Life With Chronic Conditions in the Time of Covid-19

I’m so sorry not to have posted since the Covid-19 pandemic swept through my little rural town in Vermont. Who would have thought we would have been hit early and hard? We’ve already lost two community members to it.

Actually, we’re located close to a ski area and we’ve been flooded by tourists and 2^nd homeowners so it’s not surprising that community acquired Covid-19 would make its presence known only too quickly. We’ve basically been socially distancing since March 14, though the official Stay at Home order didn’t come until a week ago.

I’m part of my town’s Covid 19 response team and am spending many hours working to take care of my corner of the world. I truly believe that if we all work hard to do just that we will get through this just fine.

So tonight I’ll leave you with some tips that I tell many of those I’m working with.

1.    If you feel like you are losing it, that’s okay. You’re having a very normal reaction to a very abnormal situation. It takes about a week to 10 days to adjust to the “new normal.” Remember we are wired for resiliency.

2.    Turn off the news. It will make you absolutely nuts. Know enough to be aware, but not enough to shut down. Keep in mind that if it bleeds it leads and there are a lot of talking heads that want your attention.

3.    We all have meaning and purpose, even in situations like this. Connect with friends, neighbors and people you haven’t heard from in years. It will make you and them feel better.

4.    As much as people think you can prepare for a pandemic, there is only so much that you can do. Spending hours on-line bashing the president and others doesn’t help. In fact, it can make you feel angry and helpless. Focus on the things you can actually control (like voting in November).

5.    Listen to Uncle Tony (Dr. Fauci). His health information is spot on and he delivers it in ways that I know makes me feel better.

6.    Take a break every day. There are lots and lots of them (really over 365 now) at the Take a Break Pinterest Board.

7.    Continue to practice social distancing, or as we say in Cavendish Be smart and do your part. Stay home or Six feet apart. If there is one thing you can do, this is numero uno.

8.    Get outside, again six feet apart, and enjoy the sunshine and the arrival of spring. It’s a time of rebirth, enjoy it.

9.    Use any services that have been set up to help you, such as shoppers, food delivery etc.

10. Be as mindful as possible to help you control the fear that can sometimes overwhelm us. You can only live the moment you are in.

In my role as director of our local history society, I find myself drawn to WWII, maybe the last time our country, as well as the world, has been tested like this. I wrote this on my Facebook page.  

We are the children, grandchildren and great grandchildren of the "Greatest Generation." They survived WWI, the flu of 1918 (40 million deaths), polio epidemics, the Great Depression, untold natural disasters, and then WWII arrived. They took care of business, just as we need to do now. Posting things about how we're a nation/world in grief is not helpful. Don't pathologize what are normal reactions to abnormal situations. We are wired for resiliency and we will get through this. A different nation we will be, but it will be an improved one. Remember our ancestors are counting on us and I sure don't want to arrive at the pearly gates only to have my parents say , "What the hell, you couldn't stay home for a month and watch Netflix or something?"

Breathe deeply. Sleep well as we are in this together and we will come through this.