I am obviously not the first person with a disease to get scared the second we started having mixed feelings about COVID-19. I remember it was the beginning of March and I started hearing about it and I instantly went into panic mode and thought immediately about my Marfan Syndrome. I am sure everyone with an underlying condition had the same feelings. And they have only gotten WORSE since things have gotten worse.
So I am here to say, you are not alone. It is a tough time right now for everyone and that is something I find comfort in. Yes, I have to be more careful than the normal person, but we are all going through this together one way or another. Being at a higher-risk I am not going to the store or anywhere. The only time I leave the house is to walk our dog, Coby, and let me tell you he is loving it!
What else is going to change? How long will travel be risky? How long will it be risky to have a group in your house? How long will it be until we can all be safe in a mall or restaurant? These are all the kinds of things that we keep asking and have no answers for and that is the worst part of all of this, isn't it? It is the same feeling I get when I have unanswered questions about my Marfan Syndrome, there are a lot of things we cannot control and that in itself is an on-going personal battle.
To anyone reading this, we all need to be honest about how we are feeling and do what we can to help others we know. Whether that is finding a therapist to do online sessions, reaching out to a friend you don't speak to often, talking to your family more, learning a new hobby, enjoying your time at home and doing your best to keep busy and calm during this time.
Here are some things I have tried, some successful & some NOT!
- Cooking new recipes (this has definitely worked! (only one wasn't the greatest)
- Baking (this has NOT gone well for me)
- Learning how to crochet (this did not go well for me either!)
- Reading new books (I am halfway through the Harry Potter series now!)
- Facetiming with friends & family weekly
- Taking random drives around the neighborhood
- Walking the dog, a lot!
Stay safe xoxo
