I’m over it. This whole damn pandemic.
I. Am. Over. It.
Seriously it was a bit of a novelty almost at first, for a few days. The humor of the thousands of memes, the toilet paper insanity, and even the mask debate (wear one, don’t wear one). But it no longer is amusing, entertaining, or even over whelming. I’m just done.
For a while I was glued to the news, and then I couldn’t watch it anymore. It freaked me out and caused anxiety. Now, I grab the headlines, check some things deeper, and I move on from it. I just really don’t care so much anymore.
I work with this, every shift. A prepared area that is sealed off for the purpose of isolation of any resident who tests positive. To date, we don’t have a single staff member or resident that is infected (unless they are of the percentage that doesn’t have a single symptom so we don’t know if we have those but so far no one has gotten sick so guessing not). But we have to be ready, so the area was created, several rooms for sick residents, a completely separate entrance for the staff to use, and those willing to work that area, if the need to use it happens, have volunteered. I tossed my name in that hat as I have no little folks at home and cannot see my grandkids at this point. Every day we are required to wear masks, all day. I’m over it. Done with sore ears, done with feeling like I cannot breathe when wearing it. I use a filter in mine (a vacuum cleaner bag cut to fit inside the mask pocket because per this article and studies it provides 86% effectiveness in filtration of particles 5x smaller than the Coronavirus. I figured that, along with the double layer of cotton mask, I’m doing pretty darn good as far as protecting myself.
At first I cared what I had on my mask, kind of a fashion statement of sorts if it was required. I have pink sugar skulls, lady bugs, tie-dye, roses, blue granite and black granite, daisies, cats and more…but now I couldn’t care less. Grab a clean one and head out of the door to go to work, toss it in the laundry when I get home. I’m very much over them. Not going to stop wearing one outside of the apartment, as a precaution, but I am really not thrilled about it.
I told someone today, if I hear one more person say, “you knew what you signed up for” I may throat punch them. NO I did not. None of us did. Sure, we were educated in school about infectious diseases and how to use PPE for those situations. But those were not pandemics causing world wide illness from a super contagious virus. No one signed up for this people. NO ONE. But those in healthcare, we aren’t bailing. First responders, they aren’t bailing. We just push through and pray we don’t get sick.
I did get sick, thankfully with a stomach bug. I hurled for hours, then it progressed through my GI system. My stomach still hurts from getting sick. You know what I did? Read too damn much on possible symptoms of this stupid virus. I’ve been checking my temperature 20 times a day. I’m fine, thanks.
Coffee..it is my life force these days. And Keto went out of the window. Thankfully nothing I own feels like my weight has changed but who knows. The scale died a few days ago and a new scale isn’t considered ‘essential’ with Amazon so hoping as things go along it ends up arriving earlier than the projected date. Until then I’m trying to not be stupid with Diet soda or junk food, and drink more water.
Yes, I am a tad cranky today. But I will get over it. Life won’t be what it was, a think it will be defined, at least for me, by a very different normal. But that is for another post.
Marti Gardner 