a “sit there, don’t touch anything, don’t move” type of thing.

Once my hygienist came and got me I was taken to the little area where the evil dental work is done and shown a hook I could hang my purse and jacket on. Next step was washing my hands with a hand soap you usually only see in doctor’s offices, there was a foot pedal to get the water running so I wouldn’t have to touch the tap. Or rather, so I wouldn’t touch the tap and then they would have to sanitize it lol

I thought that was it but nope. There was a pre-measured portion of mouth wash I had to swish in my mouth while the hygenist timed me. She said it is strong, I can’t remember what she said was in it, but it is known to kill, I dunno, everything? Basically, swish it around and it helps lower the chance of my exhales spreading Covid if I happen to have it and not know.

So I used a hand sanitizer, then a strong hand soap, then something super strong as mouth wash. Nice and shiny clean at this point!

The check-up and cleaning for the most part were normal except there are certain things they don’t do now unless absolutely medically completely and totally necessary, because they are considered an unneeded risk. This means there was no teeth polishing, which is sorta the point of the twice yearly cleaning is it not? Oh, and there was something else she mentioned that doesn’t get done now but I can’t remember what.

You still have them poke around and scrape your teeth and gums with the pointy metal tools though, that didn’t go away.

I think the biggest thing that shocked me was what my dentist was wearing. He always used to wear business pants, a button up long sleeved shirt, and a tie. This time he was in scrubs. I know it seems silly that is the thing that stuck with me the most but it is. I’m assuming he wears the scrubs now so his own clothes don’t potentially get exposed to Covid, the man has quite the wardrobe, makes sense he’d want to protect it, but it was still weird seeing him dressed like that. Wasn’t at all upset at getting to see his biceps though… 😉

So there ya have it, if you go to the dentist during Covid plague times you may not get some procedures done, you may have a few more sanitizing steps to go through before anyone will touch you, and you may see more of your dentist’s biceps. You can decide how you feel about all of that. 😀

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Self Isolation Day 7: Half Way There

21 Mar

Day 7, who knew 7 days could take so long to pass?

I’m equal parts “woohoo, half way done!” and “omg, there are still 7 more days left of this”.

I decided to treat today like a normal day off, so, like how last Saturday was…it is crazy to think how fast everything changed!

I slept in, woke up to the cat plotting my demise, by this I mean I woke up laying on my back, cat on my chest, one of his paws on my mouth. Not lightly resting, more a heavy weighted paw, on my mouth, while he stared right at me. What may be even weirder is that when I woke up and saw this I just figured ok, and closed my eyes again. Who am I to interrupt whatever the cat is up to?

Anyways! After I finally got up I stayed in pj’s for a while, ate a bit, watched Criminal Minds Season 2 (I’m re-watching the entire series), read part of a book, rented a movie, checked out social media, and not too much more.

Well, I did also do some work training for my part time job in preparation for a work meeting I am attending on Zoom tomorrow morning.

It feels wrong that the most productive part of my day was an online training module, something that still had zero contact with humanity. I tested out my laptop with Zoom, made sure my microphone was working ok and when I popped up on screen I waved to myself. It has been so long since I’ve had contact with people I waved to myself.

Today was a day in the Before Time I would have loved, would have wallowed in, would have enjoyed every moment of, and I would have been sad when it was done. Now, today was so similar in so many ways to every day of the previous week it doesn’t stand out as any different. Except I didn’t get to go for a walk today, I’m not allowed to do those anymore. I am well and truly stuck inside this basement suite, for 7 more days.

You may be happy to hear the plants I mentioned in yesterday’s post are doing ok. I was going to say they are doing well but that seems a tad optimistic. They are all drinking, which I take as a good sign, and the one with the extra crispy leaves, remember him? His leaves aren’t quite so dry and crispy today.

So yeah, to recap, I haven’t killed the plants yet, I did nothing of interest today, and by accident I sat on the cat, something I am still making amends for.  That my friends, is how Day 7 of Self Isolation is going. Woohoo!

day 7

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