Thank goodness modeling is an activity best done alone inside – Updated March 13
Some thoughts on what's going on.
A week ago tonight, my wife (who suffers from Parkinson's) fell down in our living room and couldn't get up. After the fire department took her to the ER, the X-ray showed she had a fractured pelvis and a broken femur (she also has osteoporosis). By Wednesday evening, she was a "bionic woman" with a hip joint replacement. Friday, she was moved to a rehab (i.e., a "nursing home") where she has to stay until March 26. My worries, given the news about nursing homes elsewhere, were assuaged a bit by the fact when we got there I learned they were following the federal guidelines for epidemic prevention. Then yesterday, right as I was leaving the facility (fortunately having come earlier than originally planned, to give her some necessities), they announced the facility was going into full lock-down with no outside visitors, to protect the patients, after Los Angeles declared a public health emergency.
There went my plans to keep both of us at home to the max. March 26 can't come too soon. Like many of my fellow members of this great club, I'm in the age bracket with "elevated risk," made moreso from having been thoughtless in my younger days and now having a mild COPD.
Luckily, writing and scale modeling are best done inside, alone. With a book, a book proposal, and a major article to complete (and having stocked up with food for 30 days when the news first broke), I may not have much time for modeling, but I have a pretty good chance of a successful outcome here. At a minimum, the house will be safe for her return on March 26.
Many of us here are in our 60s and 70s - the chance of an "adverse outcome" should you contract the virus goes up ten percent for each decade.
This isn't a hoax. It isn't a political game, though there are those who seem to only see it as a political game. Epidemic's are Evolution's IQ test to drain the shallow end of the gene pool. it's the Darwin Awards for real.
My best wishes to all of you who have yet to have to face this situation up close and personal. Be a good Boy Scout: "be prepared."
To paraphrase a radio message sent on December 7, 1941:
AIR RAID PLANET EARTH X THIS IS NO DRILL
UPDATED MARCH 13:
The nursing home has finally found the right painkiller for my wife, so she's finally sleeping and things are starting to turn around. I told the doctor not to worry about Vicodin and addicition - she doesn't drive and I'm not going to drive the getaway car for her to rob gas stations to get a fix.
As everyone knows, the news goes from bad to terrible. I stopped by a Trader Joe's today, thinking I'd check if I could get some bread to freeze. Hah! It's one of their bigger stores here. The parking lot was full (never saw that even at Thanksgiving). Went inside and thought I'd stumbled onto the set of the remake of "Contagion." You've seen those disaster movies where people are stripping the shelves bare? That was this. Managed to get some veggie chili just because a clerk was restocking an otherwise-empty shelf. Decided to invest in some wine - that was in short supply too. 30 minutes in the checkout line. In other news, my nephew is over complaining about being on long-term disability, because the San Diego school system just shut down "until further notice" today, so he and his sons are going to have a lot of "dad time."
Best wishes to everyone, especially all our European members after hearing the announcement from WHO that you're now the planetary epicenter. Stay inside and take your mind off the disaster by finishing that model!
Speaking of "Contagion," if you're among the many reading apocalyptic fiction now, this is worth watching. The screenwriter spent six months talking to the people who know what they're talking about, and three top epidemiologists helped him work out the story line. It's now a "documentary" of a pandemic. I grabbed it off "on demand" from the local cable and watched last night. Did you know we humans touch our faces 2,500 times a day? 5 times a minute? Yeah, try stopping that one. It ends hopefully, but like I say, there's a tremendous amount of information, done very realistically, about what is going on.
All the best for you and your wife, may she have a full recuperation and resume life as before. Seems this Covid-19 is taking the world by storm, because this side of the Atlantic things are also going for the worst as to everyone’s routines, thou the toilet paper fever is not a trend here, but shortages of all health related products are starting to happen (I managed to stock some rubbing alcohol, not only for cleaning purposes but because I use it a lot the clean the acrylics from the airbrush).
Yeah, I stocked up on rubbing alcohol for the same reason. And it took three stores to find the last six bottles last week.
Best wishes to your wife, Tom.
Thanks.
Really sorry to hear this. Hope she recovers soon. Take care you two.
Cheers!
Hope your wife is up and about as soon as possible and back by your side. It seems to be a good time for me to be living in the most isolated capital city in the world even if we have run out of toilet paper and hand sanitizer. Take care my friend.
If you can find spray bottles of hydrogen peroxide, it can substitute for hand sanitizer. Remember, it's used to clean wounds, so it will kill germs. When I couldn't find any hand sanitizer here, I bought bottles of hydrogen peroxide.
Also glad that my modeling has me using an H95 regulator face mask - it's the most effective for this, and you can't find them in any store now.
Good thing my wife is a hairdresser and has a big bottle in the cupboard!
So sorry to hear. Best wishes for you both.
Best wishes to your wife, Tom. Hope she recovers soon. And best wishes to you.
Hoping for rapid recovery for your wife Tom.
Thanks much, all of you. I sure had different plans for surviving the epidemic.
My prayers go out to you both. I trust that Mrs Cleaver will make a full, prompt recovery.
Hey Tom! God Bless you both.
Hear! Hear!
Best wishes to both of you.
Ditto. Best wishes to both of you.
Best wishes for your wife’s fast and full recovery. Getting old has proved to me that ageing isn’t for light-weights.
I am really sad to hear that Mrs. Tom has been through the wars. My father in law has Parkinson’s, and it can be a really sad illness; some days great - some days he’s just a shadow of himself. Beware of that hip replacement, though - I’ve heard tales of partners being a real handful after getting a new lease of life.
As a relatively young thing in my 50’s (but prone to chest problems - (some years ago I broke EVERY rib in a car accident) and with recent health issues, I’m now rammed in like a sheep on the London Tube every day with thousands of strangers. I do worry. My wife worries more. Here in London, there’s a stoic, “it’s all an exaggeration” attitude - but when you look at Italy...
Anyway, very best of wishes to you, Tom. I’m hoping your self-isolation means we get more posts!
@tcinla
I'll also add Mrs. Tom (to use David's term!) to my prayer list! Believing the best for you both.
My best to your wife and to you, Tom. As I know from experience, dealing with chronic illness is difficult, and made even more so when accidents happen.
I am now mostly housebound, so staying in the house for long periods is normal for me, but I remember back in the days when I could be active how maddening having to stay inside was. It's good that you have so much to do.
Very best wishes to your wife, Tom. Lock the outside world out and keep your head down. Please let us all know when she is home safe.
Best wishes from the front lines in Europe... I still traveled but boy, people are scared. Some countries closing schools just now... The only thing that helps these days is a complete lock down... Stay healthy my friends!
Tom, truly sorry to hear all this. Having dealt with a few family members with that dreaded disease, I feel for you. You two will be in our thoughts.
Best wishes to you both Tom and Mrs Tom for a speedy recovery!
prayers for your wife and you...i had two knees replaced... hideous pain...my brother lives in seattle...i can identify
Tail end Charlie...thoughts and prayers.
All the very best for you both Tom. Take care ?
I love you guys.