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Just came back from my session with my psychiatrist - she's going to be working from home from now on-as her husband is in a high risk category.
Those that have smart phones -she'll skype them. As for luddite me - it will be a phone call once a week, and I can email her anytime.
Apart from supermarket shopping, getting petrol, and going to the chemist and Post Office, doctors - everything else I do has been cancelled.
I'll get cabin fever if I don't make a point of ringing folks up every day.
Still, it's not the same - I worry how I will cope if it goes for a long time......
 
PilgrimsProgress said:
Just came back from my session with my psychiatrist - she's going to be working from home from now on-as her husband is in a high risk category.
Those that have smart phones -she'll skype them. As for luddite me - it will be a phone call once a week, and I can email her anytime.
Apart from supermarket shopping, getting petrol, and going to the chemist and Post Office, doctors - everything else I do has been cancelled.
I'll get cabin fever if I don't make a point of ringing folks up every day.
Still, it's not the same - I worry how I will cope if it goes for a long time......
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I think it's especially hard when living alone. I know even with just my normal day to day worse times it's way better when Chemguy is around.

For those who do live alone - maybe consider increasing 'household contact' to 2 households? Go to isolation just as many do if 1 in the household is sick, but until there's a high risk of exposure physical connection to 1 or a few people is probably worth the risk for many.
 
PilgrimsProgress said:
Just came back from my session with my psychiatrist - she's going to be working from home from now on-as her husband is in a high risk category.
Those that have smart phones -she'll skype them. As for luddite me - it will be a phone call once a week, and I can email her anytime.
Apart from supermarket shopping, getting petrol, and going to the chemist and Post Office, doctors - everything else I do has been cancelled.
I'll get cabin fever if I don't make a point of ringing folks up every day.
Still, it's not the same - I worry how I will cope if it goes for a long time......
Click to expand...
Would you consider a pet or sharing someone's? An older cat maybe?
 
I have to admit every hit of Neil Diamond's is "one of my favourite songs". I probably only know the greatest hits (there are several) because we used to play a couple of "greatest hits" tapes in the car when I was growing up...and later I bought a CD, then, an MP3, then, listened on my phone.
 
A lot of doctors are moving to online practice now, aren't they? Just how can they properly look after people like that? I know they have to stay safe, but there are a million and one things people need checked out, not just respiratory illness (though that accounts for a great deal even before this), not just covid19. If they can't listen to a heartbeat, listen to a chest, take a proper pulse, check blood pressure, take a temperature, look at a rash up close...to be sure, then wouldn't they send people to the hospital? That itself might clog up the system, not covid! I just don't know what to think...but I have a general feeling of dis-ease about all of this!
 
Covid19 is "occupying" everything right now! It's taking up so much headspace and energy and activity and daily life even for those who never contract it...it's not actually taking up many beds in Canada. I hope it never does... just sayin, it isn't.

So, it will be interesting, unfortunately, and necessary to compare Mexico's rates and death tolls because they have decided not to follow the same protocols. Are there any other countries who are charting a different (much less restrictive) path?
 
Kimmio Laughterlove said:
A lot of doctors are moving to online practice now, aren't they? Just how can they properly look after people like that? I know they have to stay safe, but there are a million and one things people need checked out, not just respiratory illness (though that accounts for a great deal even before this), not just covid19. If they can't listen to a heartbeat, listen to a chest, take a proper pulse, check blood pressure, take a temperature, look at a rash up close...to be sure, then wouldn't they send people to the hospital? That itself might clog up the system, not covid! I just don't know what to think...but I have a general feeling of dis-ease about all of this!
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It really depends on the problem, and what's already known. With my hematologist, some stuff certainly was skipped over that would be typical for my appointment - a big one being it was just with him, I didn't talk to a nurse and social worker. Normally he would do a quick check for blood clots. Most of my appointment with him was the same plus actually a bit more time spent on questions. He ordered tests through the new system here, which is how he would do it now anyway.
For my GP, I don't think anything was really different. I was updating her on info and had some questions.

It really depends on the situation. It's not good for a general checkup. Suggested followup doesn't just have to be a hospital, it can be a NP, a GP face to face or a specialist as well.

