Stopping this pandemic is up to all of us

 

 

    A few weeks ago, while Mr. Malcolm was having his very first spa day with Miss Lexie, I was wandering hither and yon doing errands. One such stop n shop brought me to Walmart Northside. I was dismayed! Yes, I was! Outside the interior set of doors was a hand sanitizing station. Only one problem. It was a bottle of sanitizer on a pole with a tube that ran down to the base, affixed to a foot pedal. A little foot action was required to dispense the sanitizer. Clearly, Walmart management didn’t think things through.

    

    Folks in wheelchairs or on crutches, or using walkers or canes would  be challenged by such lack of accessibility; the very people who need extra protections against COVID by virtue of their pre-existing challenges to daily living when it’s obvious disability or the implications of aging. Seniors are at particular risk of the impact of COVID.

I asked my friend if I could borrow her foot. Glad she decided not to kick me in the pants, as has been her silent wish for years. I’m a bit of a challenge with my off-the-cuff remarks; a pot stirrer from way back. There was a couple beside me, the woman in a wheelchair. Neither had interest in hand sanitizing. I thought that not only odd but unfortunate.

It saddens me that so many folks don’t seem to take COVID seriously and are actively contributing to the spread of the virus, invariably bringing it into their homes to sicken or kill their most vulnerable family members. People like me, who live with  comorbidities, cannot afford to get complacent. The stress borne by  parents of since birth disabled children is palpable. Their lives are isolated enough by virtue of the demands of caregiving. Extreme caution must be exercised when bringing in outside care help and to have to wonder where that person has been on any given day add to the stress.  Children with conditions such as that with which I live are often prone to issues of the lungs, and in these COVID times, anxiety for parents is off the charts.

What is going to take for people to accept that they are part of the COVID solution in terms of dialing it back and loosening its grip on our daily lives? Are people so callous that they can’t allow themselves to think, feel and do outside themselves and their own little world to look after their neighbour, known or unknown. COVID life has laid bare the disparities amongst rich and not so rich, the poor and the very poor. Economies have taken a hit and many families are struggling in ways that most of us cannot begin to imagine. It’s time we stopped being so selfish and stopped  believing the lie that COVID is not real and that thousands/day are not dying. They are and they’re not coming back. A small piece of fabric covering the nose and mouth could possibly have saved them.

From age 1 to 8, I wore heavy metal, waist high braces, stepping along with crutches. Think FDR. From age 8 to 12, I wore below the knee orthotics, still using crutches. I wore glasses, as I do today. 

Today, there are no orthotics, but I still use crutches and still wear glasses, with increasing power with every eye exam. I also use a wheelchair at the mall, scooter for out and about along the road where I live and a walker for the largest room in my home that requires it for safety due to my balance issues. I’m dumbfounded that so many people are challenged by covering their nose and mouth for a few hours/day when they’re out and about and can’t socially distance. Imagine being a child having to drag around in ‘leg irons’ that weighed more than you did. That was me as a youngster. Today, I see grown men and women moaning about wearing a mask, knowing that the virus is real and that it is not a hoax and that millions across the globe have DIED. Many of those deaths could have been prevented if people hadn’t been so selfish. That’s the reality of things, people. Now, you have decide if you want to be part of the ‘correct course’ or do you want to carry on, ignoring that your behaviour negatively impacts everyone else around you. Decision time.

People in the workplace are to be commended for adjusting to how they conduct their business so that communities may continue to thrive in  spite of the economic impact of  COVID. The  colourful masks on the faces of folks whose eyes still smile is a reminder for us all. We CAN do this. It’s a CHOICE.

