How are you all dealing?

1DisneyNut;2529568 wrote:
One bit of advice I have given people over the past year is stop watching the so called "news" on TV and get off of social media other than sharing things with friends. I stopped watching the media years ago and that alone will reduce your stress level tremendously. It is all sensationalized and much of it is inaccurate with the sole intent to get you to keep watching to boost their ratings. The garbage spread around on social media is like a cancer so cut that out of your life too and you will suddenly feel less worried or upset.

I'm ready for it to just run it's course so we can all move on with life.

I haven't had a tv in years, and I am so much better off mentally than a lot of other people I know.

Cinderelley;2529578 wrote: I haven't had a tv in years, and I am so much better off mentally than a lot of other people I know.

No TV and no social media certainly helps!

I have to admit that I am in a funk. On top of all the COVID restrictions I had major back surgery during the summer, postponed from March due to hospital closures, so I’ve had far too much not being able to get out. Our Gov just announced a return to more restriction yesterday.

The saddest effects to daily life I’ve seen, as others mentioned above, is what’s happening with kids. They are missing out on so many things we consider milestones in life. I retired as Head Football Coach at our High school 6 years ago but have gone back as an assistant. This year, after a late start our season, things came to a crushing end for our team. Our kids were actually loaded up on the 2 charter busses in the school parking lot to head to our second round playoff, game when our Head Coach got a call from the AD. We had a player test positive that morning and results just got called in. He had obviously been a close contact of most players on our team. We had to get the kids off the busses and forfeit the game. It was so sad to see, tears from football players always get to me. I felt so bad for the Seniors as, just like that, their football season was done. So, so sad for them. It’s such things that we are forced to give up that are hard to see and it’s beginning to take a toll.

It's probably only going to get worse with these seemingly power-hungry mayors and governors looking to lock everything down again. Vaccinations most likely be available to the general public until at least spring 2021 and even there Dr. Fauci is recommending that people wear masks even after the pandemic has passed.

My concern is for the mental health of all, but especially the children or those that live alone. Even for the biggest introvert among us, we are social people. Getting limited contact helps, but for students that haven't been to school or even seen their friends since early March, it is troubling. Let alone for those that have been furloughed, laid-off or just flat out had their business close. All for a disease that has a death rate of less than 1% and mostly among the elderly.

I installed a new floor, new cabinets, new countertops, multiple decks, siding, new plumbing, on demand hot water tank, dredged a pond, new walls, new electrical, new well pump, pressure tank, and learned how to clean a chimney and wood burner. Most of these things did not need to be done but the alternative would be to mindlessly watch Netflix, peruse the internet and read the days bad news. So....when the pandemic finally ends....I have a lot of skills I can assist my friends and family with. I also get the satisfaction of seeing something I built / did. What’s my point? There are ways to make this a positive experience for yourself. Do what you think you can’t.

I am tired. Working 6 days a week is getting to me. Well, it probably isn't the work but the addition of a young dog on top of it (She wasn't cared for before, so I'm having to start as if she was a young puppy - house training, chewing, etc.) Normally I would assign a certain hour or hours of overtime to pay for something on our Disney trip (2 hours of overtime would be slated to pay for Breakfast at Crystal Palace, etc), so I was pretty upbeat when working. Now, that strategy won't work. So, I've decided to plan a trip to a Disney park outside of the US. Now I have to decide which one to go to. . .

Cinderelley;2529782 wrote: I am tired. Working 6 days a week is getting to me. Well, it probably isn't the work but the addition of a young dog on top of it (She wasn't cared for before, so I'm having to start as if she was a young puppy - house training, chewing, etc.) Normally I would assign a certain hour or hours of overtime to pay for something on our Disney trip (2 hours of overtime would be slated to pay for Breakfast at Crystal Palace, etc), so I was pretty upbeat when working. Now, that strategy won't work. So, I've decided to plan a trip to a Disney park outside of the US. Now I have to decide which one to go to. . .

It probably doesn't help that most are now seeing a second wave of lockdowns. I agree with Rand Paul, the best economic stimulus would be to get everyone back to work. Outside of one outbreak in May, my work has been operating safely for nearly 10 months now. We are food processing, but if we can do it than so can everyone else. We still get cases now and then, but everyone knows the protocols and good about do their part to avoid the spread. If your health is compromised or you are elderly and would like to avoid the risk then of course stay home and avoid contact.

Awesome news on your plans though! If money were not a factor then DisneySea would probably be my first choice just because it seems to get such rave reviews. What's yours?

baldburke;2529803 wrote: It probably doesn't help that most are now seeing a second wave of lockdowns. I agree with Rand Paul, the best economic stimulus would be to get everyone back to work. Outside of one outbreak in May, my work has been operating safely for nearly 10 months now. We are food processing, but if we can do it than so can everyone else. We still get cases now and then, but everyone knows the protocols and good about do their part to avoid the spread. If your health is compromised or you are elderly and would like to avoid the risk then of course stay home and avoid contact.

Awesome news on your plans though! If money were not a factor then DisneySea would probably be my first choice just because it seems to get such rave reviews. What's yours?

I try to see everyone's point of view with it, but it is hard for me to do. I've seen so much worse stuff in the ER. I find myself amazed at nurses on social media who act like the sky is falling. I always have to keep in mind though that my previous specialty made me pretty hardened to things that most people would find horrific. All the newer nurses have been scared away. It is pretty much all of us battle-hardened old-timers who are keeping things going at this point. Thus, all the overtime. One good thing that has come out of this is they are now highlighting the nursing shortage. It's been around a long time and will get worse as we start retiring.

