ISOLATION

Since my last blog the country is now in Lockdown! My husband and I being health professionals were still at work. Unfortunately, we are now housebound for 14 days. M started with a dry cough and runny nose 4 days ago, the day after lockdown . It was not easy trying to decide if she fitted the criteria for self isolation. Under normal circumstances I would have said ‘It’s just a cold…’. However this ‘cold’ now could potentially be a ‘deadly virus’. Work is now on hold for 14 days. We felt a sense of guilt but had to remind ourselves that we were being responsible, following guidelines and helping the NHS.

Poor M is now in lockdown in her own room. The only way we can distance and stop spread within the household. Guilt sets in again wondering if we are doing the right thing. M is a sensible 12 year old who understands her sister is at high risk and her parents need to be well to look after the family.

Thankfully M is having lessons online from school daily from 9 am to 3 30pm . This seems to take up most of the day. She is also using this time to do work-out sessions in her room, practising her drama and singing , watching Netflix/Disney Plus on her computer, reading, using social media and Facetiming her friends. I never knew Instagram had work out sessions! Gone are the days of work out DVDs ! (or Videos!)

I am the only family member taking food up to her room and spending time chatting to her about her day , checking she isn’t emtionally compromised and her symptoms have not worsened (Cough not worse, no Fever, no Anosmia, not Breathless). She is probably reciting this in her sleep.

Sadly I have a mask and gloves on while we do this. We have also been texting and facetiming each other. K gets really excited when she Facetimes M, as she can watch herself being cheeky with M. M sometimes stands at the top of the stairs so that Dad and K can say hi. It’s also the time when a quick amazon purchase request is made…it’s normally a yes from us.

Day 3 of isolation was also my Birthday. N and K did their best to make it a special day, I felt spoilt but missed M. I missed her. I longed for a hug and a birthday kiss from my family but we have to be socially distancing and at least we are all in the house together.

M also looked upset that she wasn’t able to celebrate my birthday as how we normally do. I felt empty but no words can describe how proud I am of M. She is the most sensible, resilient, caring, hard working, considerate 12 year old that I know. But I am biased! She is determined to ‘contain’ herself in her room and not put her family at risk.

M was the last person I expected to be in isolation. I was preparing M to look after K and herself if Mum and Dad got unwell. M has a book of recipes and lists of things she could do if Mum and Dad got ill. We have a box with sweets, easter eggs for Easter Egg hunts, biscuits and easy to open cans if Mum or Dad were unwell and we had no fresh food to cook. M also has also been cooking for us on the weekends practising her cooking skills if Mum or Dad are unwell.

I am sure like you all, our isolation days have been busy! Cleaning surfaces, taps, light switches, running the washing machine and dishwasher everyday, as well as washing our hands several times till our skin is drying out! (Reminds me we may be running out of hand cream!)

We are also obsessively cleaning every package that comes into the house from outside. Wearing gloves as we do this and discarding packaging immediately. Recycling still as much as we can!

We are still needing to home school K and encouraging her to keep fit with PE Joe and Leilah Isaac on Youtube.

Isolation days have also been a great opportunuty to keep up with family and friends. I have spoken to rather than texted family and friends more this week than I have all year.

Then there is the numerous ‘amusing videos’ being shared to lift spirits . When we receive one we immediately want to share those videos to several whats app groups and friends/family, even resharing it back to the people that sent it to us as we eventually forget who sent it in the first place.

Catching up with the latest news on Covid 19 on Television and social media has been overwhelming too but needed to be done. I almost felt irresponsible as a British citizen and medic if this wasn’t done and shared.

There isn’t enough hours in the day to do it all! Not even in Lockdown. How can this be? How did we find time to work in the last few weeks!

We must just be a society who without realising it, seek out gaps in our day and then quickly fill them up with further events/activities. We are subconsciously wanting to progress in our lives and open ourselves to new experiences.

We are probably also a society that needs routine to get our day going. We need to keep busy to feel useful. We need to be doing something every minute of the day, even if it means picking our phones up to catch up on latest notifications.

I think it’s great we are all able to keep life going no matter what the circumstances are. This helps with our physical and mental health. It’s good to use this time to take up a new hobby, learn a new language, write a book or even start a blog! It’s good to challenge hidden talents and to think out of the box. It’s good to be creative.

However I think it’s also Ok to be a couch potato and to catch up on Box sets of Friends, Glee, Luther. It’s OK to sit and watch the kids playing. It’s Ok to have a Pyjama day mid week.

I notice this morning many churches are now streaming live morning services too which I think is so important for all of us whether we are regular church attenders or not.

We are fortunate to be isolating with technology, entertaining us, informing us and connecting us.

Technology has definitely made M’s week go quickly. It gave her time with her phone, ipad and computer. No time restriction made. She deserved it

We can’t wait for M to come out of her room. I think I might break the rules of social distancing and give her the biggest hug ever before I take her technology away from her for a few hours!

M may or may not have Coronavirus, but it somehow feels like a trial run when and if things get worse.

Stay safe everyone.