Tag: Covid

Six Months into Mid Life

On By thestampsinmypassportIn Uncategorized1 Comment

If you are on social even for ten minutes a day, you know that it is full of memes. There are people ‘out there’ that are very talented in creating memes that can become viral for good and not so good reasons. One meme from a while back was How it started, How its going. Basically two funny images (or even personal photos) of a before and after scenario in life.

You might be thinking to yourself, why is she starting off this blog with an explanation about memes. Well, as a storyteller, this is part of the set up of the story.

On December 23, 2020 I came in close contact with a person who had tested positive for Covid-19. Of course I had to go and get tested, which I did the next day. Not that there was much going on in terms of ‘holiday plans’ but I did have plans with my bubbled household to spend Christmas with them and probably New Years Eve as well. When you have been in close contact with a positive person, even if you are negative, you have to be in isolation for 14 days. Which is exactly what I did.

The truth is being in isolation wasn’t such a stretch for me. I was pretty used it in January. Leaving the apartment once a week for groceries, an occasional bagel run, and perhaps to the deli. Because we were in a stay at home order I wasn’t even having dinner with my parents (well after isolation of course).

While I was at home in isolation I started to think about my upcoming birthday and approaching 50. I opened my journal and made a brainstorm list of blog ideas to do a countdown of 50 thoughts on 50. I was looking forward to starting the posts on Feburary 1st and blog daily up to my birthday on the 27th. Great plan, right? I thought so.

The goal was to write 10,000 words before my birthday at the end of the month. I wrote my first post on February 1st, setting up the tone for the month and to get my creative juices flowing. The same day as my Covid symptoms started. I had no idea on that day what I was about to hit me, literally like a ton of bricks. All hope of the blog countdown to 50 went out the window as fast as it started.

I have shared parts of my Covid journey here in The Lisa Chronicles, some on social media and if you are friend of mine, you know much more of the story and my journey. A journey that has sparked a new list of 50 thoughts on 50 the past six months.

Six months, 12 months, 18 months. This is how long we have all been in the stranglehold of this pandemic. Life is starting to look different than it has. I have enjoyed the few patios I have been able to enjoy with friends that I haven’t seen in a long time. I can tell you that my ‘foodie’ spirit hasn’t recoved from the pandemic and my covid experience after six months. Nothing tastes the same. I don’t really talk about it, but if you have had covid or know someone that has lost their tastebuds I have two words for you, it sucks.

To bring this post back full circle I will leave you with this:

How it started: January 2021 – 50 thoughts on turning 50 – never started

How it is going: August 2021 – six month later, more than just 50 thoughts on turning 50 coming your way to The Lisa Chronicles soon.

I am not going to set a 10,000 word goal this time. I am going to write when the keyboard directs me.

Until then, stay safe and please if you haven’t gotten your shots yet, please be like Nike and just do it.

Locked Down

On By thestampsinmypassportIn Uncategorized2 Comments

Anne Frank spent 761 days hidden in the secret annex. If you have been to Amsterdam and taken the tour of Anne Frank House, climbed behind the bookcase up the tiny staircase to the secret annex you know. As you are listening to the story on your headset “Anne” is telling you about how her father used to bring her magazines from the time with all the celebrities and what was going on at the time. He brought her glue and let her glue them to the wall. You turn the corner and there is a wall, covered in clear plexi-glass and behind that you can see all the photos and articles glued to the wall. I am not comparing Anne Frank to Covid, please do not misunderstand the context. The context was really to appreciate the length of time she was hidden away to this time in our lives.

I have been careful what I have shared about my hospital experience last month. Careful for many reasons. Firstly I want to respect anyone who has had family in ICU during Covid and has experienced trauma loss. I also want to respect the health care professionals who are so important to us. Not just in this time, but all the time. If you are reading this and are a health care professional, have anyone in your family or circle that is one, I want to give deep gratitude for you.

You don’t know what you don’t know

By the time I arrived at the second hospital I was taken to in less than 48 hours it was past ten pm. This was a Monday night. I had been up since 7am on Sunday morning and had spent the last 20 hours sitting on a chair in the cubicle I was in in the Covid ER of the previous hospital. All I wanted to do was sleep.

Imagine my surprise when the EMT wheeled my gurney into a room, a dark room, where I noticed there was someone else in the bed in the room. I am going to leave out the expletive words I was using at that point, but basically I am NOT sharing a room with anyone, I have COVID. Get me out of here, I want to go home now. I thought I was seriously hearing things when they told me they cohort the patients. I said, “you put more than one person with covid in the same room?” I was mortified.

They wheeled me out and took me to the room next door (which was empty). There were two beds that were not even six feet apart. The nurse said she couldn’t promise that I wouldn’t be sharing a room. I said to her that if someone else comes in here I am leaving. She said I would be alone that night, but she couldn’t promise anything tomorrow. I said, all I want right now is sleep, we will deal with tomorrow, tomorrow. The EMS left and I told her I wanted a sleeping pill and get some sleep. At that point I had been up for over 36 hours. She left the room and closed the door tightly behind her.

When you are in a Covid room, you are locked down. The door is closed all the time. The staff comes in in full PPE, with double masks, some with googles and face shields and head coverings. There is a hazardous material bin in your room by the door and they disrobe with their backs to the door and back out of the room when they are done, they back out of the room, and close the door tightly. Imagine how many times a day this is done. Imagine actually sharing this room with another Covid patient who has a different covid than you do. Everyone has it differently. That is what is happening when the hospitals say they are at the critical stage. Remember in my post last week when I said I moved because I was ill, but not critically ill and then needed my bed.

