Going Out

Since almost all businesses, shops, malls etc. have been closed for a while now due to the coronavirus, it has been almost 2 ½ months since I’ve gone anywhere other than around my neighborhood for daily walks with Brody. Even though it’s been nice outside and I’m glad to be able to at least enjoy the weather, it’s been difficult on me not being able to do “normal” activities such as shopping or even just browsing around. I have been finding it both physically and mentally challenging. To be honest I’m going a little stir crazy, feeling imprisoned in my own house.

There are many things that I need and want to do. When I’m able, the first thing I have to do is get some blood samples drawn and also go to some well needed Dr. appointments. Although I’ve been able to talk to some of my doctors online, some require in office visits. As of now, I have one scheduled with my pulmonologist in July. I’m hoping by then I’ll be able to go to it.

One thing that I’ve been wanting to do is get my haircut. I was about to get it trimmed right before everything shutdown. It is getting extremely long, as I’m sure most of you who can’t cut your own hair can attest to. I am planning on getting 10 inches cut off altogether soon and donating it to Locks of Love. It will be the fourth time I donate it. Brody also needs his hair cut, but the dog groomers are not open.

Other things on the top of my list are going to a movie, the mall and out to eat. Even though we can now watch plenty of movies On Demand and on Netflix, it’s been a long time since I’ve actually gone out to the movie theater. Also, it would be nice to get to the mall and do some shopping. Even though I don’t necessary need anything, just looking around at different things is enough. I order most items that I need online, including clothes.

It would be nice to go to a restaurant, although I recently read an article that talked about how the new “norm” for eating out will forever be changed. There may be physical differences, like masked waiters, disposable menus, silverware in packaging, or fewer tables so people can sit farther apart. Also, levels will likely be down to 50% occupancy to accommodate. Also, signs will be up saying that cleaning products have been used along with glass dividers between customers and cashiers. Luckily, some places have been able to be open and do order out or curbside pickup.

I have been trying to do other activities around the house besides just binge-watching Netflix and TV shows. I’m using the time to get things organized, playing games, going outside etc. Once places start to open their doors, hopefully I will be able to get into the world as we now know it.

Jenni

Expect the Unexpected

Expect the unexpected means to not be surprised by an unusual event. Anything could happen, and probably will. Considering all the possible scenarios is the solution for a lifestyle without disappointment. Sometimes we will let life guide us and other times we take it into our own hands. However, no matter how organized we are or how well we plan, something may pop up and steer us in a whole new direction.

As my life has unfolded, and with the way things turned out how they did, I am happy to be alive! My willingness to continue pushing through my personal expectations along with remaining positive and persevering is a testament to who I have become. Making an impact on people’s lives is important to me and gives me a reason to get out of bed every day. I can show others not to pretend to be who they are despite their situation. Do not let anything slow you down and do not impose limitations on yourself.

Jenni

Guest Post

The past week I’ve been working on a guest blog post for the SpinalPedia blog. I submitted it the other day and it went live today. I have written other posts for different blogs than my own before. I’m happy when I get highlighted as a guest because I have a lot to say and it feels good. Also, it is always great sharing my story, and words of wisdom with other audiences. Click on the link below so you can read it as well. Hope you enjoy!

SpinalPedia guest blog post

Jenni

Update on the Pandemic

At the end of March, I wrote a blog post about the stay-at-home order issued until May 4. In order to prepare for it, people have been stockpiling on everything they can to avoid going to the stores as often (even though they’re still open). This includes everything from daily necessities, food, household items etc. It’s being called “panic buying” and our “brains are being pushed into taking back control in a world where you feel out of control. More generally, it can be understood as displaying part of our fundamental psychology needs.”

When my mom went to the store, she noticed how visible the hoarding of supplies was and texted

some pictures. Luckily, I haven’t had to go to the stores shopping; my family usually does that. Although I have ordered some things online and found them to be either out of stock or take longer than usual to ship. It just goes to show how people are handling this crisis and how difficult places are finding it to restock with the current demand.

