It’s been over 2 years since our world was turned upside down by COVID-19. Much has happened in the ensuing time, yet a constant has been our careful vigil to keep it at bay.

I lined up to get the jabs as soon as I was eligible, started wearing masks again the moment it became a suggestion and avoided crowded places. Yet the sneaky little virus caught me yesterday. Thankfully, because of those very immunisations, the effects are not as horrendous as they may have been.

Living in the house with my adult son and daughter means I am confined to my room. Like a contagious disease carrier! Which of course I am.

Had it not been for the flooding in February and the downstairs needing massive mould-fixing repairs, I’d have been in the bedroom with the ensuite. Instead, I am in the spare one upstairs, and I get this bathroom up here while the kids have to trek downstairs in the dead of the night when it’s cold!

No daytime wandering down the stairs and outside to sit under the pergola. I might spread my germs as I meander through the house. One consolation is that the weather is pretty horrid anyway, so being tucked up all cosy is not a bad place to be.

My symptoms are mild. Chills, sweats, occasional cough and runny nose plus headaches which panadol takes care of. The worst is the exhaustion combined with being unable to sleep properly as I cannot lie flat in the bed without the coughing starting up.

Transported Back In Time

Instead of text messaging (hoping someone reads it) or hollering (not that I can holler very well right now) for what I need; while I was lying in bed last night tossing and turning, feeling hungry I had the bright idea that we could bring in the spare kettle, cup a soup, tea bags, coffee, crackers etc into my room to make it more convenient for me to look after myself.

I feel like I am back in the days of a bedsit in London when all my worldly goods were condensed into one little room as I forged ahead to make my mark on the world.

Shades of midnight feasts at boarding school? No fear of a housemistress busting in as I am sitting in bed stuffing my face.

Relying on Others

It feels super weird relying on the kids, even though they are both adults, and having to ask my younger sister and brother to be running around after me.

I make a list and text it to Sasha. A knock at the door signifies the delivery.

Fortunately, I am not too ill because I need to get up and bring everything into my room. It makes me wonder how others manage that do not have the same level of family support.

This really is an awful virus to contend with, and I am one of the good cases! It reinforces how dreadful it was for those whose families could not visit each other or loved ones in hospitals at the height of the pandemic.

We should not become complacent. Wear a mask!

Wayne is my midnight coffee supplier; a benefit of his not sleeping well is that I more or less have a 24-hour delivery service on tap – unless I wear out my welcome as this is only Day 2!

Is this what it is going to feel like when I get to be an old lady?

Filling My Days

A pile of books I’ve been meaning to read keeps me company for leisure time, and my little reading nook with cushions from my trip to Istanbul ensures my comfort.

The laptop on my desk currently holds several projects on my plate, including ghostwriting a memoir due to be completed at the end of August.

The Silver Lining….because there always is one!

• I have the enforced quiet time I desperately needed.
• I have a wonderfully supportive family to tend to my needs
• I am blessed to live in an era where we have Facebook, mobile phone and laptops that allow us to connect with the outside world. Technology is my best friend right now.

Being in this situation has given me a better understanding of what it must be like to be so reliant on others for every little thing you need.

It’s helping me further grow as a person and as the saying goes…whatever doesn’t kill you makes you stronger (not necessarily physically!)

Fly like a dragon!

Michelle