Hello @jba Welcome to Mayo Clinic Connect. We’re all volunteers who try to help each other by sharing our health experiences and resources. Congratulations on being so careful of your health at this time. I also have an autoimmune disease and i just don’t want to get sick!
As for “go, enjoy life” that’s great as long as you take precautions. I always wear a mask when indoors, even if my local government doesn’t require it. I meet friends in the park out in the open air. I don’t go into a home unless i know the person is vaccinated. If we go out to eat, we try to sit outside even though it’s getting cool out. I’m not crazy about going to grocery stores, especially when people don’t have to wear a mask. But, I don’t have a choice so i go quickly. Just be cautious and you should be OK.

Hello @jba! I was diagnosed with Primary Biliary Cholangitis and stage 3 liver disease in the summer of 2019. When Covid hit in February 2020 I went into strict lockdown, worked at home, and did little socializing. The only problem was I was getting sicker, but couldn’t get in to see my liver doctor! By early summer the hospitals were opening up more, I was fortunate to be placed on the transplant wait list, and was blessed with a new liver in August 2020. It was definitely a nerve wracking experience being in the hospital during a pandemic.

I also have Sjogren’s and Raynaud’s Syndromes, and am immunosuppressed due to my transplant meds. I remain vigilant with masking at all times indoors. I will go to outside seating restaurants, but not inside. I’ve gone to a couple mask/vaccine proof required indoor concerts. Before the colder weather hit I went regularly to our farmers market and other outdoor events, always masked.

I live in a relatively high vaccinated area, but we have a lot of tourists and are host to many weddings, etc. so have seen our previously very low Covid rates increase this fall. I’m having to return to an office setting for work, so I am concerned. Fortunately for now anyway masks are required as it’s a public building.

I do feel, for me anyway, it is important to socialize. But it’s also important to remain vigilant and respect one’s own comfort level. Only you can decide this, based upon your health, vaccination status, being vigilant, and the trust in others to be vaccinated and careful as well.