COVID-19 has left the building. Dementia whiplash is subsiding.
We've cleared the home-isolation hurdle of seven days out from COVID-19 symptoms. And we are so very grateful that our household was spared the extreme severity of the virus.
My thoughts constantly turn to those who have been hit hardest by the virus: the patients who are struggling to survive, those who are separated by isolation when they desperately need the support of their loved ones, the families who's hearts are breaking over precious lives lost to COVID-19.
Believe me, we know how lucky we are to be spared the worst of this disease.
As survivors our quarantine could have ended a week ago, but we're playing it safe for a few more days. I'm still the only one who runs any necessary errands involving public places with my face mask and rubber gloves on, although I'm not sure I'm wearing them correctly...
As far as the rest of our virus-free household, Mom won't be making any public appearances in the near future (again, not to protect her, but to protect all of you). Long drives will be the extent of her outings, which is probably her preference anyway.
MotherMinder will finally head home for her days off this week, although it's been an utter blessing to have her here throughout this initial phase of shelter-in-place. (She might think more along the lines of having drawn the shortest straw!)
The Other Girl, now completely recovered and furloughed from her "normal" job, is back to her regularly scheduled Mom-shift with an extra day thrown in for good measure.
And as for me, while I never exhibited much of the symptoms of COVID I am pleased to announce significant recovery from my recent case of dementia whiplash. For the last two weeks my brain has been trying to keep up with Mom boomeranging from one disastrous dementia manifestation to the next (courtesy of her bout with COVID-19).
But while Dementia has held Mom to a significantly reduced appetite and substantially increased hours of sleep, this week she has managed to shed the shaky walk, and released the Cracken-levels of rage to the ether.
(Well... mostly. I mean, it is dementia; she's still spitting some fire in our general direction on occasion.)
So, I've reveled in a week of no longer reeling from one dementia catastrophe to the other, recovering as best I can before the next debacle of this new world (and the old dementia one) tosses fresh calamity into the fray.
From our town to yours, from our house to your hearts, during this time of uncertainty and pain we wish you health, patience, resolve, resilience, love, laughter, and a great hand of cards (if you've finally gotten so bored with TV you've resulted to playing poker with pennies).