ME vs. the Corona Virus
Mar. 19th, 2020 09:02 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
shadowkat1. Had a long conversation with Aunt K tonight. My cousin, D, the nuclear physcist who now works for a rocket company in Washington - got it from a co-worker who traveled internationally. Coming from the military, he had prepared for it. Got himself in top shape. And he got really sick, but on the eighth day it turned around. The symptoms according to Aunt K, are shortness of breath, headache, runny nose, pretty much like a head cold - except for the severe shortness of breath and the sensation of your chest being in a vise. It attacks the cells in the lungs, and can cause permanent damage to the lungs. If you swallow it - digest the virus, it will attack the gastrointestinal system and cause nausea, vomiting and diarrhea. Then eventually travel to the lungs. The eighth day is the turning point - if you get better after day eight, you will be okay, if you get worse - then you need to go to the hospital.
The test is to see if you can hold your breath for fifty seconds, if you can't hold it for ten seconds - you need oxygen and that's when you need to go to the hospital.
Aunt K was a school nurse, worked in intensive care, and in nursing homes. She also
worked with the HNNI virus that came out about ten years ago. She thoroughly researches everything and is analytical.
I just did the test sitting here - I can hold my breath for sixty seconds.
Apparently the virus, according to Aunt K, loves a high blood sugar environment. She told me to go off all carbs and sugars and get my sugar levels lower. (I have a 6.6 blood sugar level at last count. Anything above 6.4 is Type 2 Diabetes.)
Aunt K is a sweetheart - she lives in Florida and had over-stocked. Also, apparently in Florida they have a set shopping time for seniors between 8 am - 9 am every morning. So she can get me supplies and send them to me, if I can get her a list by Sunday.
Like I said, it's not that I don't have a close family - it's just that we're spread across the US.
She wanted to know if there was any way we could evacuate me from NYC. There's not, I'm stuck here. My brother is way up in Kinderhook and there's no way I can get to him now, not safely at any rate. And my niece is recovering from Mono, so I could get exposed to that. Or I could be a carrier and not know it.
It's not all that bad. I was able to do laundry without any problem. In my old apartment - the brownstone, I wouldn't have been able to do it without braving the laundramats.
Also, it's quiet now that they stopped all construction. Granted we have one elevator, but I only use it to do laundry and take down the recyclables.
My goal is to reach out to as many people as possible and keep them in my circle. That way if I disappear people will notice. So, if I stop posting regularly and drop off the map? Notice.
I gave my mother my super's phone number - so she can call them if I stop calling her or answering. I'm also touching base with my brother, niece and sisterinlaw weekly. Along with working closely with folks at work - who I gave my cell out to.
The only way through this is together. Even if we're all sitting alone in our homes.
2. Work is crazy. Everyone from our department is pretty much working remotely at the moment, except maybe one or two people. I should have taken my hand sanitizer and two canisters of wipes home with me. But I figured it made more sense to keep them there - in case I have to return for some reason.
My boss told me that he was struggling to get situated too - and didn't have a printer or scanner either. Although we did finally get access to the purchasing system and payroll.
And we're doing a good job of sharing documents with each other. Lots of emails, texts, and phone calls going back and forth. I've been on the phone and computer more these last few days...
3. Did get laundry done. For the most part. May have to do it again Saturday, not sure yet. Also for the most part - most of the grocery shopping. I do have to make another canned food non-perishable items run tomorrow. Trying to get items that fit in with my restricted diet.
I think I may end up becoming a vegetarian, because of this - assuming of course I survive it.
Saw people out during my run to the pharmacy and food stores. Decided to go to all the food stores that weren't Food Town and see what I could find. There's about fifteen food stores in the area, but alas, they are not created equal. Got some veggies though. And some fruit. There were people walking dogs, some face masks, most not - because we have a shortage. I got sanitary napkins. And my blood pressure meds refilled - now have the right dosage and a 90 day supply.
I need to be on medication for the diabetes, but that may not happen any time soon. So will have to attack with diet as much as possible. It is lower than many co-workers.
Got a lot of green vegetables. Broccoli, green beans, squash, celery, onions, daikon raddish...I should be alright for a few weeks, I think? Going to give Aunt K a list by text or Facebook Messenger by Sunday.
I'm thinking I should have stayed in Kansas - they only have 20 some cases as opposed to NY's 5,000 and counting.
4. Aunt K says there's a lot of kids on Spring Break down in Clear Water, Florida, where she is. And they are partying up a storm and ignoring the virus. Thinking they are immortal. They aren't. Lots of kids have been hospitalized. Her son got really ill with it and he's in great shape - at 38, but he did recover, because in great shape.
Take it seriously, stay home.
My niece said that her friend from Barcelona who'd gone back over Spring Break, told her that everyone was overreacting - and now Spain has a major problem. My sister-in-law who is in connection with people in Italy - told folks on InstaGram to take it seriously.
5. I haven't been watching much television - working a lot more because at home and hours are weirdly fluid. Also trying to take care of stuff while I still can.
They cancelled all the electrical work in the building. So I may or may not get the two additional outlets in my kitchen. They also appear to have stopped work on the new elevator for the time being. And the play area in the basement for the kids is gone now. I see less people in the building, although didn't see that many to begin with.
