Lets share quarantine or distancing coping measures in this coronavirus age.

[irish]

Just thinking maybe others might have some ideas on measures used to stay healthy. I am 77 years old and figure I worked so darn hard to get diagnosed that I should put a little work into staying healthy enough to live a little longer.

So, I am going to hunker down pretty much. Will probably go for a ride in my car at times. I have IVIG monthly and other doc appointments. I need to get some masks. Can't believe I gave my son my N95 masks cause I didn't think I needed them anymore.

I made about 3 shopping trips for things. I needed water and the many other items that a chronically ill Sjogrens pat. needs. I did get toilet paper but had some on hand. Can't believe the way people drag the toilet paper and other paper products off the shelves. I bet they are going to forget some other important item and have to borrow it.

For someone my age this decrease in activity and transportation doesn't even cause me to blink. I was born during the second world war and every one was hard up or "poor" and we had very few clothes. We walked everywhere we wanted to go. You didn't waste a darn thing cause our parents were all older and had lived through the depression and crop failure and lived on mostly farms where the diet was mostly homemade bread, fried eggs, fried potatoes and beans.

I think being my age makes it much easier to lay low and follow this program for now knowing it won't last for ever. This could save many lives including my own.I was raised in small town America so life was slow and neighbors were so important. We have a phone, TV and most have a computer to help pass the time. Just a few thoughts. Irish

[eye2dry]

Hello to all.

Since I have been disabled since 2015 with my RA and Sjogrens, I have learned to keep myself occupied.
Relying on texting, phone calls,internet and cable TV. My husband works so I get to hear first hand on what's going on outside my 4 walls .

I embroider and when the weather is nice I can still garden around my patio and front porch.

I visit with my in-laws who live 2 houses away. They are 80 and 88 years old, good health. If I even suspected I was ill I would never go over. We help them out.

In the winter it is like I am self isolating anyways without a virus running around.

I am very disappointed with my community. I heard from my daughter's that people were going nuts over toilet paper, I saw on TV arguments over things like that. I never expected our small town to have people hoarding but they were. I guess I should of listened to my daughter bc I went to the grocery store today and it was empty of most things. I thought I heard that stores were going to limit people from buying up reserves of this and that, panic buying. Apparently no one listened. I went to 4 other stores for items my grocery store did not have....came out empty handed.

Both my daughter's are now working from home with their company laptops. My grandkids are out of school for 3 weeks d/t and extended spring break bc of the virus. We live in Ohio.

Oh well, I am safe at home watching it snow, listening to soft music and drinking green tea.

Tip of the day.......wash your hands people, cover your mouth when you cough, common sense things.

Shelly

[Carebear]

I have a long list of things to do, that I have been putting off for years.  If I can't manage to shorten that list now, I just don't know when I will get this stuff done!

It is freezing outside so the dog and I make quick trips out to do her business.  When it warms up we will take longer trips around the lake on the trail behind us, two or three times each day. Maybe I will even shed these extra 10 pounds.

The treadmill will get used daily too. I have to do something to manage this stress.  I also decided to watch lots of Netflix, and restrict coronavirus updates to maybe once a day.
 
Oh, and my spouse is washing thoroughly and changing clothes when returning from work in healthcare.  We are expecting redeployment of all staff this week as health services managers determine the greatest needs. This should be interesting.  At least we will have lots to talk about!

[Linda196]

I never seem to be at want for something to do, the benefit of having multiple hobbies and an inability to totally finish a project before starting another.'

Unfortunately, some of my projects will remain unfinished for now because they involve knit or crochet to be delivered to the neonatal unit or nursing homes, and until further notice they aren't accepting donations of "soft furnishings". Other things, hats and mitts for homeless and so on, can be sent, after being tumbled in a hot dryer for a minimum of 20 minutes, then sealed in plastic and left to sit for 72 hours, so I can still do those for now (luckily I have a treasure trove of yarn).

I live in a rural area, so walks outside are aren't only allowed, they are encouraged! On nice days when my joints will cooperate, I can amble along outside with my camera, then on less pleasant days, play with the photos in editing programs or as models for sketches and paintings.

Many of the activities I enjoy outside home have been cancelled anyway, so I keep up with any that have an online component (and have set up an online version of one in particular that I administer). One that I will really miss is a weekly session of revolving art classes for seniors, but I'm going back to the previous sessions and repeating or developing from those lessons. Not as much fun as being in a room full of (possibly eccentric) seniors, but at least it's creatively satisfying.

Baking, one of my favourite pastimes, is sort of off the table, as hubby is learning to deal with newly diagnosed diabetes, I'm gluten free and don't eat treats during Lent, and my daughter and granddaughters are limiting their visits as well, but I'm putting more time and effort into learning new recipes and techniques we can use within our restrictions.

I do daily meditation and modified yoga-tai chi combo, so that helps with stress and inactivity as well. And daily journalling helps with brain fog and freeze.

