The Midlife Reframe

Tag: virus

  • Post Covid, Vacation, and other Random Things

    Well, let me tell you one thing. Covid wasn’t great. Sickest I’ve been in a while. My taste and smell are coming back, as well as my energy.

    I am currently on vacation, so it was great to have the time off to get better. By the time week one was done I was starting to enjoy my time.

    I was able to get my room sorted with the help of my daughter. My depression had been living in my room for quite some time. Got a full garbage bag full of stuff to turf. Some time this week I’ll tackle my closet, which is a whole different beast.

    Mid clean…I should have done a before shot.
    So much clutter gone!

    Reset my coffee station by my bed. I had lots of pods that were buried in the mess my room had become.

    We have a bunch of stuff that we are purging, so once it stops raining I’ll be lugging stuff out so our downstairs doesn’t look like a bad thrift store.

    Having a mental illness affects so much in your life. I will feel so much better once we’re not surrounded by items we no longer use/that are broken. Clutter in the brain and clutter in the house is not a good combo.

    About a year ago I wrote about my weight gain and my struggles with it. I have accepted where I am with it, and now that my energy is returning I can get back to being active again. Movement is good for the body and the brain. My running may take a bit to come back, but that’s okay. Slow and steady for a full return is better than no return at all.

    I was able to participate in the Pride Parade this past weekend, and was light headed afterwards, so I know what my limit is right now. Thanks Covid.

    All in all, things are okay right now. Taking this break is really making a difference. I am feeling rested.

    Now to continue my de-depressioning of this apartment by finishing up laundry and getting the kitchen sorted.

    Let’s go!

  • COVID

    I learned on Sunday that I was exposed to Covid-19.

    I tested Monday Morning, negative.

    So, I went about my day. My throat was kind of dry as the day went on, but didn’t think much about it, as I find the office air dry some days.

    I woke up early Tuesday and I was not feeling good. Took another rapid test…..and it lit up like a Christmas tree.

    Well fuck.

    I waited until a half decent hour and called my kiddo (who is in the bedroom next to mine) to tell her the situation.

    Her response: “Oh fuck”

    I managed to work from home on Tuesday. But Wednesday was a different story. I slept most of Wednesday. The fatigue and the tightness of my chest was overwhelming. That and fighting the headache. It was just all too much.

    Thursday saw me not as fatigued, but still quite ill. I made it through the day, and started getting head congestion. It seems to be this slow moving virus for me, each day adding something different.

    Friday, I was feeling better. My daughter, luckily, had been testing negative and was clear to go on her planned trip to Montreal. We Facetimed and off she went. I was now able to roam the apartment. The change of scenery was welcome. I sat down on the balcony for my 1 hour of outside time in the early afternoon with a glass of grapefruit juice.

    I took a drink of said juice and could barely taste it. By the time I was halfway through the glass I couldn’t taste it. I had the sensation of the “bite” it has, but no taste. Another COVID hit. Later on I became more congested and a fever started. I took meds and went to bed.

    Here we are on Saturday. I still can’t taste. Fever is gone. Still congested in the head and chest (cough still hanging around). My smell isn’t great either. I don’t seem to be as fatigued, but I am trying to not move around as much as I did yesterday.

    All in all, this sucks. I haven’t been this sick in quite some time. I am so very thankful for vaccines as I would hate to think how much worse this would be if I wasn’t vaccinated.

    Time to take a break and get more rest. Writing has zapped some of my energy.

    Stay safe out there. Wear your mask. Keep washing your hands.

    COVID sucks ass. That is all.

  • The Cold, The Covid Test, and My Anxiety

    This week was a little stressful.

    I woke up on Monday morning with a chest cold and a cough.

    I took the online Covid assessment of my local health authority and was advised to get tested for Covid.

    I booked my test online and was lucky to get an appointment that morning, within 2 hours of the assessment.

    I told my daughter, which was a little scary, and get myself ready to go.

    I got to the assessment centre and checked in. I was assigned a number and given a socially distanced seat to sit in. I was registered and into the testing pod in 5 minutes. The health practitioner who was going to administer my test was very nice, explained the test and showed me the swab. The swab was teeny, so I relaxed a bit. He then made a joke about amnesia and we had a good laugh. It definitely broke the tension.

    The test took about 3 seconds. It was a little uncomfortable, but not as bad as I thought.

    I was told it could take up to 3 days for my results. I was let go and followed the path out, sanitized my hands and went back out to my car.

    I read the pamphlet I was given on self isolation and went directly home. I had to avoid common areas and choose which bathroom to use until my results came in.

    Luckily, my home office is in my bedroom, and I hunkered down to work. (My daughter got ready and went to work as well. She works retail, so she checked in to make sure she was okay to go in, and away she went.)

    It was very hard to focus while I was waiting for my results. I had supper delivered to my room by my daughter and had to announce every time I left my room.

    I slept, which was surprising.

    When I woke up Tuesday, the first thing I did was check my email. My results were in!

    I logged in with my health card. The results were NEGATIVE.

    I was so happy. I let my family members know and

    I immediately sent an email to work to let them know and to advise I would work from home until I was better.

    My self isolation was short lived, but I still had the stinking cold.

    Thankful that is wasn’t Covid, I worked from home (with some time off to get rest) for the rest of the week.

    Then, the cases started to rise and the places of possible exposures started to increase.

    My anxieties were on the rise again, and the thought of going back into lockdown ate at me. My psoriasis got worse. I started chewing the skin around my nails again. Sigh.

    I live in the Atlantic Bubble. We’ve done so good up until now. Our mandatory masking and the travel only within our 4 provinces seemed to keep us safely wrapped in a low cases blanket. Our restrictions in my area have been tightened up for the next 4 weeks to see if we can get things under control. If not, I fear we’ll be back into another lockdown around Christmas.

    For now, I am going out only when I need to and follow the public health protocols to keep those around me safe.

    For now, I’ll keep myself busy with crocheting and housework to slow the anxieties.

    For now, I’ll hope for a Covid free Christmas.

    For now, I’ll hope you’ll all stay safe and healthy.

    Take care of yourselves my friends.

  • I Don’t Know

    I don’t know a lot right now.

    I don’t know how long COVID-19 will keep it’s grip on the Earth.

    I don’t know how long I will be working from home (but I am thankful I have the opportunity to do so).

    I don’t know how I am getting through each day without breaking down.

    It’s a different world. I don’t know how to fully navigate in it.

    I try and get outside every day. Sometimes it’s hard, because everyone seems to be out at the same time, and you have to keep 6ft apart.

    This morning I screamed into my pillow and then did 10 push-ups. I needed both. It helped.

    It’s like we woke up one morning engulfed in a Stephen King novel. Killer virus takes over the planet. It’s all so surreal.

    I am thankful my daughter still lives with me. We keep each other going. We take walks together.

    It’s a day by day battle. One I plan on winning until I do have my breakdown. I know it will happen, no matter how much I walk, how much I run, or how much I scream, the dam will burst. I actually need it. It’s funny how cleansing the dam burst is. I need to start over. I need to be able to reset.

    So until the dam bursts, I’ll keep pushing forward.

    Stay Home. Stay Safe. Wash Your Hands.