How close are you to your breaking point?

[Dole_whip_doll]

Today our governor announced that Phase 1 would be allowing all retail, restaurants, and movie theaters to operate as normal BUT only 25% capacity. HOWEVER; he said counties with less than 5 confirmed cases could start out with 50% capacity. After 2 weeks,if numbers stay low, we will go up to 50%/75%. Now I’m not advocating to close everything down. My concern is the pressure to not test or or reject to keep numbers low and open the economy. I’ve already heard from others about being rejected from one testing site and then lying and being found positive at another. Not to mention all the other “avoiders” we have around these areas.

also, he said no barbers, salons, nail places, etc until at least mid-May. So the way my brain works, I think....so it’s ok for Susan to try on the same shoes as me right after I did (unbeknownst to either of us), but it isn’t ok for her to touch my feet as my nail tech? Contact is contact, no matter how it happens.

 

[Planogirl]

I am hoping that’s what we will do in Louisiana in 2 weeks. I was hoping it would be today, but we still have too many new cases I guess.

I think that your case increases started a bit later and then ended up worse. I hope that you get there soon too. I really want a Natchitoches meat pie!

 

[SaintsManiac]

I think that your case increases started a bit later and then ended up worse. I hope that you get there soon too. I really want a Natchitoches meat pie!

I have some mini ones in my freezer! Not as good as a hot deep fried one, but I take what I can get!

 

[Searc]

This is where we draw different conclusions. The risk is in undetected transmission chains; community spread. I see, "The election caused a few dozen cases," and big warning signs go off in my head. They were looking for potential cases like a hawk, and they found them via testing and could stop the chain in its tracks. I'd assume that at least some of those people involved in the election were concerned about the potential of getting infected and spreading it, and so they self-isolated, which also stopped the transmission chain.

It's another example that extreme social distancing, and "trace & isolate" works. It doesn't demonstrate that in a less restrictive environment the virus won't spread rapidly. I assume people were really trying to "be safe" and still at least... Hmm, I'm seeing both 36 people statewide, and 40 in Milwaukee County, so the numbers are still growing.... 40 people got infected.

The epidemiologists studying the genetic signatures of the original introduction into the US, found 9 points in New York, 1-2 in Seattle/Vancouver, 1 in Santa Clara, 1 in Chicago, 1 in Phoenix. They expect there are more, but they haven't been identified, but we're still talking about "a few dozen." So if the Wisconsin election "only" led to a few dozen, I see that as even worse than where we started from with the original infection, because the original was "a few dozen" nationwide, and not a "few dozen" in one state, or one city (Milwaukee).

If people want to put me in "the sky is falling," camp, I'm okay with that. As an introvert, who doesn't work and has no kids, I am doing fine with the restrictions. Natural habitat and all. But the thing that really upsets me, is how many people keep underestimating the dangers of this virus, and therefore will find themselves overwhelmed and unprepared when our future unfolds. You know all the angst we feel for our DISboard peeps' friends and family who show up at WDW with no Fastpasses and no dining reservations? Only this time, the stakes are a lot higher.

So far, they have directly traced at least 40 cases to voting in person.

 

[WeatherLights]

For all of you struggling, I wish I could do something to help. I'm not anywhere near a breaking point as far as the shelter in place orders, as I still go into the office a few days a week and my home situation is not any less comfortable than it was before the pandemic. My house is not large, but is laid out in such a way that we have space to not be in each other's business all day. I also wear earplugs a lot--have been doing it for years--which helps me be in my own bubble when I'm at home. I don't like not being able to go out to do random things, but even when I could, I rarely did.

I'm definitely worried and anxious, though, about what may come next. I could maintain the status quo indefinitely, but I think the worst is yet to come. It's that uncertainty, coupled with a pessimistic view of what the next few weeks, months, and years will bring, that has me on edge. While I'm, fortunately, not experiencing depression, and still find joy and laughter throughout each day, I've also found myself sleeping *a lot* more. Not fitful sleep, just more sleep. I call it the Rip Van Winkle coping mechanism--if I sleep long enough, maybe I'll wake up on the other side of this crisis.

 

[Mainsail Minnie]

I'm thrilled that our governor is ending our state's stay at home order on Friday, and especially that his order cannot be overruled by local municipalities. Many people, including my son, have been hurt in the past month by this state of affairs, and the state's budget is going to have a serious shortfall next year, which could hurt school funding and education. We went down that road in 2009 and I don't want to go back. My son visibly brightened at hearing the news- these restrictions have been hard on him. And it will be nice to not be ordered around constantly: don't go here or there, you have to wear a mask, etc. I look forward to more freedom, to seeing my nieces again, and for my son to have a bit more normalcy in his life, less anxiety and depression.

