The Isolation Diaries Day 13 – Weekend

I last left you on Day 9 when we were struggling with home educating. It’s definitely been a hit and miss week with the work. The girls are working mostly independently but the Little Man needs more instruction. Thank goodness for the weekend, it’s Day 13.

Why am I writing about this? I’ve seen a lot of comments about people thinking it’s pointless writing about it all, but I disagree. For one, it does kind of help me. I can keep track, I can see how things change day by day. And it’s a situation like no other and should be recorded in as many ways as possible.

Day 10 Was a Good Day

We managed to get some work done and as the sun was shining we even went into the garden to get some exercise and vitamin D. Well, the kids did!

The shopping arrived and we were relieved to have food for a week. We just have to learn not to be so fussy. My kids are big pasta eaters but I only have spaghetti. Maybe next week the supermarket will have some. We have a big bag of rice though which should last a while. I managed to get some bread flour too!

My Daughter is still working at the Children’s hospital in theatres. She works in a sterile environment and Graham is taking and picking her up to avoid public transport. She’s a NHS worker but not on the COVID frontline.

Day 11 We clapped for the NHS

Today wasn’t so good. The Little Man did a fair bit of his school work, but the girl’s were not so keen. Star had a little meltdown and admitted her fears to me. We had a cuddle and a talk and she felt better afterwards. But, I still didn’t get much work out of her. She decided that she wanted to make cup cakes instead.

It was another lovely sunny day and I went outside in the garden with my Wheelchair. I plugged in my audio book (I’m reading Don Quixote) and promptly fell asleep in the sun. It was a nice break, but I couldn’t seem to revive myself much afterwards. Cooking dinner with Graham was a real strain and I had to do my bit sitting down. Then I couldn’t sum up any appetite to eat anything.

Eldest got sick, but it was short lived. I think the fact that he is not sleeping much at all is affecting his system.

Me, I could drift out of sleep all day and night. I’ve love to hide under a duvet and watch corny movies until all of this blows over. What was I thinking having kid in my 40s.

The kids are great at helping with the housework and they do their own lunches, but it’s still hard work having them around all day. If I leave them then they will spend a whole day glued to phones, tablets, laptops, whatever.

At 8pm tonight – March 26th – We all went outside to clap and cheer for our wonderful NHS and care workers. They have been given a rough time by some but this is a tough time for them and they need to know we appreciate them.

Of course there are many other workers out there that deserve our respect and appreciation too, and they should get it. It sickens me to hear of the abuse some people have received. Humanity astounds me sometimes. We will only fight this if we stick together.

The Invisible War

Outside is a murderer, some it kills, some it maims, some it just makes it’s victims suffer for a while. It doesn’t care who you are, if it can get you it will. The advice is stay home, protect the NHS and save lives. We need to contain this virus now.

During a war you can see your enemy, but not this one. It can’t be seen, no-one knows where it is, it can attack at any time. All you can do is stay away from other people, keep your distance and only go out if you really have to.

Some seem to think they are invincible because they are young and healthy, but no-one is. But what is worse is that these selfish people are helping to spread the enemy, passing it on to those not so strong and healthy.

I don’t know the state of the hospitals (I don’t think I want to) but I do know that those with a better chance of survival with more quality of life will get the best treatment. Other’s may only get palliative care to make it easier for them to pass away. It’s not a system of fairness, it’s a system of necessity in a pandemic like this.

Humans are so selfish acting this way. Stay inside, if not for you then for everyone else.

Day 12 How the Mighty Have Fallen

Yesterday we found out that Prince Charles had mild symptoms and tested positive for COVID-19 and was isolating himself at Balmoral. Then today we find out that our Prime Minister Boris Johnson has tested positive too, as of many other politicians. This virus doesn’t pick and choose. A lot of people were angry that the tests were available for these high profile people and not for the front line staff working for the NHS. I agree that the staff need to be tested and as soon as possible. They need our support and help, they need the right treatment and equipment. But it really doesn’t surprise me that their is hierarchy when it comes to testing, it’s just like everything else in this world. The leaders come first, the soldiers second. Sad, but the way it is.

The Weekend – Day 13

And finally the weekend arrives. Day 13 of isolation. It’s kind of surreal, but it’s a bit of a relief not to think about persuading my kids to keep up with their school work. It really does feel like we can relax a little. We have food in the cupboards and so far no signs of the virus here. The kids still have snotty noses and sneezes, which I just don’t get as they haven’t been in contact with anyone. If anyone is wondering why we seem to be ahead in days of isolation to everyone else, it’s because we chose to lock-down early. I have an auto-immune condition and two of my children also are at higher risk. So we decided to not go out as soon as the first cases in the UK were known. I didn’t want to take any chances. I don’t think I would cope with any members of my family getting sick. I started counting from 16th March which is the first day the kids didn’t go into school. Star didn’t go to school on the Friday 14th as she was feeling unwell. Only Graham went out over the following weekend and he wasn’t gone long.

I’m working my way around the house making sure everything is clean and disinfected often. It’s not easy in my condition but it has to be done.

I’m lucky in that my children are older. I think I would have to go bonkers if I had little ones cooped up all the time. I also feel deeply for my friends with children with extra needs, especially those that have no idea what is going on. We have had a few meltdowns here, but so far, so good. My kid’s are quite happy staying home, and we have a garden.

So how are you coping with the lock down? Are Your kids driving you crazy? Are you feeling lonely? Share your stories, tips, thoughts or whatever below. We are all in this together! Stay safe x