Self-Quarantined

I am among the group of people being described in all the news reports as the 'vulnerable elderly.'  I prefer to think of myself as a 20 year old with 53 years of experience, but as much as I like to pretend I am not old - I am.  And I have health issues that place me directly into that category of 'vulnerable.' 
In order to have a fighting chance at staying alive much longer so I can continue to annoy my children, some changes needed to be made.

Self-quarantining isn't much of a stretch, for circumstances make it very difficult for me to leave my apartment even on the best of days.  But I needed to limit the comings and goings of others.

I use a cleaning service to help keep my apartment clean.  The cleaner has another job in a fairly large group home that has the potential to become a virus petri dish as have nursing homes across the country.  Another cleaner would still have outside contacts with the general population, so tomorrow I am cancelling that service.  My son will haul my trash out for me and I think I can manage the rest.

The nurses who deal with my legs call me the day before a visit to set up the time they will arrive.  The nurse who called yesterday is the one I have known the longest and trust the most.  She asked if I wanted a Monday visit.  I told her that would depend on what precautions she was willing to take.  She will do the hand washing, glove and mask wearing while here.  She also suggested that I have only one nurse see me for the duration and she is setting that up with her manager.  This is a service I can not do without, for if the treatment of my legs is not done properly, chances for infection and the resulting hospitalization are nearly a given.  The procedures are something I can not manage on my own.

I will continue using the grocery delivery service every two weeks.  The same person does the deliveries each time and this is the only way I can continue to get fresh fruit, vegetables and other essentials, although if this service were eliminated, I could still live nicely on what I have stored.

My oldest son will still have access to my apartment.  Living in the apartment next door, he is in the habit of checking up on Mom from time to time and that gives me a sense of security, knowing that if something bad happens, he will be there to help.

Youngest Son called me yesterday.  He was doing his weekly grocery shopping.  He said the people at the store were going crazy.  Oldest Son went to the store where my delivery service shops and came back telling me there was no TP or paper towels on the shelves and very limited amounts of flour and sugar.  Lucky for me, there still was some Easter candy available and I now have a small stash of chocolate.  Chocolate makes everything better.  :)

If nothing else good comes from this whole virus thing, it is my hope that just maybe some will finally see the wisdom of stocking up ahead of a crisis.  Those who have been saying they don't need to prepare because there will always full grocery store shelves are finding out there is no truth in that statement.  I know that my family will be fed for a long time due to my shelves full of food.  I am not inclined to gloat over the situation and feel real compassion for those who are now having to put themselves and their loved ones at risk by needing to enter crowded stores in order to keep their families fed.

The coronavirus is not the flu.  It is an insidious disease that can be passed from one person to another long before the infected know they have it.  It is bad enough that many will contract this virus, but it is even worse that those infected can unknowingly pass it on to their older friends and relatives and put them in grave danger.  Literally.

I can take precautions but I can not guarantee that I will not become infected.  All I can realistically do is to keep on prepping.  And pray.