pre-morbid reflections on Covid-19

I'm a physician, so I feel like I need to be out there with my colleagues caring for victims of the Covid-19 pandemic. There's one problem: I just became a card-carrying member of the Covid-19 High Risk Club, so I really can't.

Those of us who are in the high-risk category because of our age, an underlying medical condition, or the fact that we're immuno-suppressed are not necessarily more likely to pick up the virus than anyone else, but if we get it, we may not be able to mount an immune response to fight the infection. What might be a debilitating case of pneumonia to a young, healthy person can be fatal to someone who is immuno-compromised. And, in a worst case scenario, there simply are not enough ventilators to go around.

Remember that even though you may not be experiencing any symptoms...you may already have been exposed to the virus by someone else who appeared healthy, but may have transmitted it to you. Likewise, you can transmit it to the rest of us even though you still feel fine. "Sheltering in place" is probably the best course of action for all of us who can.

"Sometimes you just need to

lie on the couch

and read for a couple of years."

~hookedtobooks.com~

Trust me, it's not all that bad.

Remember all those jobs around the house you haven't had the time or energy to tackle? Now you have nothing but time and energy.

Remember that book you've always wanted to write, the poem that keeps running through your mind, the song you've been singing to yourself for so long, the picture you've been longing to paint? Now might be a good time to get started.

"Dancing, singing, storytelling, 

and silence

are the four universal

healing salves."

~Gabrielle Roth~

This is the perfect time to explore the gifts of meditation and yoga.

To get out and walk. Take your camera along.

To shoot some hoops with your kids, or prep your flower beds for spring. The possibilities are endless.

As for me, I'm hunkered down for the foreseeable future. That means I may have to miss the birth of my very first granddaughter...and my grandson's fifth birthday. I wish things didn't have to be this way, but...

~i2symbol.com

This is my wish for you:

May you be well.

May you be safe.

May you be happy.

May you dwell in peace

and loving kindness.

~jasrinsingh.com~

jan