Our state's hospitals have never been overrun or even close to that, and keeping that from happening was the stated goal of social distancing and the stay-at-home order. As long as hospitals have the capacity to treat both COVID and regular patients, we should be able to continue our normal lives. I agree with some who've noticed the moving of the goalposts as far as ending stay-at-home orders is concerned: first the goal was to protect hospital capacity, and then they added on wanting cases to go down for two weeks, and also to increase testing to a very high level...Requirements that will keep people locked down for several months at least. I'm very grateful that my state is resisting that trend and taking a balanced approach that also considers people's economic survival, mental health and civil liberties, rather than sticking to virus-numbers tunnel vision.

 

[brockash]

Today our governor announced that Phase 1 would be allowing all retail, restaurants, and movie theaters to operate as normal BUT only 25% capacity. HOWEVER; he said counties with less than 5 confirmed cases could start out with 50% capacity. After 2 weeks,if numbers stay low, we will go up to 50%/75%. Now I’m not advocating to close everything down. My concern is the pressure to not test or or reject to keep numbers low and open the economy. I’ve already heard from others about being rejected from one testing site and then lying and being found positive at another. Not to mention all the other “avoiders” we have around these areas.

also, he said no barbers, salons, nail places, etc until at least mid-May. So the way my brain works, I think....so it’s ok for Susan to try on the same shoes as me right after I did (unbeknownst to either of us), but it isn’t ok for her to touch my feet as my nail tech? Contact is contact, no matter how it happens.

I will say I do think it's odd how different states are opening. We're in TN and restaurants opened today at 50%, retail on Wed., but no word on salons etc. On the other hand my family in CO are opening salons, ttattoo parlors, 1 on 1 services starting Friday, but no word on restaurants yet. Just different theories I guess, but I find it interesting.

 

[mommasita]

I’ve yet to post, I’ve tried, but chickened out. So here goes honesty.

I am doing as ok as ok gets, make sense? I’m not losing it, but I have some fears that I can’t shake, losing my son (PTSD), it has been several nights of nightmares about it, and I run to his room to check on him. Well, as much as I can run. He is a workaholic, and he isn’t working or going to school, so he’s online gaming, which is fine. He deserves a break, but I know he’s bored, but will never complain,

My husband, I see getting increasingly down, like it’s never going to end, very doom and gloom. He was semi-retired, doing construction jobs on the sides, now he has zero interest in ANYTHING, and he’s not that type of guy, I am extremely worried. Every day I worry more, I see him eating less, sleeping more,
and I try hard to Bring up his thoughts, I’m a little afraid, so I can‘t let him out of my sight, and may call our family dr, he can do an over the phone call. Through everything we’ve been through, I’ve yet to see my husband so Depressed.

He is an extrovert, loves people, I’m the opposite, so he’s not coping well. He also LOVES to take long drives, music playing, you know, just to clear the head, but we can’t even go city to city here.
i also got injured, ribs ,so our daily walks we had, are not happening, I’m still in a lot of pain. soon I hope to be able to go back walking with him.

 

[DisneyJamieCA]

I'm thrilled that our governor is ending our state's stay at home order on Friday, and especially that his order cannot be overruled by local municipalities. Many people, including my son, have been hurt in the past month by this state of affairs, and the state's budget is going to have a serious shortfall next year, which could hurt school funding and education. We went down that road in 2009 and I don't want to go back. My son visibly brightened at hearing the news- these restrictions have been hard on him. And it will be nice to not be ordered around constantly: don't go here or there, you have to wear a mask, etc. I look forward to more freedom, to see my nieces again, and for my son to have a bit more normalcy in his life.

Our state's hospitals have never been overrun or even close to that, and keeping that from happening was the stated goal of social distancing and the stay-at-home order. As long as hospitals have the capacity to treat both COVID and regular patients, we should be able to continue our normal lives. I agree with some who've noticed the moving of the goalposts as far as ending stay-at-home orders is concerned: first the goal was to protect hospital capacity, and then they added on wanting cases to go down for two weeks, and also to increase testing to a very high level...Requirements that will keep people locked down for several months at least. I'm very grateful that my state is resisting that trend and taking a balanced approach that also considers people's economic survival, mental health and civil liberties, rather than sticking to virus-numbers tunnel vision.

