Randomness from Missouri amid CV19

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devist8me
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Joined: Sun Mar 27, 2005 9:38 pm

Randomness from Missouri amid CV19

Post by devist8me »

Just some random thoughts from here. I see I've missed hundreds of threads regarding this and wish I'd checked in earlier. So nice to read about everyone's part of the world first hand.

For those that don't know, I'm a paramedic supervisor who works overnights and have 2 kids, aged 13 and 15.

When all this hit the fan, we started getting emails from work not knowing what to expect and what we were going to do yet, but it was coming, so be ready, but we aren't sure how to tell you to be ready. Within days, those emails were 10x the amount and it was updates, how to protect each other, how to protect others, hospital policies bringing patients in, new policies on daily screenings, etc etc.

Spring Break got exteneded 3 weeks and my kids were estatic.

My elderly parents lost their minds. Started trying to do home delivery from like Walmart and a few other local grocery stores. They had to wait 4-5 days for their order and even then it was missing a lot of items. They refused visitors, especially from their daughter, a "front line" healthcare worker. Only this week did they allow my sister to come over and even then, they sat on the porch. Bless their heart.

March 30th the bars closed. That was ROUGH. My coworkers and I, without even realizing it, began taking turns hosting at each others house to have a beer and talk about work and life.

Work continued to be nuts. Policies changed as far as advanced airway procedures, Personal Protection Equipment (PPE), our advice to patients about going to the hospital for petty insignificant things. You think you have the corona becauze you have a fever BUT no other symptoms? Stay HOME, don't go out, call your physician tomorrow. DO NOT waste a bed because you have a fever and give it to one who for sure does and needs to be on a ventilator.

Restaurants are open for drive thru, curb side or delivery only. McDonalds offered us "hero meals" and Dominoes offered us a free large one topping pizza anytime we are on duty. (This is for night shift BTW. Day shift got all kinds of free food from local businesses)

My hair looks awful (currently smurf blue because myself and a box of Walmart hair color did not see eye to eye) and I had to rip my acrylic nails off after they grew out nearly to the end. The men at work have opted to go bald, I'm guessing because the trim didn't go as expected.

Fast forwarding a couple of weeks, I loved that traffic was non existent in my city. Took half the time to commute to work. We started NOT having enough PPE to go around and then they decided it was okay to reuse some as long as we didn't think the patient had the CV. Not ashamed to say I've used the same mask from day one. Also, full PPE (including gown and booties) is AWFUL. Nurse complain it's uncomfortable in their controlled environment. Try trying to put one on in a patients yard when it's super windy and NOTHING is cooperating. Then making your way through a hoarders houise and it ripping to shreds all the while your face mask is fogging up because the face masks don't help an already stressed paramedic trying to do their job.

Then it was wear maks all the time when on the clock. Just awful.

Then school was out for the summer but they had online schooling.

Now we are about 5 days out from "some" businesses being able to open up. I feel all we've done is just control the amount of exposure occurring at one time. I think people will be a little more conscious about hand washing but also feel the next round of deaths are about to begin. Still, as before, not panicking.

I actually think I already had it back in February. I thought it was the flu, even though it was all respiratory. I kept arguing with a doctor friend saying I didn't think it was the flu because there were no GI symptoms, only respiratory and high fever. Anyway, I missed 2 days of work and got winded just walking to the bathroom. One day I thought about going to the ER (which says a lot, I NEVER go to the ER) but I was so exhausted and short of breath, I couldn't make it to my bedroom door to hollar at my kids to call for help. My fever got up to 103. I had delirum dreams due to fever and would wake up super sweaty, followed by ice cold. By day 4 I felt better and ventured to Walmart for supplies but could barely make it home. It lingered for about 7 days.

The adults in the house got the same thing. The kids nothing. When this first started, they said kids were resilient to it (or only had minor symptoms) so thats another reason I figured it had already passed through this house.

So anyway, now I'm off to read everyone elses posts. I hope all is well with everyone.
I probably posted that in an ambien trance-soryy
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spot
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Randomness from Missouri amid CV19

Post by spot »

It's wonderful to get an update, that's been a hectic ten weeks. And how on earth can they be 13 and 15, you were posting here all the way through having them. Have they been worth the cost so far?

I'm glad you all got through it, you definitely sound like that's what it was.
Nullius in verba ... ☎||||||||||| ... To Fate I sue, of other means bereft, the only refuge for the wretched left.
When flower power came along I stood for Human Rights, marched around for peace and freedom, had some nooky every night - we took it serious.
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LarsMac
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Randomness from Missouri amid CV19

Post by LarsMac »

Wow. Quite the adventure. Glad you made it through to the other side of it. I imagine the face shield must be fun in the high humid areas.

One of the grandkids lives with his SO and her family in SW MO. Her parents had a bout with Something a lot like what you describe late in February, but they never went to the Doc. Grandkid and SO were never sick. Being introverts, they always maintain their distance.

I'm thinking of just shaving my head, but The Mrs says I look like Charlie Brown when I do that, so maybe I'll give it a couple more weeks. But Balding pate and long hair see to be a contradiction. I will look like a chubby version of Riff Raff, from Rocky Horror.

Choices, choices.
The home of the soul is the Open Road.
- DH Lawrence
devist8me
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Joined: Sun Mar 27, 2005 9:38 pm

Randomness from Missouri amid CV19

Post by devist8me »

spot;1532514 wrote: It's wonderful to get an update, that's been a hectic ten weeks. And how on earth can they be 13 and 15, you were posting here all the way through having them. Have they been worth the cost so far?

I'm glad you all got through it, you definitely sound like that's what it was.


No! They have not been worth the cost but they better get good jobs so mom can like in a "mother's hut" in the backyard!

Things start slowly opening up May 4th. I'm curious at what's coming.
I probably posted that in an ambien trance-soryy
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Hope6
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Randomness from Missouri amid CV19

Post by Hope6 »

I'm so glad you're making it through all of this. My husband does CTs and X-rays at the local hospital. they had a shortage of masks at one point and he had to reuse the same one for a while but they've got more now. My mom kinda freaked out too, she won't let anybody come in the house. She quit riding with me in the car. She has to let me in because I have to stick her finger every morning (she's diabetic), but thats all. I go grocery shopping for her and I leave the groceries on her front porch and she washes them before she carries them in the house.

As for haircuts I said we were all gonna look like hippies before this is over. My son already has kinda long hair, I keep teasing him that I'm gonna put it in a man bun. His daddy keeps threatening to give him a bowl cut. He's horrified at the prospect of either!
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LarsMac
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Randomness from Missouri amid CV19

Post by LarsMac »

Our granddaughter decided to pack her son up and move back to Missouri, but she said she ran into some road closures of some kind on her way to I-81. Ended up being told to go back home and wait.

That was kind of weird.
The home of the soul is the Open Road.
- DH Lawrence
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