Counting down and savoring some of the last normal days

[eilen]

This morning I go into work to run stress tests at the hospital I work at. I am savoring some of the last normal days. I don't know when it will change, I'm betting in the next two weeks. So far there are no confirmed cases in my county but we serve other counties and no one is testing without symptoms and another qualifier.

I have Monday off. We will see what #nurselife looks like on Tuesday.

It is kind of eerie. I can see in the future how we will say "remember when..."

[gademocrat7]

1. Take care.

[BigmanPigman]

2. Cherish them now!

[beachbumbob]

3. it will all being going to hell soon enough

[Scarsdale]

8. Everything began going to hell

when the gop/Putin put tRump into the WH. We have the gop to thank for this disaster. Too bad they never put forward a DECENT human being to be their representative in the WH. Scraping the bottom of the barrel, and look where we finally are. tRump is a total screwup, always has been always will be. He surrounds himself with people just as unqualified as himself. What the HELL does Kushner know about anything, yet he is put in charge of everything. His daddy had to BUY him his place at Harvard when he failed the entrance exam.

[beachbumbob]

16. I am afraid say all that was just a prelude to what be happening in US in next 6 months

[Scarsdale]

17. We need a democratic president,

surrounded by a democratic administration to fix this totally screwed up mess. Get the orange disaster OUT, along with his grifting "kids" and his ass kissing enablers in the administration. How many times does the gop have to prove that they are incapable of running this country, before people wake up? Unwarranted wars was bad enough, now this? I know this is not nice, but I would not lose any sleep if the entire administration got this virus. Plus all the ass kissing gop who went to Mar-A-Lardo. That would be poetic justice. Sadly, working people will suffer most, plus people without insurance. It is always the way when the gop is "in charge".

[beachbumbob]

19. typically that is the way it works

[captain queeg]

4. Kind of like9/11

I was on leave at the time of 9/11 working at a federal facility. When I came back to work the place was all closed off to the public and gates were manned by security guards. Used to be quite accessible to the pubic; schools would bring their classes down to tour the place, etc.

[brewens]

5. Normal days? Did you see what was on for sports yesterday? Freakin' rugby! n/t

[Dem2theMax]

6. Could be ping pong by next weekend.

[wnylib]

9. and chess the weekend after that.

[Lochloosa]

11. Virtual Chess.

[wnylib]

25. Good one.

[TheFarseer]

13. I should be picking my bracket tonight

Damnit! And my team was probably going gave their highest seed ever! I hope a million people don’t die and make this complaint seem super petty.

[brewens]

14. One of my best buddies runs a local bracket pool that gets over 100 people. It's one of my

favorite things of the year. He's about 67 and has severe asthma. On the ninth I called him and told him to think twice about doing it this year. He goes around to various bars in town to pass out the sheets and collect money. He even goes to some peoples homes to get them signed up. I even said I wouldn't be surprised if it was cancelled.

He hates Trump but somehow has bought into the "it's just the flu" thing and is being way overblown. My warning didn't faze him, he was still going to do it.

I figured I'd try again if we had the first cases reported here. Then I thought if that were the case, it'd probably be shut down for sure. He would be pretty high risk for being hospitalized at least if he caught it.

[TheFarseer]

15. At least

He’s got a bunch of people’s money and a valid excuse not to give it back for a while. I’m not sure if this is overblown or not. I don’t dismiss the possibility that it could get really bad and serious steps should be taken. I’m still pissed we missed the conclusion of a great year in college hoops.

[greymattermom]

26. Jayhawk fan?

I used to work at KU Med.

[TheFarseer]

27. Good guess but Creighton fan. Go Jays!

[eilen]

32. Ah, I do not follow sports. Just referring to #nurselife in the hospital. NT

[samplegirl]

7. I hope you remain

safe. All of this is so scary.

[wnylib]

10. Enjoy the calm before the storm.

Then be safe and be well. Many thanks to ALL people in health care.

[johnthewoodworker]

12. Be safe in that hospital. As Warren Zevon once said: 'Enjoy every sandwich'.

[localroger]

18. Here in New Orleans it feels like the hours before a hurricane hits

Everyone is hunkered down and prepared, now just waiting even though the weather seems perfectly fine for the moment we know something bad is coming.

[panader0]

20. That's a good description.

[gollygee]

21. Yeah it feels like preparing for a blizzard to me. nt

[KSNY]

22. Be well

Your work is so very important.

[Joinfortmill]

23. Stay safe and thank you.

[BBbats]

24. I'm not optimistic

I'm a musician & my gigs are getting cancelled as far out as June.
I'm lucky that I'm old(67) & have my Social Security coming in.
I have a cheap rent but this morning my landlord's son asked me if I was taking precautions about the virus. He informed me that they wouldn't hesitate to throw me out should I show any signs of illness(like they are invunerable).
I'm doing all I can.

[hunter]

28. Have you read Sarah Pinsker's "A Song for a New Day?"

It's prophetic.



https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/598452/a-song-for-a-new-day-by-sarah-pinsker/9781984802583/

[CrispyQ]

30. "...they wouldn't hesitate to throw me out should I show any signs of illness..."

