Hi Honeys
How are you today? I dearly hope you're all well and staying safe. We find ourselves living in very scary times right now dear ones. The world is facing a pandemic. A worldwide virus that we don't have a cure for yet.
This will change. It has to honeys, and I'm praying there will be a breakthrough very soon. There are so many doctors, scientists and all kinds of really smart people I'm sure, working on finding a way to stop the spread of this virus and to find a vaccine that can protect all of us against it.
For now though, all we can do is to follow the guidelines issued by our Governments, by the NHS and by health authorities, and do everything we can to keep ourselves and our families safe.
This will probably be quite a post honeys, it might be good to go grab a cuppa and maybe a cookie (or two) I'll meet you back here after the page break...
Welcome back 😊 Do you have your cuppa? Cool, me too ☕ Why not put your feet up and get comfy? Jade's having a nap next to me on the sofa, Hubby's home today and is outside in the garden cutting the grass and the house is so peaceful. Not a sound outside either, other than the whirring of Hubby's lawnmower. It's heavenly.
The Corona Lock-Down
I haven't left our home, at all, in over four weeks. The most I've strayed into the world is to our little apple tree in the garden to fill the bird feeders. I've read so many times on social media, that this forced confinement, this corona lock down, is what everyone is finding incredibly difficult to cope with. Everyone seems to be feeling like a prisoner in their own homes.
I can't honestly say I feel that way at all. Of course that might be because staying home is actually my normal. I very rarely leave our home, and haven't in some years now. In fact, other than going to work two days a week, or attending an appointment at our doctors surgery or arthritis clinic at the hospital, I literally never leave the house.
Is it possible that I've finally found a positive, among the tsunami of overwhelmingly negative aspects of living with a chronic illness? Is my hermit-like existence as a spoonie helping to make this stay-home-to-stay-safe lock down more bearable than if I were able bodied and used to being outside every day?
Who Are Spoonies?
The term "spoonie" was originally coined by Christine Miserandino in 2003, when she set out to describe her personal experiences of living with a chronic, and debilitating, health condition. If you haven't read The Spoon Theory, I absolutely recommend it and will link to Christine's page at the end of this post.
The label "spoonie" has been adopted over the years by many people who, like myself, live with long term (chronic) health conditions. It is these underlying conditions, such as arthritis, diabetes, asthma, COPD and many others, which make us more susceptible to corona. Because of this, spoonies need to be even more careful right now.
Many spoonies may already be living with immune systems which have been compromised or weakened. Sometimes by their illnesses and sometimes even by the medications we take to treat the symptoms of our conditions.
In my case, one of the medications I take for my rheumatoid arthritis is an immunosuppressant, it stifles the immune system, meaning that any infection can become severe and difficult to control.
It's Not Just Spoonies Who Have To be Careful Though...
We all have to be careful right now honeys, not just spoonies, everyone. This virus has forced everybody across the world to make changes in their day to day lives. The biggest change, of course, has been in how we all interact with each other.
This has led to the term "social distancing" popping up across social media.
What is Social Distancing?
Social distancing, in a nut shell, is where everyone is required to stay home unless they have a valid reason to go outside. There are a very limited number of permissible reasons, which include:
- Travelling to and from work: If you are able to work from home, you are required to do that instead. Those travelling to work should be key workers, that is to say those who perform essential services such as doctors, nurses and delivery drivers for example, and who cannot carry out their work without travelling.
- Shopping for basic necessities: Such as food, medicines or other essential items.
- One form of exercise a day: Alone, or with a member of your household. You should not meet up with others, friends or family, who do not live in your household to prevent the possibility of infection being spread.
- To provide care or help for a vulnerable person: This includes donating blood, if you are fit and healthy, the Government have asked that you continue to donate since the health service will still need donors.
Only certain numbers of shoppers are being allowed into shops are any one time, while a queue forms outside with everyone standing at least 2 metres or 6 feet away (that's around two shopping trolleys in length) from the person in front, and behind them, in the queue. Stores have been marking out this distance on the ground outside, and inside, to act as a visual guideline for shoppers.
What Should We All Be Doing Then?
- Only go outside when absolutely necessary.
- Work from home if you can.
- Always try to stay at least two metres apart.
- Do not meet up with others outside your household, even family members.
- Wash hands frequently, or use sanitising hand gel.
- Practice good hygiene at home.
- Do not touch your eyes, nose or mouth unless your hands are freshly cleaned.
