Covid Memories.

Every once in a while, a photo from a

previous experience will pop up on my

feed. This shot, taken the week that we

were all first told to stay home, that the

World was under seige with Covid, was

a week of worry, terror, uncertainty, and

so much disbelief that somehow a virus

was going to stop all activities. With a

10 year old in the house, we spent a lot

of time trying to figure it all out, and still

ensure he could have a childhood. I do

feel we did a great job. Covid memories ....

~ Chy

Surgery Journey.

Loved seeing that they put my name on my bed

But didn't like having the iv. Gentle but bloody!

My cart was on the right side. They put me close

to the nursing desk, in case I did panic or choked

when I woke up. Thankfully, it was all great. And

do you see the QR code on my bracelet. Scanned in!

Loved our hospital uses Ikea carts. We put a teal one

together at home with all the things I'll need for the

next little while. I'll do a post about that. And look at

my "room" number: 13! Yikes but it was lucky after all.

Edith my nurse and youngest dd as we were getting

ready to leave. And the outside of the room we were in.

Today was surgery day. This is a surgery that I've wished for for years. I was approved and then my date was set for March 20th, 2020. And you can get what happened. Yup! Covid hit, the World shut down and my date was cancelled. Later in the year, when things were a bit calmer and protocols were in place, I was offered another date but I passed as I hadn't contracted Covid and didn't want to put myself in a place of risk. Over the 2 years, I passed when the dates came up, as there always seemed to be an outbreak. Thankful for a surgeon who was able to let me wait. This year, I was offered a date of November 8th and finally was able to commit. Ironically, the hospital just announced an outbreak, but it's on a floor that is long term and not anywhere near surgery. And I have all my boosters, so didn't feel the same level of concern. To date, touch wood, I still have not contracted Covid even though everyone in my family has had it at least twice. Even with the vaccines, we took a lot of time to research and feel comfortable. Both our family doctor and our naturopath felt I would likely have some type of reaction. I took my epiPens to the appointments but again, to date, not even a sore arm for all the shots. And no reaction. Family and friends all had some level of reaction, from feeling tired, to sore arm, to in bed with flu like symptoms. Me? Nada! Bizzare but I'm thankful.

I was quite anxious prior to today. I've only had 2 surgeries: my tonsils at the age of 4 and my appendix burst on my 18th birthday. Both were slightly traumatic and especially with my breathing and swallowing. So I've managed to avoid any other procedures all these years but the day was here and after a lot of work on my own and with my counsellor, I was very surprised today how well everything went, that I didn't panic, I didn't wake up choking or not breathing, and I'm alive! I literally was terrified of going to sleep and not waking up. So much so that we reviewed our will, I purged the house "just in case" and wouldn't come to the hospital today until I knew everything in my life was in place. Lots of work. But in the end, worth it so that I could relax, which I did. Now I can recover, knowing those things are in place. 

My surgeon was so sweet, the nursing staff comforting and the anesthesiologist brilliant. She came to visit me prior to my trip down the hall and I was able to share my fear of going to sleep and not waking up. She was more than reassuring with her words and her compassion. She promised me that once I was nicely asleep, she'd do all my breathing for me and I would wake up without choking. Her prediction that I'd fall asleep and then it would feel like just a minute later that they would be gently waking up. And that is just what happened. In the operating room, I felt so calm as everything was explained to me. She said "its time" and stroked my forehead as I went to sleep. I'll never forget how loving everyone was. The next thing I remember, was a lovely voice telling me it was time to wake up. We anticipated leaving around 4 pm today but in fact, we were the last to leave around 6 pm. I feel like I must have been hard to wake up but will ask at my follow up as there didn't seem to be any concern once I was awake. My lovely nurse Edith who welcomed me there in the morning, along with dh and daughter, was there at the end and wheeled me out to our car. Again, so amazing and caring. We hear so many negative experiences about our health care system but I was blown away today with everything I experienced and what I observed with the other patients having surgery in the same unit. So very fortunate to have such committed and talented medical professionals. And at no cost to residents.

I don't recall the entire drive home. It was dark and I knew that once home I'd be tired. But loved listening to the banter of my dh and daughter as they shared their adventures for the afternoon while I was in the operating room. Once home, we got all settled in to sleep in the family room for the night, with my eldest daughter who is a nurse, monitoring everything and setting up the best pain management plan. The surgeon gave her some great tips and also gave permission for her to remove my drains on Friday as she has spent time working in pre and post op. This way, we don't have to drive back in to the big City for a procedure that will only take a few minutes but the drive in, finding parking, walking to the clinic, waiting for my time, the procedure, the walk back to the car, driving home and then getting changed back in to my pyjamas would take at least a minimum of 2 hours. I haven't had any pain yet but anticipate by tomorrow, the surgery meds will wear off and then we'll be figuring out what works the best. Should be an interesting experience. Feeling a bit nauseated but just took some ginger gravol. Hope to try to sleep for a bit, until the lovely nurse wakes me up to do her first check and meds!

I'll write a bit about this journey as we go.

~ Chy

Downton Abbey.

