I'm high-risk with asthma. How to stay safe with viruses?

Posted by suerc @suerc, Apr 20, 2020

I am very afraid of contracting this virus. I have asthma and high risk. Afraid when this country open. Some are pushing to open and it scares me.

Interested in more discussions like this? Go to the Asthma Support Group.

@fiesty76

@merpreb, I've started having these very disturbing nightmares as well. A friend and I became interested and attended a 6 part series on dream understanding and interpretation held by one of our hospitals several years ago. We went because both of us had stopped remembering our dreams and were curious. This lead to my buying several books on the subject...ways to remember more dreams; ways to interpret...etc. Of course, each dream can be interpreted differently by whoever is doing the interpretation. While practicing some of the tips helped me remember more dreams initially, when I stopped the practice, I also stopped remembering dreams.

If true that our dreams are another way of us attempting to deal with uncomfortable challenges or situations in our daily "conscious lives", it is not surprising that some of us are taking our present uncertainties to bed with us, yes? Mine typically deal with issues of being lost, alarm at the danger someone close is experiencing and I can't "save"... loss of my wallet...I.D. and means of "paying for services"...etc. Doesn't take anyone past 3rd grade to interpret these, right??? Know you are not alone...smiles

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@fiesty76 - I'm certainly glad that these dreams are at night because they reinforce my desire to live through this and will be very very cautious when the time comes to reintegrate myself into society.

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@fiesty76.. For a very long time I had this recurring dream which really bothers me. It's about me not being able to find my car. I would be coming out of my house, stores, restaurants, buildings etc and my car was not to be found. I would walk up and down the street, the parking lot etc. It gets to the point where I was afraid of it happening in real life. This dream has not happened lately but when I go out, I would still make a conscientious effort to remember where I park my car, this is one dream I don't want to come true. I wish someone would tell me what it means.

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I didn't mean to open a discussion about dreams, although they are so interesting to explore. This discussion is about I'm high-risk. How to stay safe when things start opening again? What are you considering?

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Thank you so much. I see some states opening up and they dont have the tests and these people may cross state lines which is nuts. I am trying to get my info fro my son and Daughter ill law. She is a n.p. at mayo. A d he is a P.a. at the federal prison. He 1st worked at mayo in molecular biology. So each word of wisdom I can get. I am dying to see my grandkids 2 and 4

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@merpreb

@fiesty76 - I'm certainly glad that these dreams are at night because they reinforce my desire to live through this and will be very very cautious when the time comes to reintegrate myself into society.

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@fiesty76 I too am at high risk with the age of my triple by pass . Today I was so upset . The post office here wont deliver packages we have to go down putting me at risk I got a hugh heavy box how was I to handle this . Thank goodness I had my walker but this is ridiculous especially when Amazon said they are delivering it to my door . My chest is hurting right now . If it doesn't quit soon I will call the Dr. Im fed up with this .

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@lioness

@fiesty76 I too am at high risk with the age of my triple by pass . Today I was so upset . The post office here wont deliver packages we have to go down putting me at risk I got a hugh heavy box how was I to handle this . Thank goodness I had my walker but this is ridiculous especially when Amazon said they are delivering it to my door . My chest is hurting right now . If it doesn't quit soon I will call the Dr. Im fed up with this .

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@lioness.. This is not right. Contact Amazon. What explanation did the post office give you? I hope you are feeling better now.

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@merpreb

@suerc; @astaingegerdm; @becsbuddy- I'm stage 4 lung cancer and am high risk also. Last week I began having horrible dreams and very agitated sleep. This, of course, carries over into the day and the inside of my head is not a happy place to be. I'm probably going to be one of the last people to mosy out into the public. Some of us have also delayed follow-up scans purposely because of the fear of COVID-19 exposure more than cancer. As @fiesty says," she's invested too much in protecting herself" to blow it all because some very misinformed people have decided when it's safe to be around others.
I will most likely have to see no viruses in my town and our adjoining town. The death rate in my state is still increasing and the virus is still spreading. I have to know that I can be safe around others, including my sister and her husband who live quite near.
What will determine your "coming out?"

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@merpreb I will try to be selective about coming out of isolation too. For over a month we have been sheltered in place, but reallyy had started "contracting" before that, stopping outings to church and other crowds. I venture out only rarely to the grocery, my husband to pick up takeout. When we return home it will become very difficult, as our children and grandchildren will be so close but still unattainable. Our house will be supplied with necessities for us by a friend before we arrive.

The scariest thing for us is our 1500 mile road trip next week - we are preparing with food for the car, and equipping it to sleep inside if possible (weather will determine that.) The only stops will be for gas and restroom breaks, and we are well-supplied with disinfectant wipes, hand sanitizer, masks and gloves. Those who have traveled ahead of us report that rest stops and truck stops are open on our route, and are being liberal about allowing travelers to stop and sleep in the car.

At home we will quarantine ourselves for 2 weeks, but my gardens will keep us very busy, and I have most planting supplies on hand to get started. By that time, we will hopefully be able to safely reschedule all the cancelled medical appointments and tests...I have high hopes for safety since our clinic closed early on to walk in traffic, have been using telemed or referring those who must be seen to special sites. It seems really weird to have docs go back to "prescribing by phone" for common ailments after all the years they tried to stop doing that.

After that, it will be a decision process based on (perceived) ability to be safe and maintain distance. We have already cancelled summer plans that involve crowds, and asked our early-summer guests to cancel their trips to our home. It will be a strange time indeed.

Another decision point for us will be the holidays next year, when we typically fly home to Minnesota to be with family - we need to decide whether we will take that risk, or make the drive...
I fear that "normal" is in the distant future
Sue

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@mayofeb2020 My friend who had the same heavy box we are both in our 70,s she did call the supervisor and had some suggestions to set up a time and they will deliver them and the office to accept these pkgs so will see what will happen . Im going to contact Amazon . Thanks I do feel better now have a headache this happens when I get worked up

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@zeiracorp Thanks I feel better . When I get worked up like today with the post office this happens but I do feel better Thank you It was the heavy lifting that did it I think . I enjoy your bantering with fiesty76 You take care

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What we are concerned about is the plans for exit, in what seems to us in our case probably at some point within the next 2 years!

Our 44 year old Son that lives with us, has a whole long list of Chronic Health issues, and if there was a list of High Risk people to the Covid-19, he would probably be somewhere on top of the list. He was born with a serious Congenital Heart problem, and throughout his life the Mayo Clinic Doctors and Staff, performed 7 open Heart procedures, managed his eventual acquired Ventricular Tachycardia successfully through a series of Ablations, and partially recovered from 3 strokes that caused some Neurological difficulties.

Thanks to the dedicated and compassionate care he receives at the Clinic for the last 44 years, he is stable and enjoys his life the best he can.
Knowing his vulnerability we voluntary Quarantined ourselves at home with our Son 2 months ago. In addition to our son of course, my wife and I never live the house, we let no one in, and are very careful and cautious, knowing that his chances from recovery from being exposed to the Virus are almost none.
In addition to that, we live in "New York", which is not exactly the open spaces of other communities.

We are comfortable, and all 3 of us are in high spirit, we do everything we can to stay safe, we constantly update ourselves on what is known to the Medical world, and what they are still trying to learn about this Pandemic.

We are by nature positive people, and we don't worry about things that are absolutely not in our control. We are confident that a solution will be eventually found, but until then, we are convinced that we cannot take any chance, before a tested and approved vaccine will be available.

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