- Shop for groceries online if you or a member of your household, have health issues which place you into the category of being vulnerable to the virus. Ask your pharmacy about having prescriptions delivered.
One Day At A Time
We are where we are honeys. All we can do right now, as far as I can see anyway, is to get up each day, put one foot in front of the other and do the best we can. Not only to get through each day keeping our bodies healthy, but also by practising a little self care in order to keep our minds healthy too.
Boredom can be so damaging. Everyone is being forced to stay home right now and for many that can be really difficult, especially for those more used to being active, keeping busy.
Catch up with little things you've been meaning to do at home. I've been re-organising our kitchen cabinets (again lol) Why not take up a new hobby? Learn a new language? Try new recipes, stay connected with the outside world by chatting online with family and friends. Binge watch some movie or TV series box sets?
As I said earlier, I've had years of my hermit-like existence to get used to this being home all the time stuff. Very little has changed for our furbaby Jade and I. When Hubby leaves for work very early each day (he is a key worker and so is still working) we carry on with the same routine we've had every day for years now. The only difference recently has been the occasional day where Hubby's been home and that's felt like a real treat, like an extra bank holiday.😊
Stay Positive
We have to find a little mood boost, a smile in every day honeys. Just as in the lovely quote above by Alice Morse Earle, seen all over Pinterest, says. There really is a little good in every day, we just have to rootle it out.
I know that can seem impossible if you're feeling stir crazy from being forced to stay home or like me you can't watch the news anymore because it feels all bad, but we have to find it.
After weeks of what's felt like consistently negative reports in the media consisting of how many new infections have been reported that day, how many lost to this horrible virus, I noticed on Sunday that one of the trending hashtags on Twitter related to a Professor Sarah Gilbert, of Oxford University.
She'd been on the Andrew Marr show discussing the possibility of a vaccine being ready within months. You can read more here honeys. Just from watching the clips on twitter, Professor Gilbert made me feel better than I have in a while and those little boosts really are what we need right now. Some good news in among the bad.
We have to believe that this will all end, sooner rather than later. That things will be ok, because the world needs us all to be positive right now. To be strong and to keep going. To keep putting that one foot in front of the other every day. Even if it's just to the sofa to watch a box set. Whatever it takes, we have to find a way to smile and to stay upbeat.
Good Things Are Happening All Around Us
There are wonderful things happening in the world. Even with this virus making us all scared for our loved ones, there are incredible things happening everywhere. Smart, dedicated people like Professor Gilbert are working on finding the answer to this virus, to keeping us all safe from it.
There are so many awesome, inspiring doctors, nurses, emergency workers all working tirelessly in hospitals, putting themselves at risk to help others. There are carers, teachers who are teaching online so that children can keep learning. Delivery drivers delivering groceries and much needed essentials to our homes. Chemists staying open so we can all have access to our medications. So many amazing things happening all around us. Every day.
Have you heard about Captain Thomas Moore and his inspiring efforts to raise money for the NHS recently? Captain Moore set out to raise £1,000 by walking 100 lengths of his garden before his 100th birthday, but has now raised over £27 million.
Captain Moore will be 100 years old in nine days time, on the 30th April and has not only completed the 100 lengths of his garden, but has also released a recording of much loved song "You'll Never Walk Alone" with singer Michael Ball which went straight into the charts at number one.
Being positive has to be our superpower right now. Finding something good in every single day will carry us forward, it will keep up going until this is all behind us and the world makes sense again. What's been making you smile recently honeys? Have you been watching box sets while hugging your furbaby on the sofa like I have? Have you taken up a new hobby?
Till next time, stay safe and be well dear ones. Sending mountains of (virtual) hugs always xx
Links
The Spoon Theory by Christine Miserandino can be read here
Guidance on social distancing, staying home and how to care for vulnerable family members: You can find Government advice leaflets, available to download (and in different languages) here.
NHS COVID-19 Advice Page: An excellent page of resources and links can be found here.
NHS Fitness Studio: A great page with links to 24 instructor led exercise videos to do at home. There are workouts in aerobics, yoga, pilates as well as strength training and other workouts too. You can find the page here.
Every Mind Matters: There is a fabulous page chock full of advice, tips and links on lots of different issues from work, health, to staying occupied and caring for your mental health. You can find it here.
The Reasons You Can Go Outside: An article in the Shropshire Star on permissible reasons to break the lock-down can be found here.
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