I have shelves of books I haven't gotten to, and if all else fails, there's always TV and PVR LOL

Meanwhile, I'm finally getting naps whenever I want!

[Joe S.]

Online Sci-fi convention found on FaceBook: Concellation 2020 has been good for laughs and quirky silliness.

[Deb 27]

As most of us, I have pre existing conditions, so I have to try to shelter in place. I've gone in two stores since all this happened and one wasn't a store but the Vet's office to pick up doggy prescriptions. I am not the only one with chronic health conditions-:)))

I'm retired so life is about the same for me right now. I just can't go out and do my usual errands, shopping, visiting with friends. So, I sit outside a lot, play with my dogs, text and e-mail a lot with friends and family. I've also been riding my bike almost every day. It's been very warm in the south, so we had our 2nd day of swimming here! That's a nice stress buster. I've also done some reading and napping. I've also managed to clean out a few drawers and boxes I haven't opened since I moved two years ago. Ha, ha, ha! Junk I am going to put in the trash!!!!

I've done a little crafting as well. The creative mood can wax and wane.

Wishing everyone good health and happiness!!! Hoping this will be over sooner rather than later!!!

[Carebear]

I am pretty much a hermit anyway. I've been training for self isolation for decades!  I do miss picking up my granddaughters from school each day. They are teenagers so the messages I send them consist of silly photos of the dog and questions like "what are you doing?".  One completely ignores me. The other replies but I can almost hear her eyes roll.  Teenagers. Sigh!

I have reconnected with one friend in particular, speaking on the phone a few times a week.  We are 3000 kilometers apart yet this pandemic has drawn us so very close.

I walk the dog, although unlike lucky Deb, our weather is terrible. This morning it is -27 celcius with the windchill.  When it does warm up we will take our long walks on the trail behind the house a couple times a day. That doesn't look like it will happen any time soon though.

Thankfully I can walk on the treadmill.  And I have been preparing more healthy meals because I am not going anywhere, and I have a bit more energy.

I have projects waiting for me.  I poke away at them periodically.  They keep calling me but I would rather binge watch shows on Netflix or listen to True Crime podcasts.

Stay healthy.  Stay home.

[SjoDry]

Hi Listmates.

Like all of you, I am finding things to do with my time. Since I am doing a great deal of care-giving for my Mom (who has Alzheimer's), I decided to try to uplift hers and her other senior neighbor's spirits. I came up with this crazy idea.."Hey Mom, I said...I have a great idea..I am going to make you a Covid Door Wreath!" Her response was priceless: "Do I need a Covid Door Wreath"? I laughed and said.."Probably not..but I am going to make one anyway". I don't think she had any clue of what I was talking about until I showed up with it a couple of weeks ago. The response has been great. She and her neighbors love it...but now she tells me she keeps hearing voices outside her door..haha..she hears people discovering the wreath.

Unfortunately, I can't figure out how to attach the picture here, so I am going to post a link to a blog post I wrote today (which included the picture).

Hope you are all staying healthy & happy in spite of it all! The wreath picture is at toward the end of the blog post: www.vitalsignspgh.blogspot.com

SjoDry

[Robi5]

  That is really funny and a great idea @sjodry!

My grandma has alziemers, and its really hard for her to understand why we can?t hug or kiss her (she lives with my uncle on the other end of the city).  But she is so sweet she just goes along with it.  So the other day she was blowing me an air-kiss!  So cute!

[meirish]

I am back after finally getting back in after big computer glitch. However, I had to make a new name so I am meirish now......

One thing I have wondered about this problem we are having with the corona virus is the fact that the high school age and college age kids don't seem to take it serious. I just wonder if this is related to the permissive society we have now where anything or everything pretty much goes.

I wish they would do inservices at bars...concerts, etc to help instill what a virus is, how it is spread and how to prevent it plus responsibility of individuals. I'm afraid that the nation is going to pay dearly for our inability to follow the instructions. Wear a mask and keep a distance is not much to ask. I think of what the women and kids went through during the wars and just wonder...if they could sacrifice greatly for months and years....surely we can sacrifice for a long time til we get through this.

Also, hygiene has deteriorated in this country the past years. Years ago it was always said that no matter how hard up we were we always made sure to have a bar of soap to bathe. You may have noticed that over the years we are asked to take a shower at home before we come in for surgery. This is for the basis premise of cleanliness.

Years ago we admitted the night prior to surgery and took a shower in the hospital the night prior to surgery. As a nurses I can tell you that many times people who come to the hospital have to take a shower before they are admitted because they are so dirty. Cant tell you how many baths and showers I had to give to people before they could be admitted to emergency room. It is understandable to hav an accident and come in full of dirt, sand, grime but many people come in plain dirty....enough to be considered a hazard to the infection control of the hospital. Just a little sideline tidbit.

 Meirish