Heather: The COVID-19 risk group speaks out

this pandemic has really added another

layer of anxiety for everyone and

especially for folks like myself who

have compromised mobility and

respiratory muscles so yes it is a bit

terrifying and I've been in the house

for about two months which is not really

that atypical since in the window the

winter months

I generally wait it out because of the

thick old weather and climate especially

living here in the Northeast where one

day it'd be slick and rainy I see and

another day it's dry as a bone and sunny

so I'm used to waiting it out this layer

and level of heightened anxiety and

definitely it's a game changer as it is

for everyone but with the civility inter

sighs another layer and level of

dimension that we have to fold into our

our new normal because this is changing

things drastically

how it's impacting me on a daily basis

is things like delayed grocery delivery

and PCA services because it's also

affected my personal care attendant who

has become sick and has not been able to

hang out with me and help me out for

close to a month now so just ways like

that really put a damper on things and

delays things in in in you know

different ways for people with

disabilities

what I like people who are non-disabled

to know is just to try to think beyond

the box of self and the single lens this

is the collective lens and a lot of

people who live with marginalized

identities and have high risk factors

just be mindful of that that you are

asymptomatic and you're going around and

about your day but you could in fact be

a carrier and in fact someone who

doesn't have that choice so be mindful

of that and consider it and adhere to

all the CDC guidelines that would be

very helpful and stay home when you know

you know you're otherwise supposed to

and go out only when necessary so that

would be very helpful some of the ways

that I have been coping with staying

indoors even more is that sticking to a

routine getting up in the morning you

know completing my bathrobe business and

then making my bed and then I go over to

the window slide it open take a big gulp

of crisp fresh air and I find that that

helps my mood and my mental health and I

said it sets the tone for the day I also

work in a little gratitude prayer

because I feel like that's important and

what I'm really getting kind of you know

overly anxious or too nervous about

what's going on today I lean on to the

sage advice my dad always gave me don't

worry about things that you cannot

control and I find that that's very

helpful because it is out of our hands

and the things that we can control then

do that washing your hands making sure

that you're mindful of Cole's coming in

and out or limiting visitations and

things like that I am grateful that I do

have helping you by my my my mom and my

sister live nearby my daughter is not

that far away from me and also even in

my own household it's just me and my

partner so whenever they are you

come home from work or whatever and I

need something done you know that gets

taken care of so those are things and

considerations that keep me at an even

keel and you know my anxiety at bay

that's important

I'll just take a day by day because we

can get through this we can get through

this together

I can make it through it you can make it

through we can do it together and we

just have to think about that