Gasp! What awful, vile people. The exact type who should never have any kind of power or authority over anyone. Just like the Con. Sadly we have a culture that seems to cultivate these types.

Take care and be safe.

[eilen]

36. That's horrible

But I don't think they can just throw you out. There are specific eviction laws. And I don't know a court that will back them up to evict you because you are sick.

[BBbats]

38. Well....

It's a private home . I live in the basement. They are good people They helped me through a bad arm injury about 4 years ago.Just really getting back on my feet now. I just got a car again so maybe it'll be me & my bass guitar s in the car.
There's no lease or rental agreement.Everyones scared & the guy who owns the place leans right wing I think. His wife is my big advocate but she doesn't own the place.
Hell I'll buy a tent!

[eilen]

41. It doesn't matter if there is a lease or not

since you have been residing there for over a month, even longer than 90 days-- you still have rights. I would contact a tenants rights agency. Having no lease, you are a tenant at will and there is an implicit agreement since they are accepting rent from you in advance every month. It will at least give you time since they have to go through the courts, -at least 3-6 weeks and since there is a state of emergency the court may refuse to evict you (especially if you are ill) for no cause (since you are not in arrears on rent) until that state of emergency is lifted. In the meantime you can see what resources may be available for housing because no one wants to live where people are hostile and assholes.

[hunter]

29. This is like waiting for a hurricane.

My wife is a health care professional who won't be able to "social distance" herself from patients who are at a higher risk of dying from this.

ALL our family who can work at home have been told to work at home.

[CrispyQ]

31. I am terrified how bad it will be by the end of the week.

A comparison of monthly obits in an Italian paper. From 1.5 pages to 10—in one month. Of all ages, not just boomers.

Heartbreaking video shows coronavirus’ devastating toll on Italy - New York Post

The Con's lack of concern for anything but himself has placed our entire country at much higher risk. It should be criminal. He should go to jail for this. And the GOP senate had a chance to rid us of this menace, although this disaster was already barreling down the pike five weeks ago & I doubt Pence would have done much different. Maybe pray more.

This whole disaster is on the entire Republican Party, top to bottom, from Trump, to the GOP Congress, to the GOP state govs who hindered health care to their communities, to the stupid masses that voted for this fuck.

[eilen]

37. It's the D-List government.

They resent the educated, they mistrust science and they are completely consumed with covering the mammoth ass supposedly in charge. There is a basic disregard and indifference for the peoples' health and welfare. They are more concerned for the cruise industry, the travel industry, and the hotels (gee why I wonder...) over the health crisis and deaths that will be hitting every community. There was no guaranteed sick time in that virus relief package d/t the Republicans. I know it is not nice to wish people ill but it is too bad that karma won't hit them specifically.

[eilen]

33. It is like waiting for the storm.

That is an apt description.

[LisaL]

34. The storm is already here.

[Hortensis]

35. Oh, brother? :) Fwiw, epidemics arising and carrying people off

used to be part of any normal life. Death used to be much closer to all than it is now. But we no longer see running with scissors as a mere stumble away from slow, agonizing death from a punctured peritoneum.

Maybe think of this as a reminder of what used to be normal and a valuable wakeup for those who've become far too complacent. For 40 years now people have been electing Republicans who eye most funding of medical research as "fat to be cut" and transferred to their cronies.

But this will pass too.

[Skittles]

39. would be nice if conservatism could be wiped out with the virus

repukes have been a virus in America for DECADES

[Maru Kitteh]

40. Can you/will you be floated to other areas? I don't have to tell you

shit is about to get very real. The shortage of professional and skilled healthcare workers was acute before this.

I've packed a bug-out bag, counting on 16+ hour shifts and I commute for an hour each way. I can only be there for them if I find someplace in the facility to sleep.

Best of luck to you.

[eilen]

42. I live about 20 minutes from work

so don't see any issue with getting to work and back. I can be floated as I have most of my experience in step-down units (cardiac, stroke and continuous bipap) and I am ACLS certified. I decided to pack up all my uniforms and change my clothes at work so I don't wear them in the community or at home. We just had 2 positives in my county (but not at my hospital) but who know who is carrying it? With only one testing place we can all be unaware asymptomatic carriers. I live in NY so our governor is really being proactive in trying to flatten the curve and I think he is losing sleep looking at the numbers for NYC. We are a smaller burg upstate (CNY) where I think it is actually safer but I won't be surprised if they start putting up roadblocks on the Thruways, only letting the supply deliveries and essential personnel through. Where I work now is in stress testing and TEE procedures and so far, they still are being ordered. One guy was out partying last weekend and experienced sudden chest pain and was so drunk he kept passing out and then was vomiting...(I think the Dr. was unsure whether the n/v was from all the St. Patricks Day drinking or from actual cardiac symptoms)-- his troponins were flat with a normal EKG though (and a clean U-Tox). Anyhow, it kind of blew my mind he was out at a party like that with what is going on and is old enough to know better (58). That just proves the disconnect people have (or the level of stupidity out there). Well, we can't cure stupid but I can do something about heart attacks.