AM I READY TO GET OUT!

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)

After being bottled up for most of the last three and one-half months, part of my human instinct wants to get out and go shopping or eating in the worst way.

With the exception of taking our puppy to the groomer two weeks ago, I have not been out of the house except for medical appointments since the first week of February. When I have gone out to anything medical, I have worn a mask of some sort, I will explain shortly, and gloves. In other words, I have done my part of the equation.

What continues to concern me is the number of people who still refuse to wear a mask or anything!!

Taking in to account the few times in which my wonderful wife, Linda, has gone out into our local Dillon’s or Wal-Mart to get a few groceries or a refill on a medical prescription, her commentary has been and still is a shaking of the head when she talks about the number of customers still not wearing any mask in public.

Granted there are a lot of folks who, despite not wearing a mask or gloves, do their part by washing the hands often or at least smothering them in sanitizer gel.

I am still and always will be, one of those with an immune deficiency due to my chronic illnesses of Stage III COPD, severe Asthma, and a couple of issues with the heart.

I am still and always will be, one of those you may seeing taking the long way around Wal-Mart simply because I need to get my walking in and walking outside is not workable with my breathing issues.

Can’t believe I am saying this, but I do miss my evening visits to Wal-Mart to maybe pick up one item but walk completely around the outskirts of the store and then back around to where I started – just to get some walking in as needed for my heart issues.

Some may say – ‘why don’t you do it anyway and just wear a mask and gloves.’ Easier said than done people.

If you have ever had issues with breathing, you will most likely know that wearing a mask sometimes can cause issues due to the increase of humidity build up from your own breathing. I for one hate wearing a mask for any length of time because of that, the moisture that builds up can and will cause an issue for me.

Speaking of masks. I started out with a homemade mask that I used from an old hospital ankle sock. After several humorous comments about that, I received in the mail a pair of masks made by the daughter of my best friend in high school with a note saying – ‘Barb and I (his best friend is Kevin) worry about your health with this pandemic so I asked our daughter to make you these. Wear them for your health my friend.’

I was truly humbled by that. But that was just the start, as a few days later a very dear friend and family member here locally (her son is married to my daughter), also gave us a pair of masks that she had someone make for us.

Then when I went for one of my recent bi-weekly Xolair shots, one of my nursing friends also gave me a pair of masks for my wife and I. She admitted it had something to do with the hospital sock mask I had worn previously.

Oh, I wasn’t done yet apparently as when I got home from getting my shot there was a package from my younger sister who had made me a mask using a pattern emphasizing my love for the Nebraska Cornhusker football team.

So now I have plenty of masks but not enough confidence to go out anywhere.

The idea that I want to get out and about somewhat surprises me as I am normally pretty content being a homebody, especially beginning in October when the flu season hits full speed.

But as much as I want to get out and about, I just can’t get myself to try it for the fear that despite a mask and gloves, that I will somehow, somewhere, catch the nasty little coronavirus – and as my wife and family reminds me, if I get it, we will have some major issues.

So for now I continue to be content at home passing my time playing with my dog Frosty Lou, watching movies with my wife and working on my writing which includes a couple of books, more than one website and a small bunch of short stories/essays.

At the moment I am carefully watching as our inept leadership in Washington pushes to re-open the economy (mostly for all his rich buddies) without really having a true plan on taking care of the citizens on the front lines of doing so. Part of me is so afraid that it will end up in a huge disaster with catastrophic numbers of positive cases and deaths well beyond the unnecessary numbers we already have.

It would be nice if all those in charge would realize that this will take a team effort to defeat the coronavirus mess and as long as the leaders in the white house continue to play favorites and retaliation – I am afraid our country may be in for a long haul medical mess.

If all our political leaders and not just a few, would put themselves in the shoes of those with chronic illnesses, disabilities and a weak immune system, then the empathy would over rule much of the mess being made now and then possible things would get done – like getting a vaccine and making tests readily available and affordable for ALL THE PEOPLE!!!

I will finish much like I did in my last post, grateful that for the most part my health has stayed very good indeed considering all that is going on around me, but then again I am not going anywhere either.

Again, my final thought is – stay well everybody, following the rules of masks, gloves and washing hands regularly while also being extra, extra careful as to when and where you get near others.

Like always, I will finish off with a question.

TODAY THE QUESTION IS:

  1. What is your current level of stress or concern over the path of the coronavirus pandemic?
  2. Is your game plan working and if so, what is it you are doing to make it so?
  3. Do you feel that we are prepared to truly re-open life as close to normal as possible?

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.