Emma and the new normal

[Emma]

I am being exposed to patients with the corona virus or suspected of having the virus two to three times a month. Not as bad as we had originally feared at the start of the lockdown, but bad enough. I have to check in at the door, answer questions, and have my temperature taken. I wear full PPE at all times inside the facility, although fairly often I am wearing a patient gown due to a shortage of proper isolation gowns.  Family members are still not allowed to visit. My contact with patients is thankfully brief and I set up as much as possible while still outside in the van to minimize my time inside the facility. Work has actually been very slow.  Partly our normal summer slowdown,  but I am noticing more empty beds than usual in the facilities. That could be due to Medicare reimbursement cuts (again!), or to people doing everything they can to keep loved ones out of nursing homes because of the virus. Most of our facilities are doing quite well with keeping down the number of infections. I am very worried about a spike in infections because of the protests, but I don’t think that will directly affect me. Seriously most of these people can’t get out of bed, much less march in a protest. I will continue to self isolate for awhile yet just to be careful. I want to be sure I don’t bring anything in to these frail people because I was cavorting with crowds on the outside.

 I have had no symptoms, but have not had a test. Tomorrow morning there will be a phone meeting at which I expect to be told to schedule a covid test.

[deftona]

Following along, Emma. 

 

Is the idea you will be tested more frequently going forward? 

[Emma]

Goals:

Why? To not be dependent on other people as I grow older.

Financially I’m doing pretty good unless something really unexpected happens. (pandemic anyone? How about another wildfire?)
Exercise has been happening more frequently. I threw all the rules out the window when the lockdown started and want to get more organized about it. Current plan is to keep up with the physical therapy exercises for my shoulder and back and maybe add one more stretch per week. Walk daily. Level up NF academy body weight exercises. I am on level 2 (and have been for awhile). So maybe move up to Level 3? At least take on the Boss Battle at the end of this challenge.
Diet needs more improvement. I still have a cupboard full of cookies but most of the time now I will look at the cookie, maybe take a bite, and put it down. (Who said that? Emma looks around frantically)
Emotional: Work on projects and communicate with my nerd family to keep from getting lonely. I did reach out to a few people at church a couple of weeks into the lockdown but they weren’t interested in listening to me. I heard a lot about how stressed they were about not being able to leave the house. Want to trade? No one has tried to contact me at all since then. 
I told my doctor a couple of years ago about how depression runs in my family. Every now and then she offers me meds. I took her up on it last month. I am feeling pretty mellow. No deep blue funks or low levels of anxiety or rage like I used to have and I am sleeping better, which is nice.

[Emma]

Hi deftona! Good to see you!

Testing. At this point, don’t know. I expect to find out tomorrow morning. Although since I haven’t been tested at all yet, anything will be more frequent.  

[Snarkyfishguts]

FOLLOWING ALONG

 

Listen, if you need someone to eat those cookies so they don't tempt you, I'm here for you. 

 

Depression sucks. I'm glad this medication is working for you. I'm here for listening and support (and also, seriously, pass the cookies!) 

 

 

 

 

[Emma]

Thanks, guys, for your responses.

Unwinding after work. I had two patients who are “under investigation” which means they have fever, and cough, and had the covid test but results aren’t back yet. I was in full PPE though, so I’m not too worried.

I hurt my back last week trying to do the RBG workout. Had to quit early on Friday and spent Saturday in bed. I survived today but the daily walk probably won’t be happening for a few more days.
For fun, I’m going to do date nights on Thursday, which is my Sunday. I’m thinking Dinner and a Movie. Fancy meal and a movie, dressed up in my best, with my fantasy date by my side. I’m leaning towards Keanu Reeves at the moment. Any suggestions for a movie?

[Emma]

Covid testing phone call.

I will be getting a covid test in the next week and a half. I may or may not be required to get a test every week. The lawyers can’t figure out what the state requirements are. We love California! Don’t we?

[Sciread77]

I am also here to listen and support. 

[Emma]

Hi Snarky! Hi Sciread! Thanks.

An uneventful day. Resting my back some more so I could survive work. My new (to me) xray machine is a lot heavier and harder on my back. Four exams but lots of driving so I worked a full shift.
Called son2 and chatted about our plans for this weekend. He and his girlfriend are moving to Arizona soon so she can go to school and I won’t see him for a long time. So we are getting together this weekend for a little family reunion with Son1 before he leaves. He told me Son1 has a new job! Yay! He is a massage therapist and was laid off as soon as the lockdown started. His new job is security guard. Armed security guard. None of us saw that coming.

PT was done, no walk or NF academy. Eating was whatever. Didn’t work out as planned. A little piano playing and lots of light reading.

[fleaball]

Oh my god I cannot imagine getting tested every week. Once was more than enough for a lifetime. 
 

Thanks for reminding me the Academy exists. I joined when it first came out and wasn’t a fan. Might check it out again and see if I can make it work for me now. 

[Novaurora]

Here to follow and support.  Mental health is an interesting battle right now.

[Ann of Owlshire]

Your Nerd Family is here for you ❤️ 

[Emma]

Hi guys! And thank you for the support, but I will keep my cookies, thank you.

Yesterday’s update

I woke up with no pain! It was great. Back was still tight and sore so I took it easy and only did PT. And my knee didn’t hurt either. I had been despairing of ever getting healing there.

Went to grocery store to pick up supplies for date night. My wallet ended up at the bottom of the cart, so I just stuffed my change in one of the bags.  As I was crossing the parking lot a guy yelled at me, my money was blowing in the wind. He picked it up and gave it to me. Okay, my faith in humanity is starting to be restored a bit after having my backpack stolen in San Francisco.

