Solitude

So South Africa is in lock-down since yesterday, for three weeks. We currently have 1187 cases and 1 death. I'm very happy with the way government has handled things thus far... shutting the country down early. You're only allowed out of the house for food or medical reasons. No walking/running outside even. As per my previous post, I've been self-isolating quite a bit before yesterday anyway. My sister and parents have been great with bringing me some groceries earlier this week. I'm in lock-down on my own, as I'm too scared to share a house with my family members who have still been going to work and the shops. I'll just be stressing all the time. So maybe later on once I know they're healthy I might move over to one of their places.

I do however think that CF, 3-week hospitalisations, post transplant isolation and being on the waiting list for transplants twice has prepared me for this. I've spent a lot of time on my own before. Even if I was able to see visitors, I was basically alone all the time. So I'm pretty used to and enjoy my own company.

My first vivid experience of being on my own was when I was in hospital for the better part of 3 months when I was 6 years old with pneumonia/infections. After that I was lucky to do IV antibiotics at home, so my parents were always there. Waiting for both my lung transplants also involved a lot of time spent by myself. When I was in rejection with my first set of lungs, I also had a few stints in hospital for 2 or 3 weeks at a time, where every night was spent alone. I don't sleep well in hospital, so watching series in bed till late at night is what you do! So this lock-down is WAY better than all of those times. No needles, no feeling like shit... in fact feeling super healthy. No fighting for every breath. No disturbances throughout the night. No 4am bloods, just peace and quiet. Feeling lucky.

I do however need to limit my time on social media if I want to stay sane. Apart from anxiety about my health, the amount of stupidity I see on Facebook and Twitter works me up! It KILLS me to see how dumb people can be.... and selfish. Along with all the fake news. I've been unfriending people and purposefully avoiding Facebook today.

It's going to be tough for me not to be allowed to run outside. It's really been keeping my anxiety levels down this past while. I went running in the driveway today... (there's this challenge where you do 2km per day in your garden for every day of the lock-down, and then you would have done 42km), and it actually wasn't too bad. It was sprinting in one direction, walking back, and repeat! I also did a workout with my dumbells, resistance bands, foam-roller etc. I'm definitely going to be gaining weight, but I just don't want to lose muscle too! I've worked hard at being where I am strength-wise.

I'm really nervous about the impact this virus will have on SA... just like everyone I suppose. I also wonder when it will be safe to go back into society again. Just because lock-down is over in three weeks' time or whenever, doesn't mean it will be safe from catching COVID_19. And seeing as this virus attacks the respiratory system, I'm REALLY scared of getting it. Especially since a lot of articles suggest permanent lung damage. Just thinking about it makes me feel short of breath! This isolation does help though. Let's hope that "This too shall pass"...

COVID 19

I figured this is a good time to do a blog post again! The world feels a bit crazy right now and people are (hopefully) spending much more time at home so they might actually read this!

Along with the rest of the world, and maybe even more so, I'm rather freaking out right now. I'm worried about all the things that could go wrong in this country with this virus, and with my health in particular. Just FYI, I've had one of the "normal" Coronaviruses before, and it was just like a cold. This one is obviously very different and the articles stating that it can cause real lung damage, resulting in the loss of 20-30% lung function scares me the most. A lot of other things surrounding it scares me too, but to me this is the scariest.

My appointment with my lung Doc was also indefinitely cancelled. In other words there will be no more normal check-ups for the foreseeable future. Only in cases of emergency. So I won't be finding out anytime soon if the drop in lung function I had about 6 weeks ago when I had Rhinovirus has recovered. This, coupled with the fact that in 2013 when my chronic rejection with the previous lungs started, I felt absolutely fine, and it was a "normal check-up" that showed a big drop in lung function, is causing some REAL anxiety for me. The only thing helping for it is running. I tell myself that if I'm not getting WORSE at the running, then my lung function can't be TOO BAD.  I managed to cut another 2 minutes off my 5 km time trial results last Wednesday. I'm doing it again tomorrow and REALLY aiming for a sub 40 min run! Mentally I need that right now. Thank goodness there is only like 10 people at the time trials and they all run way faster than me! I have upcoming gynae and dermatologist appointments that I will also most likely cancel closer to the time.

I'm trying to self-isolate as much as possible. I've cancelled my gym membership (Parkruns have also been cancelled), I'm only working from home (thank goodness I'm not at my old corporate job anymore!!!! This would never have been possible and I would have been exposed to like 500 people daily). I've done quite a bit of shopping in preparation for this "lock-down"... and spent a crap-load of money on hand sanitiser, gloves, alcohol surface cleaner, alcohol wipes etc. I've also had my chronic meds for the next month delivered last week, so I'm all stocked up there too. My family members are also very cautious, and basically avoiding me if they think they might have been in contact with someone who was not 100% healthy. My boyfriend (yes... I have a boyfriend... more about that some other day) is also working from home since today, and has given his domestic worked paid leave. So I'm trying hard not to get sick!

Lastly, I'm SUPER glad I went to the UK in December... at the time it was rather tight to go financially, and I was a bit worried abut the weather, but in hindsight it was absolutely the right thing to do, because I don't know when I'll feel safe to travel internationally again! It just reminds you again to live each day like it's your last! You never know what might be waiting around the corner.