As it does for many people, my birthday usually prompts some introspection about where I’ve been and where I’m heading. My 66th birthday has arrived with most of the world under Stay at Home orders to try to at...
As it does for many people, my birthday usually prompts some introspection about where I’ve been and where I’m heading. My 66th birthday has arrived with most of the world under Stay at Home orders to try to at least mitigate the effects of a a global pandemic triggered by the spread of the novel corona virus, Covid 19.
On a good day, I can use the wheelchair as a walker and try to regain some cardiovascular fitness and strengthen muscles I never thought much about before. As you can see, the dog is much more interested in seeing if some food or food like substance is on the rug.
Due to the fortunate confluence of two unfortunate events, I am one of the people least affected by the Stay at Home order. For several months I’ve been dealing with multiple vertebral compression fractures caused not by trauma, but by “age related osteoporosis”. “Age related”, making my 66th year an inflection point.
I hope this is a temporary state of affairs, but for now, I can no longer care for myself, and more importantly, the dog. I am most comfortable in bed (where I’m writing this), with brief forays to the bathroom (sometimes by wheelchair) and the living room couch. In other words, I didn’t need a Stay at Home order by the governor of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. I’m not going anywhere. By mere coincidence, most of the world isn’t going anywhere either, and as they say, misery loves company.
The new “normal”. Setting out to go food shopping.
Fortunately, my husband, Mr./Dr. Excitement isn’t going anywhere either. He stopped caring for hospitalized pulmonary patients two years ago. For now, the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania is handling its surge of Covid 19 patients, so his services as a clinician are unnecessary. He continues to run a research laboratory, studying mesothelioma and lung cancer. Like the majority of schools in the United States, the University of Pennsylvania sent its students home and shut down all but Covid 19 laboratory research. Hence, he became an employee who could work from home—and take care of his, for now, invalid wife.
I’ll admit, I’m a little miffed at Dino, the dog. I used to be his main person, but now that I can’t take him for walks, and more significantly, can’t feed him, Mr. Excitement is his main person. At the risk of anthropomorphizing, I see the little balloon over his furry head when he passes me. It says, “What have you done for me lately?”
What? I’m getting ready for a nap.
One less than happy coincidence is that I can’t have the examinations and potential medical interventions to treat my back pain. Hospitals are still only seeing medical emergencies and Covid 19 cases. Non-emergent “elective” procedures are on hold. I’m starting to feel more “emergent” every day. Intellectually, I understand the reason for this policy. Emotionally, I’m not used to being this limited.
My first hint of back problems started with painful spasms early in September 2019, but by some miracle my pain had resolved by September 20th when we set out (tried to set out) on a five week, around the world “bleisure” trip. We were able to string together Dr. Excitement’s multiple international speaking engagements and research conferences, starting on Crete and ending in Sydney, Australia, with free time in between. Fortunately, I could do unlimited walking. We walked almost 10 miles in Melbourne, Australia one day, and I even climbed the 700 steps to a monument in Bulgaria. However, soon after our return from that trip, I had a second round of more intractable back problems that scuttled a planned trip to visit our son in Mexico City in January of this year.
One of the stops on our 10 mile walking tour of Melbourne, Australia: The Royal Botanic Gardens
Travel bloggers and travel anythings are feeling the strain of nobody being able to travel. The hospitality and tourism sectors of world economies have ceased operations. Most countries have closed their borders. Airlines are using airports as airplane parking lots. Cruise ships (and aircraft carriers) have proven themselves to be floating petri dishes, so no one will be going on a cruise anytime soon.
On a macro scale, the world is reeling from the Covid 19 pandemic. On a micro scale, here are the pearls of wisdom I’ve gleaned from my coterminous affliction:
I’m not invincible. I kind of knew this already, but now I’m reminded of this every day. Our dog loves the one who feeds him. In some ways, this has made him the perfect dog for when we travel(ed). He quite fluidly turns his allegiance to the person filling his food bowl twice a day. As we leave, he looks up as if to say, “Don’t let the door hit you on your way out.” I spend some time worrying about what happens if even modern medicine can’t get me back to baseline or near baseline. I have dark thoughts when I think my current condition could be as good as it gets. Then I remember that Laura Hillenbrand wrote the best seller, Sea Biscuit, (affiliate link) when she was bed bound with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome. On the other hand, given the amount of angst expended in writing even this brief essay in bed, I don’t think a mattress will ever be a reliable muse for me. I’m glad I discovered Zentangle
, a meditative art form. It keeps me semi-sane no matter where I am: waiting for our next flight of 13 in the Singapore airport; watching cable news; or in bed, hoping I can move without triggering a painful back spasm.
Covid 19 depicted in my Zentangle Inspired Art
And, oh yes, I gratefully think someone still loves me.
How are you handling the Covid 19 pandemic where you live?