As a mom of medically fragile child times like this is stressful.
But its always stressful, just not for the reasons you may think. Since finding out about my son’s rare disease and how little was known about it life has looked much different for us. Good hygiene is something we practice every day, I’m vigilant about being in public and sometimes seem like the public health police. Did you wash your hands? Please cough into your arm! Do you need hand sanitizer? After yesterday’s announcement to close the schools for 3 weeks my knee jerk reaction was to quarantine my home.
This morning we had an appointment to see Archer’s endocrinologist. Here is Lisa Richards N.P. comments on how to best handle the current crisis on the home-front.
- Social Responsibility- They need people to stay home if they are sick. Don’t go out unless you absolutely have to. This is going to spread, that is inevitable. The only way to keep this handled is to slow down it’s progress. Our hospitals are not adequately equipped for a pandemic so if we can help them out let’s do our best.
- If you are sick, isolate yourself.
- Please practice proper hygiene, wash your hands often(sing the ABC song twice), use hand sanitizer, vampire cough and sneeze.
- Don’t touch faces and the immunocompromised.
- Don’t undermine the seriousness of this, it is not just another flu.
Do the meme’s bother me?
Yes, a little because this is a big deal. No corona-virus is not new and it just like any other virus is something I am always concerned about. It is considered novel though because it is a strain they know nothing about and it is spreading so fast it will be a while before they will know anything concrete. I see some meme’s and giggle, the fact that this has brought proper hygiene back into the limelight is great, though I’m not sure why it ever took a backseat, to begin with.
I’m not excited in the least about all the attention this is getting, for one it feels like another day for us.
Except when I place my order for grocery pick up or my call in for possible medical supplies we may need at home I get told it’s unavailable. Having basic things like soap should not be an emergency. I can promise you that there is no award for being the most stocked home in your neighborhood. Please use some common sense and stop hoarding. There are people who need these items just as much as you do. Please stop blocking their access. Instead please consider how you can contribute to the greater good, share some of that soap and soup with your elderly neighbor who may not have been able to get to the store before the mass exodus happened. Wipe down your grocery cart handle, leave the sick family at home. Use grocery pick up if at all possible, keep track of the CDC recommendations. Use this time to connect with your kids and try to make the best out of a not so great situation.
When this is all said and done and the next flu season rolls around remember that the few months of madness for you are an everyday worry for many of us. We are fighting battles and anxiety daily about this and we could use some support.
For some great ideas on how to keep busy over the next few weeks, this has some great information.
If you are needing some assistance during this time this has some great information and the news stations will have up to date information as this situation plays out.
Did I mention, wash your hands?
Thank you to Lisa Richards N.P at the Endocrine and Diabetes Care Center on Monroe St. for answering my questions and calming my mama anxiety.
