Couch 213: The Tulip couch

Video session with Dr. T at 1:30. I feel I crossed over into some other level of panic/anxiety about the virus today. Like it had been "How can we deal with D?" and "It sucks we can't go out to eat anymore" and also, recently, "I hope D isn't allergic to the new guinea pigs." But while awake in the middle of the night last night, my mind started spiraling into other directions And it hasn't abated since I've been awake (after getting a little bit more sleep). An attempt to talk about it with H sort of led him to look at me like I was going crazy. I also pressured him into canceling his physical therapy appointment tomorrow, because they meet in a big room of people, and even though they're taking sanitation precautions, it can still supposedly live in the air for 3 hours. And his injury seems almost healed--I told him it would be different if it had just happened, but it was months ago, and he's mostly getting around just fine--I mean, he's not gonna run a marathon tomorrow, but those are all canceled anyway. I felt like the bad guy asking him to cancel, but it doesn't seem worth the risk to me.

I agree completely about not going to PT if it can be at all avoided. I'm surprised his PT place is even open still. I tried to call my dentist to cancel my routine cleaning, and I got an outgoing message that just said, "We're closed until at least the end of the month depending on what happens with the virus." Hopefully I don't have any dental emergencies in the meantime...

Hugs about the other anxieties. It's just so hard not knowing how any of this will turn out.

I am glad I can still do video sessions with Liz during the pandemic, and she also stresses me out a little. She is clearly as anxious as any of the rest of us but trying to be calm and rational. She was telling me about how this feels like the Earth sending us all to our rooms for a time-out so we can think about what we have done. Then she told me that she sent a package to her friend in Brooklyn where things are bad (with absolutely no details, which makes my imagination run wild). Then she shared her lifehack for groceries (delivery instead of pickup since it has become impossible to get a pickup slot locally). Then we both kind of laughed at my widened eyes and she said, "So, um. How can I be helpful today?"

She wants me to feel my feelings, which is like, WHAT?? Now is not the time to start having feelings, Liz. She said that this may be a long haul, so my usual strategy of shutting down and pretending I am fine might not be enough to get me through.

She is still kind of a delight, even when she stresses me out. I never thought I would know what the inside of her bedroom looks like, though.

Its kind of surreal to me because it really has not changed my daily life much at all.

I was supposed to have a routine (somewhat overdue) physical on the 31st, but canceled that a week ago. Also surprised the PT place is still open--he scheduled a session for next Thursday, but I figure we'll see how things are going in our area then... Good your dentist is closed. I imagine someplace in the area is taking emergencies. I read some article where people are still going to their annual eye exams. Why are people and places doing/allowing this? I mean, it's different if, say, someone had cataract surgery or other eye issues, but for routine "do I need to update my glasses?" eye exams, like, just wait a month or two.

I think this must vary a lot based on location. Where I am in the Midwest, everything is shuttered and traffic is down to almost nothing. I doubt you could get an eye exam if you wanted one. The only signs of life I see are people walking dogs or going for solo runs. But I hear about other places where people are still living their lives in complete denial and/or ignorance. It's odd. Or maybe people are going out places here too and I am just too hunkered down to know about it?

Hugs, LT. I think canceling his PT is smart.

Even cataract surgery is being cancelled. My coworker in NY was supposed to have two, one on each eye, two weeks apart next month and both got cancelled. She understands, I think, but she is terribly disappointed because she needs to have this done.

Mine either. We had to cancel a couple of friend get-togethers we had planned but we managed to get some group video gatherings and had fun with those.

I am having fun with all of the listserv stuff on how to get students to pay attention and not get distracted on video classes etc - but my attitude on that is - they are adults and they paid a lot of money for it - their problem if they let themselves be distracted - not mine. I am doing my job - it is up to them to do theirs.

LT, for what it’s worth:

Omg, yes! You are TOTALLY in another persons face, touching eye juices, thats insane!

I remember, the pain was very sharp for like 3 mornings when Princess Diana died. I wonder if my blunted feelings now are partly because of my being medicated. Watching trump i think reminds me soooo much of my parents craziness that it really upsets me, so i just cant, but my governor etc seems pretty cool. Its like, just wait it out.

I wear disposable contact lenses and I have a strong prescription. I have glasses but I hate wearing them, the lenses are thick so things look distorted, it's hard to drive. If I ran out of contacts right now I'd need a new prescription to get more. That would mean seeing the eye doc, and frankly I'd probably do so. It would be hard for me to function otherwise.

See, that's a bit different to me. And I also wonder if, for now, your eye doc could just email you your prescription, then you could order them online?

Where we are, they were telling people not to congregate in groups of more than 10. But people were still getting together in big groups in parks and playgrounds. The county executive put gates down on the parking areas of the parks/playgrounds, so no one could drive and park. People were parking on the highway outside the park instead and walking in...Which led them to announce closure of nonessential businesses (you'd be surprised at how many places are still considered "essential") and also that they could give citations to people violating the gathering of groups of 10 or more order. It's not technically a "shelter in place" or "lockdown" (and he said that). But people are just being idiots and not listening. I also heard about how signs and police tape were torn down at a local tot lot so people could still use it. What are you doing, people? The thing is, people not listening to orders will only lead to the restrictions lasting longer (as the virus likely spreads more...) I live in a suburban area, for the record.

I would go to the eye dr - before I had cataract surgery - my prescription changed yearly -being able to see to work/read/not run into things is necessary

Not sure if it would be legal for him to give me a prescription without actually examining me, but maybe. He's also very insistent about checking my retinas. The shape of my eyes means there is a risk of retina detachment.

In any case, I have about six months before I need to see the eye doc again. For now, at least, I'm speaking hypothetically. Who knows where we'll be in September, though.

One of the problems is having a prescription change

And you cant fill a prescription thats over a year old.

Oh really? I didn't know that. OK...in that case, everyone should carry on with the eye doctor appointments...or else shift the rules on filling prescriptions older than a year. I'm lucky in that right now I can rely on reading glasses (that I can get without prescription--in fact she suggested that I just use different strengths for up close and distance at my eye exam last year), but I think I'm hitting the point where I may need to consider bifocals.