Curious where you live?

 

[WeatherLights]

I’ve yet to post, I’ve tried, but chickened out. So here goes honesty.

I am doing as ok as ok gets, make sense? I’m not losing it, but I have some fears that I can’t shake, losing my son (PTSD), it has been several nights of nightmares about it, and I run to his room to check on him. Well, as much as I can run. He is a workaholic, and he isn’t working or going to school, so he’s online gaming, which is fine. He deserves a break, but I know he’s bored, but will never complain,

My husband, I see getting increasingly down, like it’s never going to end, very doom and gloom. He was semi-retired, doing construction jobs on the sides, now he has zero interest in ANYTHING, and he’s not that type of guy, I am extremely worried. Every day I worry more, I see him eating less, sleeping more,
and I try hard to Bring up his thoughts, I’m a little afraid, so I can‘t let him out of my sight, and may call our family dr, he can do an over the phone call. Through everything we’ve been through, I’ve yet to see my husband so Depressed.

He is an extrovert, loves people, I’m the opposite, so he’s not coping well. He also LOVES to take long drives, music playing, you know, just to clear the head, but we can’t even go city to city here.
i also got injured, ribs ,so our daily walks we had, are not happening, I’m still in a lot of pain. soon I hope to be able to go back walking with him.

That sounds incredibly difficult, like you never get a moment of being at peace because of the constant worry about others. I don't have any remedies to offer, but I do somewhat understand. The worry you describe, and the the tragic experiences you've had that may be contributing it, well, I've been there, too.

 

[mommasita]

That sounds incredibly difficult, like you never get a moment of being at peace because of the constant worry about others. I don't have any remedies to offer, but I do somewhat understand. The worry you describe, and the the tragic experiences you've had that may be contributing it, well, I've been there, too.

Yes, exactly that. Constant worry, He now took a sleeping pill, but I am lying here , trying to decompress, because all day my mind is like a tennis match. Back-forth. I realized about two weeks into this pandemic, for myself anyway, it’s making my grief tenfold. It’s very strange, like a new additional grief, not sure that makes sense.

Thank-you for being so kind for not only reading, but responding, and it breaks my heart that you have been there too.

 

[Dole_whip_doll]

I’ve yet to post, I’ve tried, but chickened out. So here goes honesty.

I am doing as ok as ok gets, make sense? I’m not losing it, but I have some fears that I can’t shake, losing my son (PTSD), it has been several nights of nightmares about it, and I run to his room to check on him. Well, as much as I can run. He is a workaholic, and he isn’t working or going to school, so he’s online gaming, which is fine. He deserves a break, but I know he’s bored, but will never complain,

My husband, I see getting increasingly down, like it’s never going to end, very doom and gloom. He was semi-retired, doing construction jobs on the sides, now he has zero interest in ANYTHING, and he’s not that type of guy, I am extremely worried. Every day I worry more, I see him eating less, sleeping more,
and I try hard to Bring up his thoughts, I’m a little afraid, so I can‘t let him out of my sight, and may call our family dr, he can do an over the phone call. Through everything we’ve been through, I’ve yet to see my husband so Depressed.

He is an extrovert, loves people, I’m the opposite, so he’s not coping well. He also LOVES to take long drives, music playing, you know, just to clear the head, but we can’t even go city to city here.
i also got injured, ribs ,so our daily walks we had, are not happening, I’m still in a lot of pain. soon I hope to be able to go back walking with him.

i don’t want to say “I know how you feel” about the worrying, because I know we are all different, but I get it.

 

[mommasita]

I cracked a little. I thought I was doing just fine, except that I missed my sister terribly. We were texting back and forth a little while ago, just shootin' the breeze like we do most days, and me checking up on her added in because she's struggling with this whole thing. So after about a half-hour or so of texting she texts, I have a secret. I thought she was going to let me in on maybe one of her girls was pregnant or something. Go onto your porch.

I come downstairs and open the front door to a handwritten note and these:

They were from her, and since the note was handwritten, she had to have been there! I immediately called her up sobbing, both to thank her and sobbing because she was soooo close to me and I didn't see her. She told me she and her husband had to do some shopping in my area. She *ran up our front slope,* put the flowers down and ran back down and they sped away.

I don't know why but this was two hours ago and I cannot stop crying. I took an Ativan, but I may need a couple more, I guess.

I

AWWW, HOW sweet is that! after being so sick you deserve them
ooh Ativan, lately they are lifesavers
.

