Author: Gaynor Leech, Founder of L-W-O
16th March – 20th March 2020
Monday, we watched in horror on the news that our Government announced we are all facing a new way of life… unprecedented as we get use to no social contact.
This is where communities like L-W-O can help each other. If I stay well, I will say ‘good morning’ to our members every day for the time being I will continue to raise awareness of lymphoedema I do not want any of our members to feel that they are alone… I will look at ways that we can chat to each other, so that we can reduce the feeling of isolation. For now our Public Community page on Facebook will have all sorts of information to help people through the next few weeks. Our support group will continue to be for members only. If you have lymphoedema and would like to join us please answer our security questions, if you do not answer our security questions your request will be denied.
Stay safe Keep washing your hands
Tuesday, hubby and me went to Aldi just to top up a couple of items, normally go Thursday. We both feel out of sync as normal routines have changed and new lifestyle changes need to me made. Aldi was busy, mostly with people of our age group and in the end, we did a full shop. No stockpiling on our part. Lots of shelves empty, even tins. What really tickled both of us was the booze shelves, wine was seriously depleted as was some of the spirits.
We have enough to see us through the next two weeks except for fresh bread and milk. Beyond that is anyone’s guess. There was one ‘Mrs Cough A lot’ in the supermarket who hopefully will not forget the dirty looks she was getting.
Sadly, the over 50's club I go to every Tuesday was cancelled and has been suspended indefinitely. A wise move.
In a reflective mood.
Wednesday is our first full day of staying at home, our grandchildren think its hilarious that their grandparents have been grounded. It’s been a wet miserable day, but hubby and I have kept ourselves busy. For me I have been working on new posters and Facebook presented a new format for our support group pages. We can now place important information in Topics which allows us to save information more easily and this will be better for our members to access.
Hubby on the other hand took to his workshop, after 50 plus years in the building trade as a chippy (joiner/carpenter) he swore on his retirement he was never going to touch his tools again. Despite his chronic health conditions, he cannot sit still, and enforced isolation will not be good for his mental health. His passion to play golf is on hold, which means if I can’t keep him busy it won’t be the Coronavirus that will be bad for his health!
Ezmae-Kate our great granddaughter wants a bird table like Nan & Granddad’s so that she can feed the birds as in the last month she has moved into a house with a back garden, that will keep him busy for a while. The rest of the week he is making garden planters.
There’s a warming casserole in the slow cooker ready to eat soon. Friends and family have been ringing to see if we are OK, which is lovely, so far so good.
Thursday was the strangest day, the internet kept cutting out and clearly, we are not getting the speeds we should, I guess this is all the people following government advice to work from home. The oddest thing we did was to designate an isolation room, we are fortunate to have a downstairs bedroom with a separate toilet and wash hand basin. All surfaces cleaned with antibacterial wipes all ornaments and knick knacks put away so that we don’t have to keep cleaning them. Wow what a clean room we have. Apologies to my grandchildren ‘sorry but you can’t come for a sleep over’. Sadly, they can’t come over at all, thank goodness for What’s App and our mobile phones.
Lots more cleaning than normal
Friday, we have been searching for our Thermometer which has mysteriously disappeared however this has concentrated the mind to clear out lots of drawers ‘why am I always surprised at the stuff we keep just in case?’ The bin is filling up fast because there isn't much worth recycling but our remaining knick knacks have all been wiped and drawers wiped, and we have lots more space.
What have we learned this week?
We have thought a lot more about family members no longer with us and pleased they haven’t got to live through this. To be thankful for how my Mum instilled in me the importance of hand-washing as a child something I have never forgot. The realisation that while washing our clothes on the lowest, shortest temperature to do our bit to reduce our carbon footprint, is out the window, as temperatures get cranked up to 60 plus degrees to kill anything that might be lurking. My pet hate is ironing but even I can here my Gran saying ‘Ironing is the last line of defence,’
What I am most thankful for, are all the people who have taken time to ask how we are? To those who have offered to do our shopping so that we don’t have to go out especially the son of a friend of ours who messaged to see if we were alright and could he ‘be of any assistance’. This crisis has bought out the best and worst of some people, but hubby and I have received nothing but kindness.
