Life in the time of quarantine has been different, but also, the same. Nick began working from home the first week of March. We haven’t been inside a building other than our house since then. I take that back. Every two weeks, I am still going to the hospital for bronchoscopies. I miss eating in a restaurant, enjoying a patio on a nice day, and seeing everyone in person.

The bronchs are supposed to be opening my airways. If I don’t go as frequently as I do, my chest feels tight and I start to wheeze. I never wheezed before, so it’s been stressful hearing myself breathe and then trying to sleep through the sound. I had another round of iv antibiotics at the beginning of May because the secretions in my lungs keep growing bugs. My most recent appt was May 14th and I think my doctors agreed I can try to go three weeks between bronchs. Hopefully my lung function does not decrease in the three weeks vs. two. And hopefully, I don’t feel tight and wheezy.

The biggest changes at the hospital (in my experience):

-Much fewer people: I’ve had my blood drawn three times since lockdown and each time, there’s been no wait. I had a pulmonary function test and again, no one there except for me.

-My temperature is taken when I enter the hospital: not even an inconvenience.

-No longer needing to sign documents: I can give verbal consent for treatment instead of using a communal pen.

-Nick no longer needs to come inside: after each bronch, I am not allowed to leave without a designated driver due to the anesthesia. Nick used to be able to come into the recovery room with me while I was monitored for about 30 minutes after the procedure. Now, I’m wheeled down to his waiting car. No exposure for Nick, and no paying for parking!

-Covid testing: starting this week, all procedures at the hospital require the patient to have a Covid test down within 72 hours of the appt. I went to a drive in site next to the hospital and was done within 5 minutes. The swab was a full TEN seconds of brain poking, but I survived. The test came back negative, or course.

Since transplant, I have had hand sanitizer in my car, in my purse, and right inside the front door. We were already using Clorox wipes to clean door knobs and frequently touched surfaces. I was already wearing a mask in the hospital and in any situation that was too crowded (like the DMV when I had to renew my license). I’m immunocompromised because of the anti-rejection medication I take. I was already taking all the precautions that now everyone is recommended to follow. Luckily, when I was discharged from the hospital last August, I stocked up on masks and hand sanitizer, so we haven’t had to worry about running out.

In order to limit our exposure to the virus, we have avoided going to the grocery store thanks to my mom. She asks for a list every other week and then delivers the bags to my doorstep. It’s difficult to stay 6 feet away, when all I want to do is thank her for putting herself in harm’s way so that I can stay healthy. Nick and I bring all the groceries inside, the non-perishables go in the unused bathtub to sit for a few days to decontaminate. We used to wipe everything down, but we thought better of wasting the precious Clorox wipes. Everything that must go in the fridge or the freezer gets wiped down.

We started ordering meal kits from Hello Fresh as another way to stretch our groceries. We also started getting fresh fruit delivered once a month. We freeze a lot for smoothies and are baking cookies and bread with the bananas like everyone else. I’m still nervous about ordering food for pick up, but when we do, we always wipe down the bags/containers and put the food on our own dishes. And of course, the constant hand washing whenever we touch something contaminated.

I’m worried that reopening the city of St. Louis will lead to another surge of cases. Which means I can’t leave the house for longer and longer. We’ve decided that we probably can’t resume our normal lives, traveling anywhere, eating in a restaurant, for at least a year, or until there is a vaccine. I just can’t risk my health at this point. If you do venture out, please wear a mask. Please tip your servers (even the curbside servers) generously. Thanks for thinking of me!