Virus

     As a sixty-two year old woman with seasonal allergies who still experiences hot flashes I have been worried. Chief among them is the concern that I have COVID-19. I am sure that I am not the only person to feel this way. Add that to being cloistered with my very favourite people in the whole world twenty-four-seven and the concern that we have enough toilet paper and hand sanitizer (for venturing out) as well as grieving for the way of life that we used to have and I have reason to feel stressed. We all do. Please understand that I am not taking this lightly; people are dying. I have little to worry about compared to most people. But with all of the above in mind I would like to share the COVID-19 assessment tool provided by our provincial government. From it I was able to establish that I do not have COVID-19 and therefore will not put my family at risk. Here it is:

This self-assessment tool, developed with the BC Ministry of Health, will help determine whether you may need further assessment or testing for COVID-19. You can complete this assessment for yourself, or on behalf of someone else.

If you have respiratory symptoms and a serious ongoing condition, or are in the third trimester of pregnancy, please follow the advice of your specialist.

Most people do not need to be tested for COVID-19 because it will not change your care.

People who do not need to be tested for COVID-19 include:

• People without symptoms
• People who have mild respiratory symptoms that can be managed at home
• Returning travellers

Who should be tested for COVID-19?

People with respiratory symptoms who may require testing for COVID-19 include people who are:

• Hospitalized, or likely to be hospitalized
• Health Care Workers
• Residents of long-term care facilities
• Part of an investigation of a cluster or outbreak

Anyone who has symptoms - including a fever, cough, sneezing, or sore throat - should self-isolate for 10 days. Continue to complete this assessment to determine if you may need care.

Last updated: 3/28/2020 10:50 am PDT

     There is so much information out there that we may become victim to invalid data. Please note the date on the bottom of the above and refer to the health officials in your area for the most up-to-date details. In the meantime stay home! And I pray that you stay well. 

Letter 2

     I am thinking about you, about all of you right now. Of course my immediate family is on my mind constantly but I am also wondering about you. Are you well? Do you need anything? Is there something I could do to help you right now? I have been very self-involved since the fall when we sold our property. Packing, purging and moving has occupied a large portion of my time. And I hate to tell you this but it is spring now and we are still not unpacked. There is so much of everything that we need to pass on, sell or donate in order to fit comfortably in this house. And with my husband's desire to renovate certain parts of this house immediately, we are still in chaos.
     But enough about me--- are you okay? Do you have folks in your life that can help you out? How are your children doing with all the myriad of changes that are occurring, usually on a daily basis? My girls are handling it in their own way. I think a kid with special needs can require more support with change and the resulting grief than typical kids, but maybe not. Trips are cancelled, plans are changed, jobs are lost, opportunities missed, losses experienced and there is the worry. Are we well, can we weather this storm, will we lose loved ones? So many questions....
     Anyway, I thought of you today and wondered how you are. I may not get a chance to tell you but you matter to so many people. You matter to me! And so I thought of you today....
     Take care,

Special

     A recent Special Olympics basketball tournament gave me yet another opportunity to look around at all the amazing ways that human beings play and work at play. There is a wide range of abilities in this sport played by folks with a "dis-ability". Short and tall, wide and thin, young and old, everyone was different from everyone else but all shared a very special interest, a profound love of this game called basketball. Of course some teams did better than others; there are always winners and losers and although the scores did matter and the baskets all counted, it truly was about being a team. Everyone worked so hard! I saw some very fast, very intense playing with close contact and even closer scores. I also saw players making sure that their slower teammates had a chance, even briefly, to handle the ball. There were some great moments of play, there were some generous acts of kindness but mostly there was love of the game.
     As always the Special O coaches were all very encouraging. There was a great deal of organization needed to pull off a multi level tournament; keeping everyone safe, hydrated and together. In a venue like a school there is not always a lot of room for large groups but the coaches used every corner to their team's advantage, some even warming up just inside the school's front door. I was also impressed with the referees and linesmen all of whom volunteered their time. These folks were exceptional in the way that they kept the players playing fair and instructed them on the rules behind their calls. They also showed that they too love this game of basketball.
     It was a good day; it started early and ended late but it was a day of great spirit and warm camaraderie. And my daughter and I felt privileged to be there.