Coping and Staying Connected During COVID-19 Quarantine
As of this writing, my family and I have been in quarantine for over a week because my husband, Jared, has COVID-19. We were anxious after he tested positive, because we didn’t know what the outcome would be.
Thankfully, he’s doing much better, and his symptoms have subsided. He no longer has a fever, his sense of smell has returned, and he coughs less, mostly after eating.
I’m thankful Jared is recovering and no one else has developed symptoms. But I’m not sure I can rejoice, considering that others haven’t been as fortunate. Still, it’s good to know that Jared hasn’t had a bad experience with COVID-19, given the difficulties that hemophilia and a seizure disorder have put him through. He deserves to rest.
Our doctors recently had a change of plans and suggested we continue to quarantine separately. Jared now stays in our usual bedroom alone. Meanwhile, our daughter, Cittie, her nanny, and I occupy a different floor of the house. We tested negative, so we aren’t allowed to interact with Jared until we finish our own two-week quarantine.
Being in quarantine reminds me of our early days of dating. Since we didn’t live together yet, we would only communicate with our devices. We’d leave our laptops turned on even after we went to bed. That way, when we awoke, we’d see the other person on the screen – unless the Wi-Fi failed, that is. It was cheesy, but it helped us stay connected.
Now we’re back to our old methods of communicating, although things are slightly different with a third person in the mix. Cittie is pushing 3 and starting to engage in more sophisticated play, and she wants everyone in on the fun. As a result, Jared and I don’t get to talk on video call as often, and when we do, it follows Cittie’s request. For her, being on a call with Daddy means watching her favorite hamster video at the same time, while Jared and I both pretend we haven’t seen it several times already.
Cittie only knows that her daddy is sick, and she struggles to understand why she can’t go to his room, so I need to help her deal with her feelings. Because she is so young, I must be gentle with her, give her my full attention, and make sure she knows she is loved. Home quarantine can be difficult for children when they are forced to be away from their loved ones, even for a short while.
Staying connected is one of the ways we try to cope while waiting for our situation to go back to normal. Aside from video calling, we also send food and packages to each other. (We make sure they’re disinfected!)
For now, I’m just making the best of the small “perks” our modified living arrangement affords me. While nothing beats being together as a family without anything holding us back, I’m thankful for the quiet time I have these days. I also like that both of us get to focus on work and the tasks we need to complete. This is in line with our current goal of having stable income sources and making more money, which is crucial to our family’s future.
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Note: Hemophilia News Today is strictly a news and information website about the disease. It does not provide medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. This content is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or another qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read on this website. The opinions expressed in this column are not those of Hemophilia News Today or its parent company, BioNews Services, and are intended to spark discussion about issues pertaining to hemophilia.
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