Missives from Quarantine - 1 - March 20, 2020
Hello there! It's been a while. I'm sorry about that. To tell the truth, it really hasn't felt like I've encountered much in the way of happenstance worth reporting on. At the very least, happenstance that lends itself to humorous delivery has been fewer and further between than would make for a consistent or engaging posting schedule.
I continue to live, so there is that. If asked to describe the state of my health versus the most recent posts about my time in Hamilton, I would say that I am doing quite well, all things considered, but have definitely declined somewhat. Some of this is accrued damage over time, some of it is because I've lost access to a couple of medications and treatments - the former due to contamination during manufacture and the latter for capitalism-related reasons (or at least what appear to be capitalism reasons, i.e. that manufacturing rights were purchased overseas and that this is why I cannot have a topical chemotherapy agent any more). Two very recent changes to medication mean that I am allowed recreational ethanol once more, which pleases me greatly. I have bourbon in a glass this very second, in fact.
I am, at present, effectively retired. I'd had a providential crack at a master's degree, which I eventually had to leave due to significant fatigue issues, some of which have turned out to be due to perfectly normal iron-deficiency induced anaemia and, as such, have begun to be dealt with via the intravenous infusion of iron. If I can establish a semi-consistent energy level, I may emerge from said retirement, but we are not there yet. That fatigue has been a major factor in the lack of updates, I freely admit. Writing is difficult when prominently fatigued.
Regular treatments at the Royal University Hospital continue, as do frequent doctor's appointments and trips to the cancer centre, a burden that I normally carry with what I am told is a fair amount of grace. At present, however, I am, to borrow a phrase, freaked the fuck out. We find ourselves in the midst of the first true pandemic since the Spanish Flu, I am in a very high risk category (if not the highest), and I must violate the sanctity of my bubble at least twice a week to venture to environments rife with potential infection. Worse still, the cancer centre is regularly attended by people whose concept of personal space is severely lacking. These are also people who think that it is okay to blare videos from their phones, not an earbud in sight, while waiting for their appointment times. Friends, talk to your parents and grandparents about phone etiquette. Only you can prevent speakerphone conversations in public.
To anyone under the impression that the reaction to Covid-19 is overblown, I assure you that the reaction is underblown, where it is blown at all. In particular, the response from the government of Saskatchewan has been quite slow and insufficient. This may offend some of you, but that is not my intent. Rather, I endeavour to be correct in my discussions of a highly infective agent with what is a staggering mortality rate, given the state of modern medicine (up to ~30% for the above 85 crowd). Avoid gatherings. Period. The province does not have enough hospital beds and certainly does not have enough ventilators to deal with this all at once, which is what social distancing, quarantine, and 'flattening the curve' are all about. Seriously. The hospitalization rate for this one is high. If you're concerned about the economic damage of such measures, you are not alone. We all are, but it's very important to think about the economic long term, especially given our proximity to the United States, whose fractured and fractious health care system is in no way equipped to deal with this problem.
Stay home, wash your hands well any time you leave the house, don't touch your face, and, for the love of god, stop hoarding toilet paper. I know you're all going a little stir-crazy, but, hey, welcome to my world.
I continue to live, so there is that. If asked to describe the state of my health versus the most recent posts about my time in Hamilton, I would say that I am doing quite well, all things considered, but have definitely declined somewhat. Some of this is accrued damage over time, some of it is because I've lost access to a couple of medications and treatments - the former due to contamination during manufacture and the latter for capitalism-related reasons (or at least what appear to be capitalism reasons, i.e. that manufacturing rights were purchased overseas and that this is why I cannot have a topical chemotherapy agent any more). Two very recent changes to medication mean that I am allowed recreational ethanol once more, which pleases me greatly. I have bourbon in a glass this very second, in fact.
I am, at present, effectively retired. I'd had a providential crack at a master's degree, which I eventually had to leave due to significant fatigue issues, some of which have turned out to be due to perfectly normal iron-deficiency induced anaemia and, as such, have begun to be dealt with via the intravenous infusion of iron. If I can establish a semi-consistent energy level, I may emerge from said retirement, but we are not there yet. That fatigue has been a major factor in the lack of updates, I freely admit. Writing is difficult when prominently fatigued.
Regular treatments at the Royal University Hospital continue, as do frequent doctor's appointments and trips to the cancer centre, a burden that I normally carry with what I am told is a fair amount of grace. At present, however, I am, to borrow a phrase, freaked the fuck out. We find ourselves in the midst of the first true pandemic since the Spanish Flu, I am in a very high risk category (if not the highest), and I must violate the sanctity of my bubble at least twice a week to venture to environments rife with potential infection. Worse still, the cancer centre is regularly attended by people whose concept of personal space is severely lacking. These are also people who think that it is okay to blare videos from their phones, not an earbud in sight, while waiting for their appointment times. Friends, talk to your parents and grandparents about phone etiquette. Only you can prevent speakerphone conversations in public.
To anyone under the impression that the reaction to Covid-19 is overblown, I assure you that the reaction is underblown, where it is blown at all. In particular, the response from the government of Saskatchewan has been quite slow and insufficient. This may offend some of you, but that is not my intent. Rather, I endeavour to be correct in my discussions of a highly infective agent with what is a staggering mortality rate, given the state of modern medicine (up to ~30% for the above 85 crowd). Avoid gatherings. Period. The province does not have enough hospital beds and certainly does not have enough ventilators to deal with this all at once, which is what social distancing, quarantine, and 'flattening the curve' are all about. Seriously. The hospitalization rate for this one is high. If you're concerned about the economic damage of such measures, you are not alone. We all are, but it's very important to think about the economic long term, especially given our proximity to the United States, whose fractured and fractious health care system is in no way equipped to deal with this problem.
Stay home, wash your hands well any time you leave the house, don't touch your face, and, for the love of god, stop hoarding toilet paper. I know you're all going a little stir-crazy, but, hey, welcome to my world.
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