I have been looking at Tokyo Disneyland and DisneySea. For one, Disney in Paris is closed. :P
Two, I want to go see the cherry blossoms. It will probably be a while before I can go due to the nursing shortage. It is nice to daydream though.

Cinderelley;2529806 wrote: I try to see everyone's point of view with it, but it is hard for me to do. I've seen so much worse stuff in the ER. I find myself amazed at nurses on social media who act like the sky is falling. I always have to keep in mind though that my previous specialty made me pretty hardened to things that most people would find horrific. All the newer nurses have been scared away. It is pretty much all of us battle-hardened old-timers who are keeping things going at this point. Thus, all the overtime. One good thing that has come out of this is they are now highlighting the nursing shortage. It's been around a long time and will get worse as we start retiring.

I have been looking at Tokyo Disneyland and DisneySea. For one, Disney in Paris is closed. :P
Two, I want to go see the cherry blossoms. It will probably be a while before I can go due to the nursing shortage. It is nice to daydream though.

That's interesting because that's certainly the narrative that the media would want you to believe as well. Our oldest DD is a new nurse as well and her unit gets the COVID-19 overflow. Are they busy, yes. Is it unbearable, no. Are there some unfortunate circumstance, no doubt! She is Gen Z, but I would agree that for the most part Millennials and her generation tend to be a little more, let's say, emotional. Hopefully things turn around sooner than later with vaccines now upon us. Thank you for your extra service during the last year!

We know a few nurses too and they have all said the same thing. The Covid 19 thing has been completely overblown by the media. They have been saying it since March and are still saying it now. They have across the board said that the ones they have seen extremely sick and dying from Covid 19 are ones who were high risk and very likely to be very ill and possibly die from any one of a number of things in the next few years. Covid 19 just more or less brought their day to them a little sooner than what otherwise would have transpired. So basically the way I have come to see it is we have more or less seen the next 5 years worth of deaths from illnesses compiled into less than a year.

baldburke;2529809 wrote: That's interesting because that's certainly the narrative that the media would want you to believe as well. Our oldest DD is a new nurse as well and her unit gets the COVID-19 overflow. Are they busy, yes. Is it unbearable, no. Are there some unfortunate circumstance, no doubt! She is Gen Z, but I would agree that for the most part Millennials and her generation tend to be a little more, let's say, emotional. Hopefully things turn around sooner than later with vaccines now upon us. Thank you for your extra service during the last year!

I kind've see it as similar to the pain scale. If the worst pain you have ever felt is a paper cut, then a ripped fingernail is a 10 on the pain scale (with 0 as no pain and 10 as the worst pain you've ever felt.) If you've been on fire, had a life threatening injury, open femur fracture, etc, then a ripped fingernail is like a 3.
If the worst trauma you've had in your life is not getting the grade you wanted in a class, then seeing someone die is going to be very traumatic. I've seen it in all generations, but younger people haven't been through as much as someone my age or with my life experiences (hopefully. I know some people have very tough lives.). They haven't had to develop the coping skills yet.

1DisneyNut;2529816 wrote: We know a few nurses too and they have all said the same thing. The Covid 19 thing has been completely overblown by the media. They have been saying it since March and are still saying it now. They have across the board said that the ones they have seen extremely sick and dying from Covid 19 are ones who were high risk and very likely to be very ill and possibly die from any one of a number of things in the next few years. Covid 19 just more or less brought their day to them a little sooner than what otherwise would have transpired. So basically the way I have come to see it is we have more or less seen the next 5 years worth of deaths from illnesses compiled into less than a year.

It's not just the news media (which I am assuming you were referring to). There's a lot of stuff on social media also. Regarding that though, take it with a grain of salt when you see a "medical professional" on social media. Every hospital I have worked at has strict rules about posting on social media or responding to the news media. They have a particular contact person that we are told to refer all inquires to. If I see someone on social media or a news outlet that isn't completely professional with a scripted speech, I doubt if it is real. If it is, they will be losing their job very quickly.

It is very hard on the family to lose someone even when it is expected. I think this ridiculousness about not allowing the family to be in the hospital with their loved ones contributes to how much more difficult it is. A lot of times it is easier on the family to let someone go when they see their loved one suffering. It is a lot harder for them to have been talking to their loved one just fine one day and then the next time they see them, they are dead. Patients can also lose their will to fight when their family isn't around. It is sad all around.

Ironically enough, I had to be quarantined for a few days until my covid test came back. After having 4 days off, my attitude is great again. lol. I'm listening to "Disney's California Adventure Master Music Mix" while I'm working.

At work, we use an interpreter line for people who don't speak English. I had a patient who spoke Swahili. It is probably a little silly, but I got excited listening to the interpreter introduce himself. He started off by saying "Jambo".

This has been a tough year to say the least. Last March my Mother had a heart attack and was in a hospital here in NYC for three weeks before she died. During those three weeks we were all in the hospital every day with her. During this time Covid-19 went from a small blip on the news to crisis mode. She died on March 15th and the very next day the entire city was locked down. No wake, no funeral allowed, 10 family members at the cemetery for ten minutes only. It's hard to express how we all feel that, even now, we never had a chance to even process her death. There was so much more to worry about.

I am so grateful that we were able to be with her in her last days before lock down, and that none of us got covid while spending all that time in the hospital (sleeping there some nights). I am also grateful that my job was considered essential and I work with family members only close to home so that is a blessing. But it has been a very depressing and anxiety inducing year and I cannot believe that it is 2021 and we seem to be no better at this moment.

Disney has always been my escape from stress and I miss it soo much. We have a trip planned for April and hope that we can go safely. New York was hit very hard and it has given me a high anxiety watching it all unfold.