The life in the time of coronavirus continues… 

It has been a while since I wrote one of those… In the beginning of July, actually. This is my sixth status report and it has been twenty-seven weeks (or one-hundred-and-ninety-two days) since the beginning of the confinement. It has also been seventeen weeks since we started re-opening at the end of May and fifteen weeks since I restarted to work in a library in June. Time flies. Everything before that feels like an other life… Did we reopen too soon, too hard ? Or is it that (stupid) people are so quick to forget the danger of being in the middle of a pandemic ? As predicted, we are now starting the second wave. Lets hope it won’t be a tsunami… Last week, as the COVID-19 cases kept increasing, Montreal passed into yellow zone and today it switched into the red zone, the highest level of alert. To try to break the wave we really need to lock ourselves up again for the next month, avoid all gathering and social activities. Winter is coming and I am worried about what the fall will be bringing (I mean autumn, not “the” fall of civilisation — although that could still be a possibility; or at least the fall of democracy, the fall of decency, in our southern neighbour. 

Now, I must apologize to my readers. In the last month or so, I have been feeling lousy and I didn’t write anything of significance on the blog. I posted only pictures — mostly from my daily walks in the park, of cats and flowers. Although I still read a few comics & manga or watched movies and tv series (e.g. I finally finished (re)watching Battlestar Galactica — I’ll write about it later if I can), but just didn’t feel like writing about it. I was (physically and mentally) exhausted. As often, work and life (chasing clinical appointments, shopping for an electric bike or a new mattress) were taking all my energy. However, I still think that posting those pictures are important to me. Each time I talk about natural history, or show the picture of an animal or a plant, or an ancient coin, I think it is an opportunity (first for me) to acquire new knowledge and then to share it with others. After all, this is one of the main reasons why I am writing this blog: Sharing my enthusiasm for knowledge (that and spilling my brain out into words in order to stay sane !).

The reasons why I am feeling so lousy are complex. First, frankly right now, the world is depressing. If you are watching the news (which I very often do, mostly from our southerly neighbour), all you can hear is scandal this, corruption that, election this, election that, COVID this, COVID that, COVID all over (one million deaths around the world so far), and, in every cases, associated with the name Trump! It is tiring. 

Also, my work is rather frustrating. I am not working in my usual library, which is undergoing (since last December!!) some renovations. I’ve been relocated to another library, working with a different team. They are mostly nice people, but, let’s say, we’re not really sharing the same work ethic. Due to various delays (mostly unexpected structural weaknesses and COVID), the construction work has dragged on and the return to our rightful library has been pushed back several time. This situation is the cause of a great stress. (When I get too frustrated with my job, to blow steam, I just apply to another one…)

Finally, my life has become quite painful. On top of my usual ailments (being slightly overweight, back pain [due to an herniated lumbar disc with occasional sciatica], pre-diabetes, high blood pressure, hepatic steatosis, sigmoidal diverticulitis, occasional kidney stones and an unmentionable recurring abscess), earlier this month I started having chronic knee pain on the right side which the doctor diagnosed as probable osteoarthritis (the x-ray didn’t show anything). A little later, I also started having pain in the left hip. I’ve been prescribed some strong NSAID rubbing drops (a 1.5% diclofenac sodium solution) and also tried a similar product in cream, but their list of counter-indications and side-effects is longer and scarier than their benefits! I am quite wary of using them… I am still trying to exercice regularly, but I started to hate stairs (however I am still adamantly avoiding elevators). I just must learn to live with my pain. Pain is my friend. I will face my pain. I must not let pain change the way I do things. I will use my pain to keep a clear mind. And when the pain has gone I will remain active. (That’s my litany against  pain). Fortunately, there are some good days… but I’m really starting to feel old…

However, in the last few days I felt a little worse. I was more tired, depressed, having a congestion and a slight cough, a little dizziness occasionally, higher blood sugar (five days in a row over 7 mmol/L), some gastro-intestinal problems and a slight fever. It is probably simply exhaustion due to the stress of work and the change of the season, doubled with the beginning of a cold. Nothing more (hopefully). However, the protocol at work requires me to report it to my superior, call public health authorities and undergo COVID-19 testing. Which I did today. I didn’t go to work, got tested and now I am isolating myself in my man/writing cave, waiting for the result of the test (and my new mattress). 

I am planning to take advantage of this short pause to hopefully write a little (about life & do some book/media comments) on this blog (and maybe for the Club des Irrésistible also).

Continues with Notable News (late September)

Update (2020/10/01): The test came back negative. I am feeling better now and back to work. Sorry again: I spent too much time writing the status report and notable news that I didn’t write anything else… (The mattress is a little disappointing, offering little improvements on the previous one. Feel a little too soft to my taste but the important point is that I sleep a little better).