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How is the coronavirus pandemic affecting your life right now? Tell us about your experiences, feelings, and thoughts.
I have to get a steroid injection for my lower back this week. I fell over a year ago and that resulted in a bulging disc that is pinching a nerve. I was actually very lucky. Although I was scheduled to receive it in June, I was feeling well since I had not been working. I work in retail, therefore, I am on my feet for several hours per week which can exacerbate the pain. I knew that when I started taking two Aleve, twice per day, that it was time. I was instructed that I would need to have a COVID test 2 days before my injection, which I was glad to hear. It is a major hospital in CT, so no big surprise about the test and I was relieved to get it done. I was not and am not concerned that it will be positive, given how I and my family have followed guidelines. I can be an anxious person but for some reason, leading up to the test and waiting in line did not make me feel anxious at all. Weirdly enough, while I sat in my car, listening to Green Day, I felt "normal," while also noticing how surreal the actual experience was. The sign directing the line of cars, people in head-to-toe safety gear with clipboards, people waiting in their vehicles. After I checked in and pulled forward for the actual test, I felt comfortable and safe. I am aware of the many types of COVID tests available but did not know which would be used. I honestly didn't care. People complain about the "massive Q-Tip" that is shoved in your nose, touching your brain and I didn't quite understand the big deal, considering the alternative. I did have a massive Q-tip stuck up both of my nostrils and it was done. It was not a big deal and the man who did it was professional, friendly and had his system of conducting the test perfectly established. I drove away, seeing the long line of cars and felt as if this was a normal part of anyone's day, as if it is simply something that we do. Hours later I was wondering if my radical acceptance of that experience was a positive, negative or something else. I decided it's a mixture: a blending of a lot of colors and temperatures...just like any life experience can be, just like any day can be.
August 21, 2020
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Have people in your community supported one another during the pandemic? Talk about why or why not, and maybe give some examples.
I guess - kinda -- sometimes -- people are supporting one another. I actually think it is harder to support others during social distancing. You don't see people, and thus you don't think about them. People also get wrapped up in their own issues and have no energy left to support others. I wonder what are the cues that spur people to reach out to others. Visual cues? (when you just look miserable), vocal cues? (when you say you are fine but your tone indicates otherwise), behavioral cues? (when you do things that reveal that you need help), or other things... the things I can think of all require contact of some sort. I had an interaction with my far-away son this week that revealed to me how much he resented the fact that I may need some additional sensitivity because I am alone during a pandemic. I did not feel supported. I called several people when this happened, and 3 were helpful. One was not, but it wasn't her fault. She was very busy and in fact in the short conversation we had I didn't even bring it up. You always can't count on people to be there for you when you need them -- some of the people some of the time is about as good as it gets.
July 6, 2020