Technology can help too, it's possible to check blood pressure, temperature and pulse at home.
 
ChemGal said:
It really depends on the problem, and what's already known. With my hematologist, some stuff certainly was skipped over that would be typical for my appointment - a big one being it was just with him, I didn't talk to a nurse and social worker. Normally he would do a quick check for blood clots. Most of my appointment with him was the same plus actually a bit more time spent on questions. He ordered tests through the new system here, which is how he would do it now anyway.
For my GP, I don't think anything was really different. I was updating her on info and had some questions.

It really depends on the situation. It's not good for a general checkup. Suggested followup doesn't just have to be a hospital, it can be a NP, a GP face to face or a specialist as well.

Technology can help too, it's possible to check blood pressure, temperature and pulse at home.
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Yeah but most people don't have that and should only do that for reference not self diagnosis, anyway. Unless it's something they have had, and had treated before, maybe.
 
But then...a lot of things now look like covid. People are still getting colds and not seeking any treatment or advice..the advice is to stay home. So I don't know how the hell they are going to stamp this out. I really don't. And I really wonder about the whole picture.
 
Not every household even has a thermometer. I don't. I used to but I didn't move here with it and I never "needed" one since. I've been fine when checked at the doctor's office if they even had to in the past 4 years..
 
Kimmio Laughterlove said:
Sorry...checking things with technology at home.
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For pulse, one just needs a reliable timer, if they can find their own pulse and count.
Thermometers are pretty common. Blood pressure cuffs, less so but they aren't that difficult to obtain. 24 hour tests can also be ordered, I've done that before. Many seniors regularly get their BP read at the pharmacy - not as useful during a pandemic, but useful in general for telemedicine.
 
ChemGal said:
For pulse, one just needs a reliable timer, if they can find their own pulse and count.
Thermometers are pretty common. Blood pressure cuffs, less so but they aren't that difficult to obtain. 24 hour tests can also be ordered, I've done that before. Many seniors regularly get their BP read at the pharmacy - not as useful during a pandemic, but useful in general for telemedicine.
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I'm just saying realistically most ppl don't have that.
 
Kimmio Laughterlove said:
I'm just saying realistically most ppl don't have that.
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Most of the time my temperature isn't read. I think many people with kids tend to have thermometers, typically they are the ones we are more concerned about when it comes to fevers. With adults, they can usually rely symptoms enough to know if a fever is present.
Oximeters are also becoming more common at home. My grandpa now has a medical one at home. I have one on my fitness tracker - while it states not for medical use a decrease from a normal reading on that could at least be a red flag when doing a phone or video appointment.
 
ChemGal said:
Most of the time my temperature isn't read. I think many people with kids tend to have thermometers, typically they are the ones we are more concerned about when it comes to fevers. With adults, they can usually rely symptoms enough to know if a fever is present.
Oximeters are also becoming more common at home. My grandpa now has a medical one at home. I have one on my fitness tracker - while it states not for medical use a decrease from a normal reading on that could at least be a red flag when doing a phone or video appointment.
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Oximeter - is that the finger thing?
 
I'm thinking one good thing that might come from phone appointments is improved interviewing skills for doctors. They're going to have to gather information differently in some ways.

I have two doctors' appointments this week. Both will be done by phone. One is a basic follow-up so it means I don't have to go into the big city. The other is a monthly appointment here. I want to ask the local doctor if he will prescribe a steroid cream because what I have is probably too old. He may need to see the rash to do that. I'm not sure. I'll probably have to go to the clinic to pick up meds anyway.
 
Some of the big stores are suspending using reusable bags, and not taking bottles and cans. I thought about it tonight when I took out the garbage and recycling and my roommate had put empty pop cans in the garbage.( I took them out and washed my hands. Then I took everything outside to the bins. Then I came inside and washed my hands, replaced the garbage bags, and washed my hands...and at some point in the next 15 minutes, I washed my hands. And I used paper towel to dry them)... I realized there's a case of empty soda water cans still here from weeks ago. Then I thought "we should be returning these"... then I thought of COVID...and wondered about returns, and the homeless and others who are poor who depend on bottle and can returns. Sure enough, some big stores have stopped taking them. :(
 
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