 

[mommasita]

i don’t want to say “I know how you feel” about the worrying, because I know we are all different, but I get it.

Not that you want others feeling badly, but it’s nice to know that others get it, you are not alone, so ty

 

[Mainsail Minnie]

Curious where you live?

Texas.

 

[Planogirl]

I just listened to a guy tell his family's story. Around the first of the month he lost two cousins in their fifties to the virus. They died within a week of each other. They all belong to a very close family and the guy's Dad died just the other day and he thinks that he couldn't handle the grief. They live in New York but something like this gets to me. I want things to be normal too (whatever that means now) but only as much as necessary. People need to work and be healthy.

 

[HeatherC]

Not even close!!! You have a choice I & other doctors, nurses, emts, Leo do not have the luck of your choice You get to stay home with family. Do actually realize most of us are sleeping far away from family so we don’t infect them so poor you for being safe.
How many are your colleagues are on respirators? How many are in protocols? You have to stay in your couch omg!!!!
You won’t die from watching Netflix.

I think we all understand just how hard and stressful your job must be now and thank you for doing it. That does not, however, take away from how others may be feeling. And to clarify things, you made that choice to enter the health field. No it is not pretty right now. No one is saying it is. But it was still a choice you made so don’t think you know better on who has it harder right now. There are different kinds of hard and one is no better or worse than the other. We all need to have compassion for what others are going through. Your hard is hard for you. Other people’s hard is hard for them.

 

[theluckyrabbit]

I’ve yet to post, I’ve tried, but chickened out. So here goes honesty...

Thank you for being brave and for posting how you're doing. You've been in my thoughts, and I do pray that your injuries heal quickly and without any complications. Thank you for the kind and caring words you've been sharing with others on these boards, even when your own pain is so present. Bearing your own pain is one thing, but watching your loved ones struggle is so much harder. Please know you aren't alone.

 

[OhMari]

My daughter and her 2 kids stayed home for 2 weeks and then came to live with us for 3 weeks. Her husband had to go work at a different facility for 48 days. So it was our little chaotic life. Her husband is home now and his boss told him he had to quarantine for 14 days And cannot come back to work. We told our daughter to stay with us, but she felt we were all at our breaking point. I really do not want to get into it, but the kids have been the healthiest they have ever been since they started going to daycare.. I talked to my other adult kids and they said too, their toddlers are sleeping better, it is not one cold, strep throat, ear infection after another. Not to be mean, but the last 3 years, I have gotten the stomache flu, twice, colds and coughs from my Grandchildren. I have always washed my hands, but holding them and rocking them to sleep, I never thought twice about changing clothes and quickly taking a shower and this is where the germs were.

 

[hsmamato2]

What happened to the idea of closed social circles? If my mom were 15 mins away id want her in my circle, would ensure no outside exposure & hug my mom.

its the 2500 miles between us that makes it iimpossible.

for many of us....a closed social circle is impossible. Therefore each day is "day 1" as far as possible exposure and transmission of this.... have any of you ever seen the simple example of a kid with glitter? Once a kid gets glitter on their hands, one person touches them,then walks to another room touching another,who touches yet another....it applies here,since the accidental transmission rate is high between asymptomatic people.
In my example, I have family,all within a 30 min. drive. We haven't seen each other IRL except for an occasional driveway visit to drop some supplies. Why?
I stay home. BUT....I went to grocery last week..... therefore I could have picked up the virus,and the LAST thing I want to do is make my vulnerable mom sick. therefore I can't touch or see her as normal.Or the kids in fam that I love so much,same reason on my side, and their side too,any outside the home contact they've had...(the glitter touch spreads with each point of contact,radiating outward) therefore what just ONE of us does inadvertantly could cost another their life,so we are being very careful NOT to be that person. To anyone.
Add to that,my spouse goes to work almost daily- has very little human interaction for the most part. But every day he comes home= Day 1 again for possible exposure. (we take all precautions recommended by CDC)
The likelihood that he has touched some "glitter" on his daily work rounds is big.
I don;t like it, but it's what's going on. And where I live,this is very,very real to consider.
*AND* I need to add this to discussion. I'm not a fearful or anxious person.... or a doomsayer. BUT....all this talk of a "peak" is misleading. A true "peak" means at best, a halfway mark. There is still the other side of the mountain to go down after that happens.
... No,I'm not at my breaking point. Life goes on,it just is what it is. In my state, it is people of ALL ages getting very very ill. I can't treat that lightly.