We finally have committed to watching this amazing

series. During Covid, we tried but I think our minds

were too busy with all the "what ifs" and we couldn't

concentrate. Now we can and it's been worth the wait!

~ Chy

Blogtober: Day 11.

This weekend across our lovely country of Canada is traditionally for gathering together with family and friends to celebrate Thanksgiving. But with Covid and restrictions, our time together is limited and small. Most people will eat their holiday dinner on Monday but we love to do Sunday so we always have Monday as a day of rest and fun. And time to recover from such a big meal! Our 2nd Covid Thanksgiving with just the 5 of us, making me sad that we can't have everyone over but happy we have our little cohort here. We roasted a small turkey, and added in mashed potatoes, butternut squash, garden peas, savory stuffing, caesar salad, fresh buns, cranberry sauce and turkey gravy. So good! For desert, we had nanamio bars, 2 different kinds of butterscotch confetti so we could settle a debate (vanilla marshmallows vs. fruity ones ~ no difference at all ~ I won!), and tiny pumpkin tarts with whipped cream. Dgs did a funny toast, we noshed and laughed, shared memories and then cleaned up, relaxing for the rest of the evening. It was a beautiful day with rain, blowing leaves, a hockey game that was won by our team with dgs in goal (6 to 3) and resting so we can do some more landscaping today before the snow arrives! This was a lovely weekend and I hope everyone across Canada stayed safe, enjoyed their feast and found something good to to be thankful for in our 2nd Covid year. Happy Thanksgiving! Namaste, my dear blogging buddies! 

~ Chy

Blogtober: Day 2.

After 18 months of avoiding illness and feeling so lucky to not be touched by Covid, I had a little scare this past week when I became quite ill with a nasty chest cold. I've been home all week, cuddled up to get better and thankful that the two rapid tests I was able to take (last Saturday and then Tuesday) were both negative. But I kept getting worse, so tried to get a doctor's appointment. Our family doctor and our naturopath were both booked up for the next two weeks. I was encouraged to call in each morning but was worried I was getting bronchitis or pneumonia. So off to an open clinic we went on Friday. They told me they couldn't see me until I had a Covid test done by the Provincial Medical system, so I had to book a test. Thankful to get in that afternoon for a test, which literally took 2 minutes. Today, I got a text confirming that I'm still negative, so off to the doctor for a 1:00 pm appointment tomorrow. I hope that it's not more than a cold but if it is, that I can get some antibiotics so I can heal and get back to life. If Covid wasn't part of daily life right now, I would not be worried. But it's hard not to go to that place when our numbers are so high and deaths are happening, even in people who have been double vaccinated. It's been an insightful week for sure. Wish me luck tomorrow when the doctor sorts out my nasty cold and gets me on the mend 

Do you love my photo of my lunch the other day?

Everyone was at work and I was too tired to make

any kind of decent lunch. So I opened up my bag

of popcorn and filled my bowl. Yummy and fast!

Hope you are well.

~ Chy

Growing Spider.

I bought this Spider Plant as a tiny sprig

last Spring when Covid first started. Our

greenhouse began an option of curbside

pick up and we jumped at the chance to

buy some plants as well as the seeds we

needed for our veggie patch. Look at

how big this sweet little plant has gotten!

Namaste.

~ Chy 

52 Weeks.

Tomorrow will be one full year, 52 weeks, since

we received word that we were in lockdown. All

of us in the house were suddenly home from work

and school fulltime. Though we had been watching

from the sidelines the events unfolding around the

World, it seemed so surreal that here in Canada,

we were not immune from the experience. Though

we have all worked at home at times, and dh and

I usually would work here at least one day a week,

it was such a shock to be forced in to our brand

new reality. I had already been home for a few

days as dd  had surgery on the Friday before. I

had brought home my laptop and some files to

stay busy while she recovered. A few days after

lockdown started, we were allowed to go in to

work to pick up anything we needed to continue

to function from home. 52 weeks later, we are all

still here, safe, healthy and to date, Covid free.

We had stocked up prior to the lock down, not

knowing it would happen so quickly. One thing

that really helped us cope so well was living in

the country, where we really are removed from

so much. Going in to town once a week to pick

up our ordered groceries became the only time

we'd venture in. Somehow, we made it all work

and 52 weeks in, it's almost surreal again that we

have survived, thrived and made changes to life.

We're not quite back to "normal" just yet but I

am not sure "normal" will return. We all have a

new life now, with a greater appreciation for

every breath we take. I hope you have made it

thru as well and continue to do okay. Namaste.

~ Chy

What I Miss ....

.... hugs from my mama ....

.... hugs from dear friends ....

.... drives in to the big city ....

.... shopping leisurely at favorite shops ....

.... travelling to our little island ....

.... not feeling afraid all the time ....

What do you miss?

~ Chy

Garden Dreaming.

Every where we are, the talk is the Pandemic. I'm

finding it hard sometimes to get away from it all.

But with our cold snap this week and my attempt

to not listen to the numbers for a bit, I've started

to dream about our garden for this year. I've got a

bit of a plan and my mood has already improved!

What do you do to think about something else?