One of the maintenance guys told me there was a lot of medical stuff on the free table. He said they were just going to throw it out soon. I checked it out and it was catheters and respiratory stuff (still sealed!) and a rather nice wheelchair. Nursing home near me looks like it has a lot of low income patients so I offered everything to them. Called maintenance guy and told him they’re  picking it up this morning. My good deed for the day. More like the month

Last night was a full night. Did eight exams, got home at 3 am (overtime). Sadly it meant wrestling my machine (who is now named Oscar at the urging of a lifer I see often) in and out of the van several times so now my back hurts some.
Today is the start of vacation! Yay!
 

[WolfDreamer]

1 hour ago, Emma said:

Okay, my faith in humanity is starting to be restored a bit

 

I love it when something good like this happens. We hear so much about how crappy people can be; this gives me hope, as well. Thank you for sharing this.

 

1 hour ago, Emma said:

My good deed for the day. More like the month

 

That was very kind of you. I know they were grateful. "In the same way let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven." -- Matthew 5:16

 

I'm sorry the people from your church stopped talking to you. Feel free to reach out to me if you need to talk. I'm gathering a Fellowship of friends to help hold me accountable for some addiction temptations that have crept up, so I understand the importance of needing someone to talk to when you're struggling.

[Emma]

Yesterday was date night. I moved it up since I have to get ready for traveling tomorrow.

The date was terrible. The food was pretty much inedible. They need to fire that cook. Oh yeah, I was the cook.

Appointment with eye doctor, didn’t do much else except read and sleep.
Laid down at 8 pm, just to rest my eyes for a bit. Woke up at 1:30. Couldn’t get back to sleep. Cleaned for a bit and ate since I was hungry.
Additional goal. Get totally dressed in the morning. Since I don’t go to work until 4 pm I tend to schlep around in my pjs all day. My pjs and my day clothes are the same, yoga pants and a tee shirt, so that usually means just putting on a bra. (Note to Emma: Buy some more clothes, girl!) I am more productive when I get totally dressed. 

Today, laundry will be done. I need four days of clothes for the trip and that’s all the clothes I have, and they are all yoga pants and tee shirts. (Note to Emma: BUY SOME MORE CLOTHES, GIRL!)

I did order a dress and skirt a few days ago, I hope they arrive today. And they were things that I really liked. I bought a couple of outfits for church, but they weren’t what I liked, they were what I thought would help me fit in at church (those outfits would be useful for the trip but I don’t know where I put them). The main purpose of joining church was to fit in and make friends. Resigning let me feel free from the pressure to fit in and I hadn’t realized how much pressure I had been putting on myself to do so.
Covid  test this afternoon. They are not using the one that goes up to your brain. This one is easier and faster and less accurate. 80% accuracy. If they do this every week they should catch all the cases, but if they don’t...
Letter from CEO. It wasn’t my imagination, census in the nursing homes is down. More empty beds than normal. Increased costs of trying get us all the PPE we should have (they have been pretty good about that) and less income for the company is why reduced hours and why there will be no raises this year. I am making more money than I ever dreamed of so whatever.

Son1s new job is actually not a job but training to be a security guard. The company has a good record from what I can see. They have government money as grants to train unemployed people so it is no cost to Son.
Many thanks to my nerd family for their support.

[deftona]

Oh no, what happened with the dinner?

 

Good on you for getting rid of the social pressure. Life is way too short for that. 

 

[Emma]

Hi deftona! 
I’m just not a very good cook. Lots to learn.

Must look up some of Tanks old posts.

 

[Emma]

And, def, your garden party outfits were the inspiration for me to feel that I deserved some new clothes.

[Novaurora]

2 hours ago, Emma said:

The date was terrible. The food was pretty much inedible. They need to fire that cook. Oh yeah, I was the cook.

I feel this life.  This made me laugh out loud.  Keep practicing!!

 

52 minutes ago, Emma said:

Must look up some of Tanks old posts.

There was a video somewhere that @Tanktimus the Encourager had posted on an old thread.  He does a great job explaining stuff.

[deftona]

1 hour ago, Emma said:

And, def, your garden party outfits were the inspiration for me to feel that I deserved some new clothes.

 

I'm glad you realised this and you deserve all sorts of lovely new things Emma. 

[Snarkyfishguts]

On 6/18/2020 at 12:39 PM, Emma said:

Get totally dressed in the morning. Since I don’t go to work until 4 pm I tend to schlep around in my pjs all day. My pjs and my day clothes are the same, yoga pants and a tee shirt, so that usually means just putting on a bra. (Note to Emma: Buy some more clothes, girl!) I am more productive when I get totally dressed. 

um, I think we may be closet twins because that is totally how I operate these days. Bras are the only indication that I'm not sleeping right now.  

 

23 hours ago, Emma said:

And, def, your garden party outfits were the inspiration for me to feel that I deserved some new clothes.

She did the same for me too! I bought two summer dresses, and I'm like "I'm comfortable AND pretty!" (twirl, twirl, twirl)

 

 

[deftona]

Why have I seen no photos of all this new swag...

[Emma]

The new swag hasn’t arrived yet.:(

[Emma]

And we want to see snarky’s new dresses, too!

[Emma]

Lazy day yesterday. Did some stuff to get ready for trip, not much else, but this is vacation. Back was still sore so took it easy because 

Today: Long drive to home of son2. Got everything packed but did not anticipate one thing.

Restrooms.

Closed.

Three hours into trip stopped for gas and realized I had a problem. Thanks to the state of California there was an open rest stop another hour and a half down the road.

Currently waiting for son2 and dinner. He might cook.