My caregivers are now required by their companies to wear cloth masks to work. With the number of confirmed cases of the coronavirus in the US now at almost 565,000 and number of deaths close to 23,000, you can never be too cautious. By taking all the measures needed, I’m hopeful that I won’t get it from anybody. Although there’s never a guarantee with the number of people constantly flowing in and out my house. Also, there really isn't a set date telling us when this will all be over.

Lately, I’ve still been mostly staying inside other than my daily walks with Brody (when the weather’s nice). Otherwise Netflix is my new best friend. Also, I have been finding other creative things to do around the house.

Jenni

Easter at a Distance

Happy Easter everyone! This year was a little different than the usual Easter. Usually we host Easter and have family over for dinner. However, not being able to be together during times like this proves to be a challenge. So, my family and I had to come up with a more creative way of getting together. We ended up doing a “social distance Easter basket hunt”.

Yesterday my mom hid Easter baskets in our yard. Then my sister, her boyfriend and niece came over and from a distance I watched my niece search for them. I thought it was a great idea. Also, my sister came up with this idea to put painter’s

tape on the sidewalk in a mosaic pattern. Then they colored in the spots with chalk and peeled up the tape! It also was a sunny, 60° day which was perfect weather for being outside. Even my dog Brody came outside to enjoy the sunshine with us. After a little while, I took him for a half-hour walk. (Last time I took him to the vet, he said Brody needed to lose a little weight.) The reason we did Easter yesterday was because today it is cold and snowing out.

It’s been difficult not being able to be close to friends and family. Also, not being able to go places has been hard as well. The self-isolation can have a negative effect on people’s mind and body. I have been trying to find different and creative ways to entertain myself by watching movies, playing games, face timing with friends etc. I'm going to try to paint sometime soon as well. Hopefully my mind can stay busy enough so I don't go insane. I found being able to see my sister and niece in person while abiding by the 6-foot rule was very helpful and exciting.

Finished product!

Jenni

Ventilators Are Complicated Machines

President Trump isn’t making America’s ventilator shortage any easier. He seems to think that ventilators are complicated machines, and that’s why it’s been difficult to get enough needed. Although Pence contradicts Trump and says, “manufacturers actually tell us they aren’t complicated and are relatively easy to make.” He’s also issued a series of conflicting and misleading statements about the country’s ventilator supply and his plans to increase it.

Being on a vent, I know how important they are when needed, especially during the COVID 19 outbreak. Some patients’ symptoms are so extreme, they require a ventilator in order to get enough oxygen to breathe. They are one of the most important tools hospitals have for keeping those with the coronavirus in the most critical situations alive.

The number of cases is growing at such a rapid pace, it’s impossible that many hospitals will have enough ventilators available for those who need them. If this happens, any patients who would otherwise survive their infections could die. In order to flatten the curve, they should ensure that enough are in supply.

Jenni

Being Special

I think what makes anybody special is being authentically you because there’s only one of us in all of time. We each are special and we each are unique, all brilliant things. Just allow yourself to be that person. Allow yourself to make mistakes. Allow yourself to try new things. I think that’s what makes you special.

I would never alter the way I am to change the way others see me. If they don’t like me I can’t do anything about it because I am who I am. I’m a good person, one who loves to do the right thing and help people. Despite what happened in the past, I look forward to the future and new beginnings.

Jenni

The Universe Reads My Blog

I think the universe was trying to tell me something when I wrote my blog post yesterday. A few hours after I posted it I experienced my own external and internal stressor. It happened when I went to change position in my wheelchair by tilting back. All of the sudden my chair stopped, and I was stuck in a tilted position. My screen that shows drive, seating, speed adjust, profile etc. turned blue and showed an error code saying, “Bad Cable”.