Carla MacInnis Rockwell is a freelance writer and disability rights advocate living outside Fredericton, NB with Miss Lexie, a rambunctious Maltese and Mr. Malcolm, the boisterous Havanese. She can be reached via email at  Carla MacInnis Rockwell

It's 2021. Self-care is critical

New Year’s resolutions. Not a fan! It’s not that I am so perfect that I don’t need to make changes to be better, to do better; I work on that daily. Most resolutions tend to revolve around addressing lifestyle and health issues.  Frankly, for one to say s/he’s going to go on a diet, eating healthily every day is a recipe for disaster; a set-up to fail by virtue of putting too much pressure on oneself to make ‘quick changes’ on the spur of the moment — “it’s a New Year, I can do this!”

Sadly,  people frustrate their efforts by not having a well thought out plan in place that contributes to ensuring success large or small. That being so, resolution makers would be better served taking stock of what’s going on in their life that is causing them stress. What’s happening that is uplifting and has contributed to them feeling good about how things are going generally. To that end, journaling may be a tool which would be a great complement to a few daily lifestyle changes. It’s a way to keep track of progress; a record of the ups and downs, hits and misses. Key is not to beat ourselves up if we didn’t quite get there on any given day. There are still lots of days left to do better.

Working around the impact COVID-19 has imposed challenges. Many people find themselves over-eating by virtue of being home alone with the fridge and then get into a panic about their mindless hand to mouth action, which doesn’t help. Take a breath. Relax. Have a glass of water.   Actually, that’s not a bad idea! Most of us don’t drink enough water and that deficiency alone contributes to the body confusing thirst with hunger. So we overeat, but never drink the glass of water. Think! Smoking cessation also benefits from boosting water intake. Coffee and colas do not count; both actually dehydrate. 

As we settle in to the early days and weeks of 2021, there’s one thing we can control. Watering the body boosts performance. Back in the 70s while attending  university, I was able to successfully avoid colds and flu by keeping myself well hydrated;  as well, room humidification was critical to dorm survival amongst all those other young women. My late Dad, the doctor, gave me a tip that  would contribute to reduction of incidence of flu or colds — hosing the nose, as I came to call it; a tip I shared with many of the gals on my floor at STU’s Vanier Hall. Swish a clean cloth in a bowl of lightly salted boiled water. Wring out the cloth and place it over the nose with head tilted back. Once you feel water droplets go to the back of the throat, raise your head and gently blow the nose. Through winter months, repeat a few times daily. Try it. It does work! Those devices advertised on television pose certain risk; they absolutely must be sterilized between uses otherwise the user is drawing up bacteria-laden steam into the sinuses. In some cases, that has proven fatal.

In the age of COVID, keeping the air sufficiently humidified is critical to ensuring that germs can’t attach to nasal passages. Bugs love dry spaces to snuggle into and breed, so make drinking 2 full glasses of water each morning a resolution. Water that resolution again with an investment in a good humidifier to keep the air you breathe healthier. I recently purchased  an easy to maintain  table-top humidifier with remote control. Every time I get up to do a walk about or a spine stretch, I stop at the sink to get a pitcher of water to  top up the humidifier.  Morning and evening, I hose my nose — there is no way I’m going to risk a ‘bug invasion’ when I can do something so simple to prevent it. Flu shots and COVID vaccines are critical adjuncts to appropriate care but what we do day to day is of utmost importance.

Though I never make specific NYs resolutions, I am committed to looking after myself, going a bit OCD with the various protocols I have in place to remain healthy. Living on my own, with no daily help, compels me to be purposeful about self-care. Top notch nutrition, walk abouts, spine stretching and several times daily mug of hot lemon water with clove and honey are staples. The other day, I sliced several lemons, froze them on a baking sheet and then bagged. Two slices in the cup with a few cloves and a few teaspoons of honey is just the ticket. A splash of spirits in the drink at last call is a perfect end to the day to promote restful sleep. 

Bottoms up!

Carla MacInnis Rockwell is a freelance writer and disability rights advocate living outside Fredericton, NB with Miss Lexie, a rambunctious Maltese and Mr. Malcolm, the boisterous Havanese. She can be reached via email at Carla MacInnis Rockwell