A Momentous Day

Yesterday was a momentous day as the first COVID vaccines were administered to the elderly of our nation. Once more we need to be thankful for our NHS service which has the capacity not only to deliver these vaccines but also to do so without charge. We have a lot to be thankful for, not least that thanks to research, it has been developed in the first place. At last there looks like might be an end to the uncertainty and never ending fear of COVID even if it’s not until well into next year. 

Across the world people are set to experience one of the loneliest Christmases in living memory. My heart goes out to anyone who lives alone and I am extremely grateful for the fact that my own widowed mother currently lives with my youngest brother so even if we can’t go and see her she will not be alone.

 

I currently live with my husband and two sons so I won’t be alone this Christmas either but celebration with the wider family is definitely looking doubtful at the moment. 

 

I’m very behind on my Christmas preparations this year and am struggling to develop any enthusiasm for the festivities. I’m not particularly fond of online shopping for presents. Unless it’s something specific, I’d rather see before I buy when it comes to presents for other people and prefer the inspiration of an actual shop rather than searching through random websites.

 

So I delayed the majority of my Christmas shopping until after this second lockdown. And then last weekend disaster struck. Towards the end of last week my husband’s foot swelled up for no apparent reason. On Saturday I took him to A&E where he spent most of the day being tested for a blood clot because he has a heart condition. The result was that they thought it was an infection and he was sent home with antibiotics, and because he was told not to put any weight on his foot for at least a week, a Zimmer frame. Four days later and things haven’t improved much and due to his mobility he can’t do very much for himself. He doesn’t feel ill in himself, which is a good thing, but he’s getting very bored and frustrated as he’s used to being active and it’s hard to see him so incapacitated. 

 

As if that wasn’t enough, on Monday my youngest son was sent home from school as he had been in contact with someone who had tested positive for COVID and now has to self-isolate for the next fourteen days. He’s not worried for himself but for me and his dad as we are both in a vulnerable category. So far he has no symptoms but if he does test positive later this week we’re all going to be in isolation over

Christmas. Perhaps this is a first world problem but if I don’t get my finger out and soon, if we do have to go into isolation then Christmas won’t be delivered and as a woman I will feel like I have failed my family. 

 

Fingers crossed he doesn’t develop any symptoms and that we don’t either otherwise it’s going to be a very zoom Christmas. At least we have the internet and a lot to be thankful for. 

 

Hope you all stay happy and healthy during the “festive” period!