Inside the Pandemic, Day 20

 Friday, May 8, 2020

The end to another week where all the days seem the same and nothing is any different. It’s like living in a bad sitcom where nothing is really funny and they don’t have a laugh track. Everyone in my family but me has serious mental or physical health concerns and it is just exhausting. I would never tell them that, but I think they know anyway. My husband broke his shoulder in June of 2019 and had to have a total shoulder replacement. Then, seven months later, he slipped on the ice at his work and broke the other shoulder. Not as badly, but his mobility is seriously limited. The only good thing about that was that they both happened at work, so we didn’t have to pay any medical costs. The reason I bring him up is that he can no longer help around the house or yard and it is uncomfortable for him to drive. That places more work on me. He is able to go to his job (at home, for now) and makes almost twice as much as me, so that’s another positive.

My daughter has depression and anxiety (as we all do, here), but her medication has not been working lately and she’s been severely depressed. Sleeping all the time, no energy, lack of enthusiasm for life, etc. I got her to see a counselor at Kanza, but I am pretty sure her medication needs to be changed and she’s only had one (virtual visit) so far, so they haven’t made any changes to her medication. She also has a college degree but has not been successful in obtaining a job so far. I know it is very frustrating for her, but there is really little I can do about it. 

Finally, my son . . . my poor son. On Monday, we will go in to Topeka and he’ll get an endoscopy and a colonoscopy so we can finally see what is going on in his gut. So far it has been all guess-work and so frustrating! He’s in constant pain and has what seems to be unending nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, etc. I’ll be very excited to finally put a name on this illness and to get him some effective treatment. He had a video conference with the doctor last week (?) and Dr. Datti expressed concern that he’s in such poor health. This is what I’ve been saying all along, but to try to get him seen during this pandemic has been sooo difficult!