I’ve known about this saying on my chair before and had my wheelchair company check it out earlier this year. They switched out a cable that was being pinched off, but there was still another one that was causing the error code to show up. Despite that, the wheelchair was still working so the company said they would order another cable and get it to me when they could. Then the whole coronavirus issue slowed everything down and they said it would take longer for them to get out here.

Back to my story about yesterday, after I realized that I wasn’t going to be able to move my chair, I called the company and they said they couldn’t get anyone out until Monday! I told them that wouldn’t work because I was literally “STUCK” and that it was an emergency situation. After calling three separate times and talking to three different people, I finally got someone to understand me. He told me that they could have someone come out when they got done with their route (which was about an hour.)

It happened around 3:15 PM, they got to my house around 5 PM and took about an hour for them to switch out the bad cable. So therefore, I was in the same position for almost 3 hours. For anybody that’s a long time but being paralyzed from the neck down, for me I change position using my wheelchair at least every 30 minutes. They still have to change another cable but were able to bypass it for now until they’re able to get it.

I’m just grateful that it’s working. It was a stressful situation physically and emotionally. All I could think about was going back to what I wrote how stress plays a part in our lives. It has happened before, where I got stuck in a tilted position, but hopefully that won’t ever happen again.

Jenni

Stressors In Life

Stressors are something that causes a state of strain or tension. They can place a tremendous burden on relationships or a single individual in life. There are two types of stressors: external and internal. External stressors are situations and events that happen. Some examples include major life changes, adverse physical conditions/environments, social interactions, organizational factors or difficult events.

Internal stressors are the most common type of stress and they are the source that are inside us. They are thoughts and feelings that pop up into our heads and cause us to feel unease. These can include uncertainties, unrealistic expectations, apprehensions, fear, anger, misinterpretations or low self-esteem. Some stress can motivate people, but if it becomes long-term it can seriously interfere with life.

Back when I was in college, I had a stress journal in which I wrote this I called: A Traumatic Experience

"Into our lives a little rain must fall, but it seems that once or twice it becomes a devastating flood, and we subsequently get pulled under and washed away in the currents. Broken bones, the death of a close friend or loved one, and child abuse are just a handful of life's many tragedies. "Tragedy," it is said, "keeps a person humble." It can also leave physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual scars that may take a lifetime to heal. Times like these are often referred to as "the dark nights of the soul."

Reaction may vary, but immediately after experiencing a tragedy, people sometimes talk nervously. This is one of the initial manifestations of grief. This stage is often followed by withdrawal and eventually by a slow reemergence into society. These types of experiences from years ago can affect our outlook and behavior on several issues, often without our knowledge. If you have been spared a personal tragedy, consider yourself lucky. If you have experienced an event of this nature and wish to recount it here, feel free to do so. How did you feel, and how do you feel now?"

Jenni

April Fools Day 2020

Everywhere today, people are playing April fools jokes on others. This April 1, the Internet is pleading with brands not to pull their regular April fool’s jokes out of respect for all those fighting the COVID 19 pandemic. Their highest goals are to be helpful to people by saving their jokes for next year which should be a whole lot brighter than this year. There are still ways to lightly celebrate the day remotely though, and it’s not stopping others from pulling pranks. Just don’t pretend to have the coronavirus!

Included in the stay-at-home order nationwide, schools are closed. One good joke I saw was that parents have been pranking their children into believing they’re going back to school! Some are even taking it farther by telling them that weekends are canceled to make up for missing days because of the coronavirus. But just as the kids are about to walk out the car door and go back into the classroom, parents have been revealing the truth. I say this joke brings a hilarious light moment to the ongoing uncertainty surrounding schools across the country.

There are other great jokes running out there this year while still practicing social distancing at home. Some include swapping out family photos in the house, pretending to be typing forever to someone on your phone, or subscribe a friend to a hilarious mailing list. Whatever it may be, joking around a little bit might just be what some of us need right now. It’s difficult enough being locked up inside, self-quarantining ourselves.

Jenni