General Discussion
Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsForced to swim in Florida's Covid infested waters for a couple of weeks, cross your fingers.
Im fully on board the shun and shame covidiots train. These covidiot murderers need to feel the consequences of their actions. Ideally before they die or kill someone. So Im all in on shun and shame. Last week I shun and shamed my brother after his being unvaccinated resulted in me having to fly to Florida from AZ to care for my Dad who needed hospitalization and now this week in rehab. My brother is in easy driving distance, but since he isnt vaccinated not letting him anywhere near my dad.
This meant I left a wonderful health compromised husband for what will wind up being 2+ weeks and risking covid and then bringing it home to my husband. Im considering quarantining at a hotel when I return to be super safe. I would likely have come anyway initially to make the major decisions for his care, but could have left after a week and leave brother to handle rehab.
Last week when this began and I made immediate plans to fly the next day, he called to ask what he could do. I told him get your fucking shot if you ever want to see him again or go to his funeral. Idiot said he would consider it.
Once I made it to Jacksonville (24hr delay due to weather in Dallas) he texted I hope you get some rest. I replied I can live without rest Im concerned about getting Covid because so many idiots in Florida wont get vaccinated and Ill take it home and kill my husband. The next day he got the vaccinated.
So there are now soon to be two less covidiots on the loose in Florida (my holier than though Bible quoting (as long as it doesnt restrict him from something he wants to do) hypocritical evangelical brother took his 2nd ex-wife soon to become 4th wife after his divorce to 3rd wife becomes final) with him for shots he is still 5 weeks away from being as protected as possible so no help with this current situation. Sorry for the run on sentence, I was on a rant.
I also shamed a nurse into getting his shot. While with dad in the hospital for 4 days he had one particularly wonderful nurse. Extremely caring, professional, and efficient. He anticipated needs and took care of them before I even realized Dad needed something. I asked if he was vaccinated and he said not yet. He wasnt against the vaccine, just hadnt done it yet. He thought he may have even had covid earlier. I spoke to him like he was my son and highlighted all the new issues with the Delta Variant. I managed to be patient with him, but firm. Later that day he came in and proudly showed me the bandaid on his arm. During his lunch break he got vaccinate.
So now up to getting 3 Floridians on their way to not dying or killing someone but damn it has come at a high personal cost. Ill be her another week or so and will keep pushing for more.
Only one in 10 or 15 people are wearing masks in hotel, drugstore or grocery store. I wear mine everywhere and only going out when essential. No restaurants, luckily my hotel room is like an efficiency apartment.
secondwind
(16,903 posts)Stay safe and get home soon! Quarantine is not a bad idea. I would do the same.
His excruciating back pain is now under control for the most part and he will start physical therapy Monday. Hoping to get him transferred to his home town rehab center Monday or Tuesday. All the rehabs were full in his home town and even Jacksonville except this one that he is in now. Its not the one I would have chosen for him had there been a choice, but was thankful to get him in there. Anxious to move him closer to his home town and away from the Florida coast before any hurricanes come around.
LisaL
(44,961 posts)MLAA
(17,115 posts)malaise
(267,461 posts)and take care of dad
MLAA
(17,115 posts)NNadir
(33,364 posts)MLAA
(17,115 posts)I enjoy your posts!
lark
(22,941 posts)Every person helps.
MLAA
(17,115 posts)yardwork
(61,331 posts)Hats off to you. It's incredibly challenging and you're meeting the challenges with strength, selflessness, resilience, wisdom and courage.
MLAA
(17,115 posts)It is very stressful trying to make all the right decisions regarding a loved ones health. I chose not to have children 35 years ago. But this experience is teaching me how difficult it must be to be a parent trying to make the best possible decisions for their children to grow and thrive.
yardwork
(61,331 posts)I also have grown children. On balance, I worry more about the kids but probably spend more time helping mom.
Life is full of surprises, and the best we can do is search for grace and hold forgiveness in our hearts. I'm not sure what that means but it feels right,
MLAA
(17,115 posts)Chainfire
(17,265 posts)Id rather like a run in with him. Im no shrinking violet despite being under 5 feet and 95 pounds! I would create a PR nightmare to add on to his existing troubles in that department!
seta1950
(932 posts)Please take care of yourself
MLAA
(17,115 posts)orleans
(33,949 posts)my only suggestion would be to get one of those miserable n95 masks (without a vent so you don't spread anything in case you catch anything)
the reason i say they are miserable is b/c i bought a box of them yesterday and used one for awhile; it was tighter than my several layered cloth mask, felt hotter, looked a lot uglier, and was scratchy.
but, rumor has it, they are the best at protecting
maybe that one nurse could give you a couple of them.
hope everything goes well with your dad, and when you return home.
hang in there. you're doing a great job!
CaptainTruth
(6,540 posts)Plenty of places have KN95, which of course is not N95 & tests show that their performance is all over the map, you can't trust them. I just checked a few vendors now & they all still say N95 are out of stock.
