MY THOUGHTS OF A PANDEMIC!

By Mr. William

“A person without good breathing, is a person with a life of constant caution, so let’s do what we can, to learn what we can, to improve what we can.” (Will Dursens)

Yes, I know it has been a bit since I have posted a ‘Lenny & Me 4 Today’ and I apologize for that.

I could say it has been because of the coronavirus pandemic stuff and having to self-quarantine. But it is not.

I could say it has been because I have had to learn how to schedule my writing time out while having the wife around all the time right now, but it is not even that as I will explain shortly.

I will say it is just because the whole idea of this coronavirus {COVID-19} pandemic has been a bit overwhelming and for several weeks I just plain continued to get all caught up in the non-stop media coverage as the numbers began to grow at an alarming rate.

But now it is time to sit down, ponder and share some of my thoughts about this whole pandemic thing.

One thing I will say right off the bat is – some, if not many, will disagree with me on several of the thoughts I will share. But that is okay, because that is what life is all about anyway, people of different cultures and different ideas all being willing to share their ideas and thoughts while still trying to get along to form a somewhat civilized society.

Being one that lives a life of constant concern and battles with both a heart and lung {Stage III COPD/Severe Asthma} issues, this whole pandemic thing has had me on edge for a variety of reasons.

Recently I had some issues and had to have a stress test, after which the crew giving me the test reminded me to go straight home and self-isolate due to my health issues. I just laughed at them and reminded them that I was one who already self-isolated by the middle of October due to the flu season.

In other words, self-isolating for me is not an issue as I have been doing that for nearly eight years since I went on disability due to a heart issue and then because of my COPD.

My biggest concern these days is the total lack of coordination and empathy our leaders in Washington {in particular the majority of the senate and the folks in the white house} seem to have for the people they are to be serving.

To me it has become an embarrassment to see the total mismanaged mess as to how the current administration has dealt with the whole pandemic situation and has even been horrifying to those of us with a chronic illness when they throw out some of their ideas or timelines to battle the coronavirus. It has been sad to see how our leaders have become a joke to most of our world leaders and with the most recent comment about possible injecting disinfectant into the body only solidifies the laughter.

I hand out kudos to several of our state governors though as people like Governors Cuomo {New York}, Murphy {New Jersey}, Pritzker {Illinois}, Kelly {Kansas}, Lamont {Connecticut}, Newsom {California}, and Whitmer {Michigan}, who all seem to be doing an outstanding job of trying their best at staying ahead of the pandemic – most without much, if any, true support from the leaders of the white house.

My final thoughts about the political side – we need our government to get their stuff together and do their job which is to serve ALL THE PEOPLE of this country regardless of political affiliation or possible financial profit.

Enough for the political side of my thoughts.

As for the health issue itself – and yes, I have a major stake in it as do hundreds of thousands of others who fight daily battles with a chronic illness – our country is showing just how arrogant it is to the eyes of others in the world.

Arrogant because of the number of people who just plain ignore with an edge of cockiness the idea that social distancing or wearing protective masks should be required.

My wife went to our local Wal-Mart just before I began to write this and came home amazed that pretty much nobody besides her {as customers} were wearing any masks or gloves.

That my friends is what drives me nuts and only means I must stay more isolated and for longer than even I could imagine.

Everyone wants the country to reopen but not enough want to do the due diligence to get us to that point.

If EVERYONE would put themselves in my shoes or the shoes of anyone with a chronic illness, then just maybe then they would understand.

At this point, my health itself has been surprisingly good for the past eight weeks except for a brief sinus and upper chest congestion problem which I took care of immediately before it got out of hand. I am grateful for this, but I know it has come at a cost as my wife, myself and our puppy have been pretty much at home non-stop now for nearly seven weeks.

It means no contact with family or grandkids except for a few visits at the screen door or on a video phone call, and while that sucks – it is necessary, and I understand that.

My final thought is this – think about how you would feel if someone in your family or a very best friend got this coronavirus and had to go through the near death experience that some have had to do before recovery, or worse yet, died within a few days to several weeks, then seriously look at whether you think wearing a mask and gloves is worth it. If you say no – than I feel sorry for your lack of empathy for others, and while it goes against my personality and morals, those who say no and get the virus will get a lot less sympathy from me.

While I have veered away from the health aspect this blog normally is, I felt it was necessary to finally put my thoughts into words. I apologize to those who are not happy with it, but at the same time – I am very passionate about my health and that of others, and this pandemic is testing us all and it is not the time to be arrogant but instead it is the time to show true empathy to others.

Just as I do with nearly all my postings – I like to finish off with at least one question if not more.

QUESTION TIME – As we like to do at times, we leave you with a question to think about and maybe respond to. The question(s) I ask today are the same ones I asked in my last posting as they still hold true today:

We appreciate your answers as they may lead to a discussion in an upcoming “‘Lenny’ & Me 4 Today”, so thanking you in advance.

So, until I can talk again (not literally), that is where Lenny and I are at for today.

A REMINDER – Do you have any comments or questions about my postings, then feel free to leave a comment on either at this blog, at the email address of wheezingaway@gmail.com or on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/copdtravels/.

ALWAYS REMEMBER (because I have COPD and severe Asthma) – If you or anyone you know have any symptoms involving lung and breathing functionality, and they linger over and over while disrupting a lifestyle – then please ask questions and get it checked out.

With that, I bid to all – smiles, prayers, blessings and steady breathing – Mr. William.

(Copyright@2020, CrossDove Writers through wheezingaway.com – no part of this write may be used or copied without written permission.)

NOTES: Sometimes we share what may seem like medical information, but we are only giving descriptions and highlights of various aspects of having COPD and/or Asthma and no way do we ever want our information to be considered medical treatment type of information, always consult your physician for more, clearer medical founded information.