My Daily Struggle in the COVID-19 Lockdown

 Three hundred days. Wow. For those who have been reading all this time, you have my humble thanks. Well, I had gotten my first vaccination last Tuesday.  My agency worked together with the city, and they made sure that we were among the first. It was just like any other vaccination, only I must go back in 3 weeks for a booster. Thankfully, it was from Pfizer--so it is the most effective. Plus, it does not have any cells from murdered unborn children.  So, I learned a few things from taking this vaccine. First, until we hear otherwise, yes, I must wear these stupid rags over my face a spell longer. This is because, while there is only a 5% chance I could catch the virus after my booster shot, when I am fully vaccinated, there is a chance that I could still carry the virus and infect someone else. Second, while most vaccines include dead or devenomized viruses, this one use takes "spike proteins" from the virus and introduces them to our cells. The proteins do not have the...

I received some good news today. First, I am no longer exiled from my office. I can start working on-site again. Hallelujah! There are still things I cannot do, such as drive clients and stay in enclosed spaces with them, but I will be able to have my office again. In the words of Mabel Simmons: "Halleluyer! Praise de Lort!" 😁 More good news: my church can start worshiping inside now, with social distancing of course. I have seen it done, and it will work. It has worked. I know that there are others who are still uncomfortable coming inside, but it is time. The virus is being controlled, we have been taught what viruses can and cannot cling to and for how long. Besides, other churches just as small as us are letting people inside with the same rules, and these churches have vulnerable people too: elderly, sick, et cetera. Another thing: summer is coming, and Chicago summers can be extremely hot. It was in the 80's and 90's in late May even. Do we want our clergy to...

Today was pretty productive. I ran an errand, bought groceries, and completed a small project for my side job. The wife and I then drove to Des Plaines to see my best friend and her family. There, we talked about old times when she and I worked together over a delicious Indian iftar dinner.  I talked more about how I lately feel taken advantage of at work since I am a veteran in the mental health field. I vented about how I keep being called on to do duties for one program when I am in another one. Yes, I should talk to my supervisors about my concerns, but then I have tried talking to them, and it does no good. Nothing changes. Besides, I don't want to give them any  fodder to use against me. Employers can be really fickle at times. I can do a million things with no reward, but I get a proverbial flogging over one little mistake. I have heard of hard workers who have been at my agency for years who are dismissed for the most petty things. For all my years at this agency, I...

Quiet day. Going to visit my best friend and her family tomorrow. Even though I would want nothing more than to hug each of them, I know what the law limits, and I don't want to get the children sick. Even if I have to wave at them from the parking lot, so be it. Otherwise, I will certainly wear my mask and gloves. I want to thank all of those who have sent me words of encouragement these last few days. Though I am less affected by the thoughless behavior I endure as I grow older, I am still a little sore by being wrongly accused by someone and not receiving any apology. You can always tell if a person is upright by their ability to admit when they are wrong and repent. Regardless, I count myself blessed that I have such devoted readers like you.  Alas, many of us have our ways of dealing with this pandemic and lockdown. While some commit themselves to prayer and devotion, others binge-watch television, and others keep private diaries. While I also pray and read Scripture, I am a...

Today was pretty productive. Someone asked to be removed from the email list because, since they are in the at-risk population, my posts make them uneasy. I understand; it's no problem. I removed them from my list--no harm, no foul. I don't want to make anyone more depressed or afraid than they are already. This is just me sharing my thoughts and experiences until this thing is over. For those who are hanging in there with me, thanks a million; I really appreciate it. I know this phrase is beyond cliche, but we are truly in this together. And we will survive--together.  Now, I am going to give each of you some inside information: I am also in the at-risk population. I have asthma, Tetralogy of Fallot (a heart condition), and I have a glandular condition called panhypopituitarism (let's hear you say it in one breath!).  I know the dangers out there are more compounded for me, but I am the soldier I never was. Not only do I need to provide for my household, but my clients ...

