These are not easy times. That’s an understatement. We are living through a pandemic. I turn on Twitter and there are picture of makeshift morgues being erected in New York City. I read a story about an Italian priest giving his ventilator to a younger patient and dying.
As I write this the Canadian trajectory looks like Italy’s. Let’s hope our physical distancing will start to bring that curve down. Today the US surpassed China in terms of the total number of confirmed cases. And the true number of case in the US is likely much larger than what we’re hearing given the lack of testing.
I have friends in New York and in San Francisco and I’m scared.
I’m reading countless testimonials from doctors and nurses, staying away from their families, and working without protective equipment. I just made a financial gift to our hospital here in Guelph to help.
I’m angry that Canadas didn’t start testing and contact tracking earlier, that we didn’t shut things down sooner, and that some people are still out and about like nothing has changed.
I start crying.
But I have to go back to work. At home. Which is also stressful.
We’ve blogged here lots about it. See our covid-19 tag. Today was Catherine. Yesterday was Nicole. The day before was me. And then Cate. And Martha. I think it’s hard to write about anything else.
And we offer suggestions about working out at home but we are all struggling. It’s okay not to be okay.
Here are some stories I’ve read today about taking it easy on yourself. You don’t need a pandemic self-improvement goal.
Can I Socially Distance Myself From These Terrible Jokes About Gaining Weight While Quarantined?
“The most obvious problem with jokes about the “quarantine 15” or “the COVID 19” is that gaining weight is framed as an inherently bad thing — an idea that’s steeped in fatphobia. While there have certainly been waves of progress in body positivity (as well as body neutrality, or the idea that it’s okay if you just feel neutral about your body) in recent years, society is still poisoned by the idea that being fat (or gaining weight) is “bad” and losing weight is “good.” It’s a message that many of us are taught from a young age, and is reinforced throughout our lives via the media and pop culture. That harmful idea is the driving force behind these memes, and it sends a dangerous message that certain bodies are undesirable — which is simply untrue.”
Is Anyone Else Just Barely Functioning Right Now?
“Self-care routines—not so much, honestly. I haven’t been live-streaming workouts and getting in the best shape of my life. I’ve actually been sitting on my butt all day. I’ve slacked off on my daily meditation. I have not been motivated to use the time saved not commuting to take up knitting or bread baking. I haven’t Marie Kondo’d my bedroom, or done quarintinis with friends over FaceTime. (I have been scrolling through Instagram watching other people doing these things, and wondering what’s wrong with me that I cannot.)”
It’s OK To Not Be Superhuman During Self-Quarantine
“I was talking with a good friend recently and as he was describing this tension he was feeling, he pointed me towards an Instagram post by Haley Nahman that said, “You don’t have to “make the most” of a global pandemic.” These 11 words, though simple, were incredibly helpful for me. They put flesh around an idea that was tickling the back of my brain but I hadn’t been able to vocalize yet. If you feel this tension, here are a few other truths that will hopefully help you realize that it’s OK to not be superhuman during self-quarantine.”
I am not certain what to say. I have a baby sister (I am the oldest) she is an emergency medicine doctor just north of Toronto. I think over 17 yrs. of experience as a physician..I have think back. She worries for herself, her 2 children and her hubby who is a Canada Post delivery worker.
I don’t think she’s visited my mother since she had abit of cold back in early Mar. since my mother is 86 yrs. with a recent heart pacemaker implant, etc. Mother later got a bad cold. So she celebrated her birthday with other adult children and sister’s grandchildren.
Then another sister working intake receptionist patient intake in the cancer ward at Hospital for Sick Children.
And still another sister, a hospital pharmacist at St. Michael’s Hospital. She has to put her clothing from hospital in garbage bag out in mudroom for several days..to let the germs die/ or she washes it.
Then a brother who works in IT at Addictiona Research Foundation…in Toronto.
A nephew’s wife is pediatric doctor at Whitby General Hospital. They have a 3 yrs. son with brain cancer at home that they must protect. Chemo is not working.
A huge hunk of my family is…already there –vulnerable. Just as we all are.
So I plan to go bike riding..but it might be shorter,, because here in prairie city, we’ve locked down our faciltieis. So going to the washroom in the middle of a huge prairire park is a problem. And restaurants are closed..
So each day needs to be lived now. I don’t worry about food shortages for myself. That is a pretty small worry since raised poor family….I know how to cook healthy in a skimpy way if I need to.