Thursday, March 19, 2020
Yesterday, I convinced myself I may have contracted the coronavirus. I had pressure in my chest; and started feeling exhausted and chilly early in the afternoon. I felt like I had a fever, and I was pretty sure the batteries in my thermometer were dead. I called the battery store to find out if they had been closed yet by an executive order; and was told they were still open. Woo hoo! I decided when my older daughter, Megan, came to put me in bed for the evening, I would have her get a battery for the thermometer.
I lucked out. The thermometer worked! My temperature was 99 degrees, not high enough to worry about. Ninety-nine degrees could be caused by environmental reasons, such as me keeping the computer heater on high because I was feeling very cold. I had Megan put me in bed a little after seven and I dozed through the evening television shows until 10:00 p.m. I woke back up all the way when the news came on, and I felt fine. The heaviness I had in my chest the past few days was completely gone. I had dodged the COVID-19 bullet.
Yesterday, the governor of Colorado signed an executive order requiring all schools to be closed until at least April 17th. I am not sure why the governor stepped in. Most of the schools had already closed for at least two weeks. If people are already complying with an unwritten rule, why write it down? Perhaps some private or rural schools did not close yet and some people were concerned.
I had a wound care appointment today, so I needed to ride the bus. I thought the bus might be a lot less busy since the college near me had closed already, but there was a fair number of people on the bus already when I got on. I asked the bus driver if ridership had dropped, and he said it was still pretty steady even though the schools were closed. I transferred to the bus route that takes me to my wound care appointment, and the second driver asked me why I did not take the Mobility bus to my appointment.
I told the driver I did not want the Mobility drivers reaching over and around me to strap down my chair. I do not know where those drivers have been, and what germs may be on their jackets. I have less personal space intrusion on the fixed route bus than a Mobility bus. The driver told me I should not ride this particular route because a testing tent had been opened in the parking lot near the building I was going to. The driver told me the people who thought they were infected and could not drive would be riding this bus route. I made a mental note that I now knew where to go if I convinced myself I had COVID-19 again, and I could get there by bus. Lucky me!
My wound care visit went well, my deep wound is shallower, but one of the other wounds was not so happy this week. I was chatting with one of my favorite nurses about the testing tent in the parking lot, and she told me 500 people had been tested on Wednesday. The nurse also told me that the hospital system management was planning to “retire” any nurses that are 60 or older. I told the nurse that was a ridiculous idea when nurses are going to be in short supply, then I changed my mind. “It is workers compensation behind the idea.” I said. “Older people are the most affected by this disease right now and the insurance company must want to limit their liability.”
When Dr. Dash came in, I asked her about her private practice since the governor of Colorado had just issued an executive order eliminating elective surgical procedures. (Dr. Dash is a cosmetic surgeon.) Dr. Dash said she and her husband had closed their practice because they did not want to put their staff in danger. Dr. Dash said she would pay her staff as long as she could. Statements like that make me love her even more.
My piece of advice to you is to not give in to the fear. Four weeks from now I will take that same second bus to my wound care appointment and not worry whether other people are going to get tested.
Until next time,
Susanne
P.S. The hospital never did retire their older-than-60 nurses.
Please check out my GoFundMe page.
Yesterday, I convinced myself I may have contracted the coronavirus. I had pressure in my chest; and started feeling exhausted and chilly early in the afternoon. I felt like I had a fever, and I was pretty sure the batteries in my thermometer were dead. I called the battery store to find out if they had been closed yet by an executive order; and was told they were still open. Woo hoo! I decided when my older daughter, Megan, came to put me in bed for the evening, I would have her get a battery for the thermometer.
I lucked out. The thermometer worked! My temperature was 99 degrees, not high enough to worry about. Ninety-nine degrees could be caused by environmental reasons, such as me keeping the computer heater on high because I was feeling very cold. I had Megan put me in bed a little after seven and I dozed through the evening television shows until 10:00 p.m. I woke back up all the way when the news came on, and I felt fine. The heaviness I had in my chest the past few days was completely gone. I had dodged the COVID-19 bullet.
Yesterday, the governor of Colorado signed an executive order requiring all schools to be closed until at least April 17th. I am not sure why the governor stepped in. Most of the schools had already closed for at least two weeks. If people are already complying with an unwritten rule, why write it down? Perhaps some private or rural schools did not close yet and some people were concerned.
I had a wound care appointment today, so I needed to ride the bus. I thought the bus might be a lot less busy since the college near me had closed already, but there was a fair number of people on the bus already when I got on. I asked the bus driver if ridership had dropped, and he said it was still pretty steady even though the schools were closed. I transferred to the bus route that takes me to my wound care appointment, and the second driver asked me why I did not take the Mobility bus to my appointment.
I told the driver I did not want the Mobility drivers reaching over and around me to strap down my chair. I do not know where those drivers have been, and what germs may be on their jackets. I have less personal space intrusion on the fixed route bus than a Mobility bus. The driver told me I should not ride this particular route because a testing tent had been opened in the parking lot near the building I was going to. The driver told me the people who thought they were infected and could not drive would be riding this bus route. I made a mental note that I now knew where to go if I convinced myself I had COVID-19 again, and I could get there by bus. Lucky me!
My wound care visit went well, my deep wound is shallower, but one of the other wounds was not so happy this week. I was chatting with one of my favorite nurses about the testing tent in the parking lot, and she told me 500 people had been tested on Wednesday. The nurse also told me that the hospital system management was planning to “retire” any nurses that are 60 or older. I told the nurse that was a ridiculous idea when nurses are going to be in short supply, then I changed my mind. “It is workers compensation behind the idea.” I said. “Older people are the most affected by this disease right now and the insurance company must want to limit their liability.”
When Dr. Dash came in, I asked her about her private practice since the governor of Colorado had just issued an executive order eliminating elective surgical procedures. (Dr. Dash is a cosmetic surgeon.) Dr. Dash said she and her husband had closed their practice because they did not want to put their staff in danger. Dr. Dash said she would pay her staff as long as she could. Statements like that make me love her even more.
My piece of advice to you is to not give in to the fear. Four weeks from now I will take that same second bus to my wound care appointment and not worry whether other people are going to get tested.
Until next time,
Susanne
P.S. The hospital never did retire their older-than-60 nurses.
Please check out my GoFundMe page.