I keep reading news about the high death rate with African-Americans contracting COVID-19. I can just hear the conspiracy theorists saying that the Man is bringing the virus into our communities to kill us off. This sounds similar to the belief that the K with the circle around placed on foods and beverages are owned by the Klan. Then there is the belief that Church's Chicken is owned by a White supremacist, and they place chemicals in the chicken to sterilize African-American men. Why else can you only find them in Black neighborhoods? Please! Seriously, there are many theories out there about why COVID-19 is more lethal in our communities. First, a high proportion of African-Americans are essential workers, which puts them at greater risk for infection. Second, those who work such jobs cannot afford to take sick day, no matter how sick they are. Third, the hospitals in our neighborhoods are a big disgrace. Fourth, so many African Americans just don't care about protection ...

More bad news today. Illinois faced its deadliest day. This day, 125 people died from this plague, bringing the death toll to 1,072 and the total infections over 25,000. Both Lightfoot and Pritzker say that the curve is flattening and that they are still trying to decide if they will go easy on the lockdown or not, whilst Indiana and Wisconsin are prolonging it well into May. Because non-essential businesses have been forbidden to open, millions of Americans are seeking unemployment benefits because they have been furloughed or simply laid off. This is madness. Thank God I am an essential worker. What are everyone laid off going to do? Who is hiring now? How many of these stimulus checks can the government disperse? Speaking of checks, I figured out why I didn't get mine yet. Because the government likes to overtax married couples without children, I only received state refunds for the last two years. I ended up having to pay more money to my least favorite relative: Uncle Sam....

CHRIST HAS RISEN!!! Today was a pretty good day. It was, after all, the beginning of the Resurrection Season. I went to a social-distancing prepared church and could actually take Eucharist. It felt so good to be in church again! I will probably go there until the lockdown is over, and if that means I need to drive 1 mile to get to Schaumburg, so be it! According to the major, today's death toll is the lowest it has been in 6 days, so that is good news. On the other hand, I read horrible stories about how a Michigan woman lost her whole family to this virus, and a Louisiana man lost 10 relatives and friends. I am not ashamed to admit that these stories made me cry. There has been so much death the past week. A friend of mine recently lost his grandmother from COVID-19. Thankfully, my mother, wife, and grandmothers are all safe and relatively healthy, and so are my golden-year friends. I have suffered so much loss, yet I have barely become numb to it. Each loss is still a dagger...

Today was a little bit better, but pretty busy nonetheless. Had a meeting this morning in which we processed the death of that client that was discovered yesterday. I felt a little numb, but I tried to support my other coworkers, especially the desk clerk who found the corpse.  I had a lot of paperwork that was due today, and I was hoping to finish it in a timely fashion, but no! After calling clients to report  the death of one of their residents , I had to admit another client to the hospital after this client finally snapped from psychiatric symptoms due to quarantine Cabin Fever. I couldn't follow him to be emergency room because of the COVID-19 restrictions. I therefore had to fax the necessary papers to the emergency room and the social worker on duty and then follow-up to make sure that they received the documents. Surprisingly, they admitted him right away and did not have to wait a long period of time in the emergency room. But then, this hospital has a psych ward o...

Bad day. First, I came in to realize that a client's medication was sent to the wrong pharmacy, and then, when it was sent to the right pharmacy, they agreed to sent it right away, and they did--to another site. Now, my client will go 8 days without insulin. Then I learned that two clients had been arguing with each other all weekend, and one grabbed the other last night, and then they went back to yelling at each other again today. When I asked what happened last night, one person accused the other of something, and the other denied it completely. Of course, there were no witnesses. On top of it all, another client I once worked with died. This makes the fourth in 3 years. He died all by himself because his delusions kept him from his family and from having true friends. When you have delusions so strong that you cannot trust anyone and you are always in fear for your safety, life is very hard. It is ever frightening and exhausting. I would hate to live so isolated from others w...

Slept in very late today. Tried to order groceries via Shipt, but their website decided at the last minute to announce that I could only get groceries through them if I paid a monthly fee. So, I decided to bite the bullet and go down the street to Aldi. At least today, there was no shortage of milk, eggs, or bread like the other times. I was reading the news reports yesterday, and I was concerned to read about people losing their jobs because of the lockdown. Though I hate having to contact my clients via telephone (I hate talking on the phone, period), at least my agency is considered essential, and at least my job is considered essential. The last time I heard the term "essential worker" was on Schindler's List. When we do have to go out, we have been encouraged to carry our work IDs in case we are stopped.  Still, tomorrow is Palm Sunday, and yet again, the only church service available to me is via a computer screen. Perhaps I should not complain so much about it ...