~ Chy

306 Days In.

 We spent the last 306 days together, every day,
all day. It's not been a bad thing at all. We work,

then take a break and spend some time outside,

or work on a project. It's been our pattern since

this all started, 306 days ago. We've had our tiny

moments of frustration but for the most part, all

306 days have been a gift in many ways. Today,

dh is headed off to a meeting at work, in the big

city, and I'm heading off to a meeting at work, in

the big city. Prior to this, for the last 306 days,

one of us and most of the time both of us have

been home. Our 306th day is different. This is I

guess what "retirement" would feel like. I'm tired

as I also went in to work yesterday and will go

again tomorrow, though these will both be much

shorter days and not so physical. I helped with our

set up at our new hospice yesterday ~ staging the 

look and feel of what our new place will look like

as we get set to open. Today will feel a bit weird

as we head out the door at the same time, but head

in different directions in the big city. After 306 days

together, a new adventure! P.S. Restrictions are

still in place. I'll be back working from home once

Wednesday is done, until they are lifted and we

all feel comfortable returning. It's going to take a

while to feel safe. Almost there ~ 306 days in!

~ Chy

Isolation Check~In.

We're now officially at 29 weeks, or 203 days, of

being at home, though isolation is a more liberal

now. In our home, we still only visit the grocery

store, one store we feel comfortable at because

of their Covid restrictions (the bookstore) and

school. Other than that, we're primarily at home.

I am going in to work now once a week. But not

even for a full day. Just to catch up and get our

students set for the following week. This has

become true life. And it's okay. We're safe, we

have what we need, we have our jobs, we have

our freedom too. No complaints here. We hope

and truly wish every day that this soon ends. We

also use this extra time to make new memories.

How are doing during Covid? Are you coping or

are  you fed up and wanting this to be all over? 

~ Chy

6 Months.

We've been home now for exactly 6 months.

This time has been filled with work, play,

food, purging, shopping, re~organizing and

making the most of every day. I can't believe

we have been at this "new normal" for such

a long time. It still feel surreal but we're are

also embracing the gifts in all of this chaos!

Wishing all of you good health. Stay safe.

~ Chy

24 Weeks.

24 Weeks. The time we've spent isolated at home.

Working. Landscaping. Eating. Purging. Living.

We've done school at home. Counselling for clients.

Writing. Creating. Groceries. Organizing. Painting.

None of this has been easy. But on a daily basis,

we are truly thankful we're safe, healthy and here.

~ Chy

My Favorite Office.

Like anyone working from home right now, I've

done the best to keep my routine going. But on

occasion I do take some "me time" and this is

what it looked like on Friday morning. I was tired,

sore and very achy all over, so what did I do to

ensure I didn't skip a bit with work? When I did

realize I was going to have to take it easy, I chose

to stay snuggled in my cozy bed. And by the time
I had completed all my morning tasks, I was less

achy and ready for the afternoon. A quick shower

and went on with my day as usual. But discovered

that if I'm working from home in the Winter still,

I could see any super cold days as working from

my new favorite office! Where do you work from?

~ Chy

Twenty Weeks ....

.... since we've been home indefinitely.

I'm grateful for our good health, our

cozy cottage, our busy jobs that can

be done from home, our amazing kids,

our helpful neighbors and sunny days.

All of these have made this a bit better.

I do miss all my colleagues, though we

talk all the time on Zoom and by email

and Teams. And we got together 2 weeks

ago today for a retreat (socially distanced!)

and that was amazing and so healing. I

miss meeting my clients in person. I miss

just casually heading out to the store. I

miss visiting my mom when ever I want to.

I miss travelling. I miss so many things.

But I'm grateful we have this time and

the chance to get through this so that we

are all very healthy, safe and thriving. It is

our new life and we are embracing it in

the very best way we can. I hope you are too.

Be well.

Stay safe.

~ Chy

Staying Home.

The entire World is so scary right now.

More and more, I'm so thankful for this

cozy spot we call home. Safe in the trees,

with the sun shining on our gardens, we

nest and cocoon. We work, we play, we

love and we stay connected. But we do

stay away from anywhere that we feel

would be too risky. So home we stay.

Are you loving being at home all the time?

Or do you wish you could be out and about?

~ Chy

Braided Hair.

The boy has not been able to have a

haircut now for more than 10.5 weeks.

So he asked his mama to braid his hair

"like gramma's" and she did it. Today,

the braid came out and his hair is very

wavy, like mine when I do this and take

out the braids the next day. It was pretty

funny and we have a picture to share ....

~ Chy

Seven Weeks ....

.... since we packed up our offices and came

home to work. To self isolate. To take a break

and evaluate life. To reconnect and take up a

new activity or two. We're settled now. And

then late today, our Province announced that

there will be a slow opening of some services,

beginning May 14th. I have mixed feelings

and some new fears. But will ride this out too!

~ Chy

Covid Supplies.

 

Gloves to unpack our groceries. Wipes to
clean everything that comes in the house.

Wine to calm our fears, celebrate another

day of surviving and toasting our team

members at work (all at home now) for

another week of meeting everyone's needs.

What are your supplies on hand?

What else do you have, just in case?

~ Chy