We are blessed to be among the probably less than 10% of people in the world whose lives are thus far minimally impacted by the COVID-19 epidemic. Hubby is disabled, as is Babygirl, so they were home the majority of the time before the lockdowns began. I was working "part-time," limited to only 40 hours/week, (so although technically I could be called up to work in the ER if needed, it wouldn't increase my hours), and I was the first sent home to try telemedicine. My coworkers pointed out that I'm the oldest provider in the office, but I also know very well that they were also protecting Babygirl.
Our income didn't change. We didn't lose health insurance. Our housing is stable. We are able to stock food and supplies. Mostly.
I'm not a hoarder, but I usuually have a 24 pack of toilet paper in the bathroom cabinet, until it is nearly gone, and then I buy another. We were just at that point when the TP crisis of 2020 hit. We never ran out, but we did have to get by with an inferior brand LOL.
Ditto on the hand soap. We aren't allowed to use bar soap, because it can harbor bacteria dangerous to transplant patients, so I have refillable soap dispensers in the bathrooms and kichen, and buy big refills. Those ran out right as the apocalypse was starting as well. So did our antibacterial wipe stockpile. It was all a matter of timing.
My first Apocolyptic journey to Walmart, back what seems like a year ago but probably more like maybe late February, I stopped an associate and asked where the hand soap was. Her reply was classic: "If it's for a surface or an epidermis, we don't have it."
Well, then. Since dialysis we've been pretty aggressive hand washers, so this is not the best of news. But I'm creative. The soap dispenser in the downstairs bathroom is a foamer (because the grandkids pump ANY liquid soap dispenser about 100 times each and this wastes WAY less soap), and I've learned how use the liquid hand soap mixed with water to make that work. I've used the last bit of soap in any bottle in there: Shower gel, dish soap, hand soap, shampoo..... Shampoo! I switched aisles and found my favorite scent of Suave cheap clear blue shampoo, and Voila! Hand soap! Hubby actually likes it better. More foam.
I managed to score a bottle of Lysol cleaning solution (the same stuff that Clorox wipes are made from basically) and refilled my wipes container with (very patiently layered so they'd come out one at a time) paper towels. They work okay. But what REALLY works is when you add 1/4 cup of that Lysol to a package of baby wipes! (Label them. Label them. Label them. Wiping your bum with them will NOT prevent coronavirus infection. But I'm not sure what they would do to an actual baby's bum.)
For us, supplies have gotten a bit easier to aquire because Sam's Club has opened from 8-10 AM on Sundays for medical professionals, hospital employees, and (I think) first responders. God bless them. It decreases Babygirl's risk tremendously.
People still do not seem to understand the nature of what we are fighting. I went to a store recently because I had to. Everyone had masks, but many did not seem to understand that they have to cover your NOSE as well as your mouth. What if you sneeze?? While I was in line, a group of 3 young people were right on my heels. I turned and explained that I had someone their age at home with no functioning immune system, and asked them to please step back. They complied, while stating that they themselves weren't concerned about the virus. I agreed that the odds were in their favor, but they weren't wearing masks to protect themselves, but to protect Babygirl and those like her.
Then the man behind them, in his 50s-60's piped up with a dismissive, "Don't believe everything you hear on the news." "Sir, I'm a DOCTOR. I don't believe what I hear on the news. I believe the scientific evidence and the CDC."
It all made my brain hurt.
DeeDee
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