We all want this to end. We all want to get back to work, friends and family, and life in general. Even those introverts who a happy to be at home, are missing parts of their life that they once had.

Part of healing is being able to tell your story and no longer cry. I am not there yet. Sharing my story is something I choose to do and I hope someone reading this today who has had an experience that they don’t want to talk about, that this helps them.

Stay safe on your own personal journey,

Covid Chronicles: Retail Reality Check

On By thestampsinmypassportIn Uncategorized1 Comment

It has been three months of living la vida Covid. When this started we were in the middle of winter, which if you think about it, made the original start of the lockdown easier to manage. It was easy to stay home, not worry about bundling up, warming your car to go anywhere. There was no where to go.

Like the animals the hibernate in the winter, we are ready to come out of our caves, or in my case, my condo. I have been having an inner battle in my life (as I am sure many feel the same) about peaking my head out of the condo cave and seeing what the new world looks like. I did that yesterday and would love to share my experiences with you.

First stop: a walk with a friend in her neighbourhood. We walked for almost an hour and I commented to her that I wanted to come to her for a change of scenery. I have walked around my neighbourhood and the change was refreshing.

Second stop: decided that since I was in my work neighbourhood, I would meet a friend from work who is in the office once a week. We grabbed a coffee at our local Starbucks location which had just reopened last week. Here was my first ‘taste’ into the new world of retail. I haven’t had a drink at Starbucks since February.

As you know, there is no seating in store or on the street. We were met by an employee at the door that asked if we had placed our order yet. I asked, are we allowed in, and the answer was yes.  Every bench is blocked off and there are no chairs. Lines and arrows, Plexiglas and masks. All normal now, but still needs some getting used to. Placed our orders and we were on our way.

Had a great walk, but after being out for a few hours I had to…you guessed it, had to use the bathroom. We kept walking for a while and as we made our way back to Yonge Street I encountered the first obstacle in the new normal – using a public restroom. I know…don’t remind me why I wouldn’t want to use one in the first place, but if you are out and about, you really need to be mindful of your time, distance from home and potential need.

First stop, Tim Horton’s. I could see that the washroom door was blocked off with their tables and chairs but I thought I would ask. Employee had to get the manager, who said no. I asked a bit more urgently, still no. Moving on.

We were a couple of blocks away from the office, which would have been okay, but I thought I would go back into the Starbucks to ask them. They said no. At this point it was urgent. I begged. They VERY reluctantly said yes. Okay. done and done. Moving on.

It was a lesson. A lesson in the new normal. For those who are planning on venturing out you need to be mindful. Mindful of where you are going, how far from your home you will be, and how comfortable you would be if you were faced with this situation.

I had planned the night before with my parents to stop by the Bagel House on the way to buy some Montreal Bagels since I was in the neighbourhood. Pulled up, spot right in front. The smell of the wood burning oven wafting out the front door. Drooling (through my mask) I went inside. Waiting on my circle for my turn….I could see that the everything bagel slot was empty. I was out of luck, unless I wanted to wait an hour. I did not.

SIDE NOTE: about masks. There is one way in and one way out, and a man was coming in as I wanted to go out. He held the door for me and stepped out of the way saying, I was being respectful of the distance. To which he replied, “you are wearing a mask so you are okay.” (He was not wearing a mask).

I remembered there was another location not that far (well it wasn’t that close) so off I went to Eglinton in search of my everything bagels. Again, found a spot right in front, made my way into the store…and again…there were only four everything bagels. I bought what they had and said clearly it was not an everything bagel day for me.

Next stop, had to go to a retail store. I ordered some clothes on line and had 30 days from the time the store reopened to make returns. I didn’t really WANT to go to the store, but if I didn’t, I would lose the opportunity to return the items and get a refund.

Arrived at the store. It was strange and gave me some anxiety. I think it was the unknown that I was anxious about. I stepped in and right at the front door you have to stop and disinfect your hands. No problem. I stood at a distance and asked my questions. It was a reasonable experience. The rooms were cleaned and marked as sanitized and the only request was limit what you take into the room with you. I tried on one top for sizing and I was done.

Gave back my returns which she wouldn’t touch and they had to be put in a bin at the front of the cash. I bought a couple of tops which she wouldn’t bag for me, it was bag your own. Experience done. Would I run back to do it again, not anytime soon to be honest.

Dropped off a few things at my parents house and the last stop I made for my day out was sushi. In the past three months I have had take out food a total of TWO times. One pizza and one Chinese food delivery. Stepped into the Sushi place near my condo, ordered two items because I had anxiety and couldn’t decide what else to order. Waited outside for my food and came home.

Came upstairs, changed my clothes, washed my hands twice and took my food on the balcony and enjoyed.

What did I learn from my experiences yesterday? I learned this is a long process. Some people may not feel that way, and will adjust just fine to this new normal. I really don’t like the words new normal, there is nothing normal about this. This is just NEW. Let’s call it what it is.

Stay safe in your navigation through the new. Do what you are comfortable doing and be kind. Everyone is going through Covid but we are not all travelling on the same roads and pathways.