Thanks!
orleans
(33,949 posts)Blue_true
(31,261 posts)products company sells N95 masks directly to the public. I purchased a package of 20 masks from it and use them when I feel I need something stronger than my cloth masks. The company is called DemeTECH and you can order directly from its website. The masks that I got are authentic N95 masks.
MLAA
(17,115 posts)They are super uncomfortable but I use it. Now that dad is in rehab I cant be with him inside. I can only visit from outside his window on the phone. My goal is to transfer him to his home town where he can have a private room and his primary dr there can fill out paper work to call name me an essential caregiver or some such nomenclature so that I will be allowed inside. And I will continue to wear heavy duty masks.
Meanwhile, I dont get in the hotel elevator with anyone, I wait and go alone. I am also fortunate to have found a car service driver that I use exclusively. He is the kindest man ever who suffered serious illness 2 years ago so jumped at getting vaccinated and we both wear masks anyway. He has been the only individual I have been within 6 feet of since I arrived and left the airport. There I tried to stay 6 feet away, but was not always successful. Im on my 6th day here, so Im pretty confident I didnt get covid on the airplane or airport (though can never be 100 percent sure ).
Maru Kitteh
(28,302 posts)Stay in the hotel, then on the 5th day go and get a PCR test at a testing site. Call ahead and see who can get you the fastest results. Let them know you are a medical caregiver and it's imperative that you return to your caregiving duties as soon as possible. They should be able to bump you up in priority.
Make sure you remind them again when you test that you are a medical caregiver and need the test developed at a high priority.
You should have results you can trust in 24hrs or less.
This way you don't have to do the full 10 days.
These are current CDC recommendations, backed by data from multiple studies I have personally read. It's the protocol I would follow to protect my most precious loved ones.
As a matter of full disclosure, I report data to the CDC.
babydollhead
(2,231 posts)Five year old nephews camp counselor is vaxxed, her unvaccinated husband gets covid. She tests positive. They get the kid a rapid test 4 days after his exposure to camp counselor. Negative. So now they are going camping and to visit family including a baby and an old lady
Maru Kitteh
(28,302 posts)This is because the test is looking for proteins on the outer shell of the virus that become more abundant/easily found when the viral load has been high enough, long enough for the body to start breaking it down. This usually happens after a person develops symptoms, unfortunately.
That being said some people, especially kids, never develop symptoms or at least they didn't with covid "classic."
It's a maddening virus but the short answer is, I would suggest PCR testing to be sure.
Alternatively, test with a rapid test every day before being around the elderly for sure. Somebody told me you can get home tests at Walgreens 2 for $24.
babydollhead
(2,231 posts)MLAA
(17,115 posts)Escurumbele
(3,316 posts)Biden, we all know they always try to blame everyone but themselves on their misdeeds, and this is another one they will try to blame on Biden.
We need a tough lawyer to find a way to blame all these deaths due to COVID as "intent to cause harm" on the republicans, like DeSantis, Abbot, etc. who have made it so difficult to keep the pandemic down, these people are willingly killing people of all ages just for political reasons.
MLAA
(17,115 posts)CottonBear
(21,596 posts)Double mask everywhere - inside and outside.
I wear a blue medical mask with the nose piece under full coverage cloth mask every day. I tie little knots (so that knots are behind my earlobes for greater comfort) in the medical mask ear loops in order to make it fit tightly.
MLAA
(17,115 posts)Thank you
CottonBear
(21,596 posts)You might consider a face shield in addition to the masks for indoor situations.
My aunt lives in Jacksonville, FL. Its going to be a long time before I can see her again.
MLAA
(17,115 posts)I cannot get over how few people are wearing masks. Ive had to go to the drugstore twice for dad and the grocery store twice for us. The most would be one in ten. And probably closer to one in twenty. The employees all had masks but probably half werent wearing them fully/correctly. So it sure will be a while before you see your aunt Im sorry to say.
Warpy
(110,746 posts)The area around J'ville is in the 60% ballpark; Miami-Dade is a whopping 76.4%. The problem in a lot of Florida are the happy vacationers who think they're taking a vacation from Covid. Surprise, fools.
5 days in a hotel when you get home sounds like a good idea, pick one with a spa and decent food. Most vaccinated people are not getting breakthrough Covid, so you can hope for the best. Of those who do, most are getting identified through routine testing at work since the symptoms are so mild they've been blown off as allergy.
If it's not a short quarantine at a nice hotel, it will be masking in the house with bottles of hand sanitizer in every room.
MLAA
(17,115 posts)Though to get dad in a private rehab room with better services it will be in a rural area with less vaccine coverage. When he was discharged from Mayo Clinic there were no rehabs within 100 miles except this one, so I grabbed it. The good news is that rehab center is not allowing visitors except those with essential caregivers documentation and I expect few will go to that trouble or qualify. My dad has some memory issues so I think I will be able to get the documentation from his primary Dr.
lunatica
(53,410 posts)Dont take shit from anyone! You go gal!
All this will pass too!
MLAA
(17,115 posts)Dad had a good day today and got the ball rolling to move him a couple of hours inland south and east of Jax Beach to avoid any potential hurricanes on the horizon.