I've joined two nieghborhood social media sites. One that's "Your Neighborhood" and one on Facebook. Both are set up to help neighbors in need. Neighbors who needs supplies, etc.
Also, reached out to my church for Caring Check Ins.
6. How is everyone else doing? Would love to hear your stories.
The test is to see if you can hold your breath for fifty seconds, if you can't hold it for ten seconds - you need oxygen and that's when you need to go to the hospital.
Aunt K was a school nurse, worked in intensive care, and in nursing homes. She also
worked with the HNNI virus that came out about ten years ago. She thoroughly researches everything and is analytical.
I just did the test sitting here - I can hold my breath for sixty seconds.
Apparently the virus, according to Aunt K, loves a high blood sugar environment. She told me to go off all carbs and sugars and get my sugar levels lower. (I have a 6.6 blood sugar level at last count. Anything above 6.4 is Type 2 Diabetes.)
Aunt K is a sweetheart - she lives in Florida and had over-stocked. Also, apparently in Florida they have a set shopping time for seniors between 8 am - 9 am every morning. So she can get me supplies and send them to me, if I can get her a list by Sunday.
Like I said, it's not that I don't have a close family - it's just that we're spread across the US.
She wanted to know if there was any way we could evacuate me from NYC. There's not, I'm stuck here. My brother is way up in Kinderhook and there's no way I can get to him now, not safely at any rate. And my niece is recovering from Mono, so I could get exposed to that. Or I could be a carrier and not know it.
It's not all that bad. I was able to do laundry without any problem. In my old apartment - the brownstone, I wouldn't have been able to do it without braving the laundramats.
Also, it's quiet now that they stopped all construction. Granted we have one elevator, but I only use it to do laundry and take down the recyclables.
My goal is to reach out to as many people as possible and keep them in my circle. That way if I disappear people will notice. So, if I stop posting regularly and drop off the map? Notice.
I gave my mother my super's phone number - so she can call them if I stop calling her or answering. I'm also touching base with my brother, niece and sisterinlaw weekly. Along with working closely with folks at work - who I gave my cell out to.
The only way through this is together. Even if we're all sitting alone in our homes.
2. Work is crazy. Everyone from our department is pretty much working remotely at the moment, except maybe one or two people. I should have taken my hand sanitizer and two canisters of wipes home with me. But I figured it made more sense to keep them there - in case I have to return for some reason.
My boss told me that he was struggling to get situated too - and didn't have a printer or scanner either. Although we did finally get access to the purchasing system and payroll.
And we're doing a good job of sharing documents with each other. Lots of emails, texts, and phone calls going back and forth. I've been on the phone and computer more these last few days...
3. Did get laundry done. For the most part. May have to do it again Saturday, not sure yet. Also for the most part - most of the grocery shopping. I do have to make another canned food non-perishable items run tomorrow. Trying to get items that fit in with my restricted diet.
I think I may end up becoming a vegetarian, because of this - assuming of course I survive it.
Saw people out during my run to the pharmacy and food stores. Decided to go to all the food stores that weren't Food Town and see what I could find. There's about fifteen food stores in the area, but alas, they are not created equal. Got some veggies though. And some fruit. There were people walking dogs, some face masks, most not - because we have a shortage. I got sanitary napkins. And my blood pressure meds refilled - now have the right dosage and a 90 day supply.
I need to be on medication for the diabetes, but that may not happen any time soon. So will have to attack with diet as much as possible. It is lower than many co-workers.
Got a lot of green vegetables. Broccoli, green beans, squash, celery, onions, daikon raddish...I should be alright for a few weeks, I think? Going to give Aunt K a list by text or Facebook Messenger by Sunday.
I'm thinking I should have stayed in Kansas - they only have 20 some cases as opposed to NY's 5,000 and counting.
4. Aunt K says there's a lot of kids on Spring Break down in Clear Water, Florida, where she is. And they are partying up a storm and ignoring the virus. Thinking they are immortal. They aren't. Lots of kids have been hospitalized. Her son got really ill with it and he's in great shape - at 38, but he did recover, because in great shape.
Take it seriously, stay home.
My niece said that her friend from Barcelona who'd gone back over Spring Break, told her that everyone was overreacting - and now Spain has a major problem. My sister-in-law who is in connection with people in Italy - told folks on InstaGram to take it seriously.
5. I haven't been watching much television - working a lot more because at home and hours are weirdly fluid. Also trying to take care of stuff while I still can.
They cancelled all the electrical work in the building. So I may or may not get the two additional outlets in my kitchen. They also appear to have stopped work on the new elevator for the time being. And the play area in the basement for the kids is gone now. I see less people in the building, although didn't see that many to begin with.
I've joined two nieghborhood social media sites. One that's "Your Neighborhood" and one on Facebook. Both are set up to help neighbors in need. Neighbors who needs supplies, etc.
Also, reached out to my church for Caring Check Ins.
6. How is everyone else doing? Would love to hear your stories.
no subject
Date: 2020-03-21 02:55 am (UTC)