The children, some no longer, children. The eldest, 22 travelling in Australia, actually thinking about what she wants from life. No. 2 is 18 and poised to sit A’Levels, he has a plan and is currently funding his driving lessons and social life courtesy of a famous supermarket. No.3 now 15, is nearly as tall as No.2 and both are taller than their Dad. Eating habits, much improved due to amount of fuel required to sustain height. No.4 is 10, still cute, hates school, loves me and is mainly still on hunger strike, unles it’s a Nutella sandwich or a happy meal. The husband remains grumpy and not in the best of health having now developed sero negative arthropathy (rheumatoid arthritis without the rheumatoid factor) and is taking a biologic drug which suppresses the immune system. If anybody is currently considering marriage I would advise genetic testing of your proposed partner before you commit to ‘in sickness and in health’. I would also encourage you to consider the implications of ‘til death do us part’, at 24 I’m not sure I gave that one enough thought.
Finally me, escaped A&E (thank God), two new jobs, still nursing. Still not motivated to clean.
Blissful chaos was the status quo in Haversham House until ...
In January we started to hear news about a Corona virus that was causing problems in China. We were all a little bit appalled by the authorities there, locking people in their houses etc but it was OK, because China is miles away, right? In February, there were cases reported in Italy which by March had escalated to the extent their healthcare services, especially in the Lombardy region (which are superior to the U.K’s) were overwhelmed. The rest of Europe was soon to be engulfed by a disease we knew little about. Italy begged the world to learn from what was happening there. Some countries listened and were quick to respond, the U.K., was not one of those countries that listened or acted in a timely manner. I could talk to you about the lack of testing, lack of PPE and inadequate planning but you’ve read it all in the news and will all come to your own conclusions, dependent on your personal circumstances.
This is my personal perspective.
A week before lockdown my husband and I, who rarely agree on anything were in accordance that we needed to lockdown, NOW. We were already wading through e-mails from concerned colleagues and attempting to navigate our way through the vague advice issued by government agencies. Our social media feeds were beginning to fill with alarming posts from intensivists.
Two weeks before lockdown my husband’s colleagues were concerned and questioned whether he should be having face to face consultations with patients given his immunosuppression and he moved to telephone/ video consultations. We had both booked annual leave the following week. No.4 was due to go on residential with school and I felt really uneasy about letting him go. When I expressed my concern to the playground mums, they looked at me as if I was bonkers. I have nothing but praise for school, their risk assessment was comprehensive and I had to concede he was probably safer in a small group, in the middle of nowhere than he was in the general school population.
Fortunately No.1 had already booked her flight home. Leading up to her departure in our WhatsApp conversations, she asked me if she ‘should be worried about this virus’, I tried to remain calm whilst praying the ‘evolving picture.
On the same day No.2 and No.3 were told school was closing. No.3 was indifferent but No.2 was thrown into dissaray. He had so many questions I couldn’t answer and worries I couldn’t alleviate, especially regarding his A’Levels. No.4 returned from residential delighted to be home and even more delighted that school was out, probably for summer.
That evening, as a family we made the decision to lockdown and on the Monday the rest of the country was told to. I knew I didn’t want any of my family to be a statistic and the relief of having them all home was overwhelming. Everyone’s circumstances are unique and we all have the freedom to make our own, often difficult, choices. I don’t think any of us realised how challenging this was going to be or on how many levels.
Ok, so I’m all flowery now, reflecting on the beginning. The interim has been tough, at times unbearable. For us, as for so many others, there is no end in sight. I’ll save the actuality for another day when I’m in better humour. I would at this point, ask you all to stand on your doorsteps and clap, not for key workers but for ever single individual who has managed to not bury a loved one under a patio.
Blissful chaos was the status quo in Haversham House until ...
In January we started to hear news about a Corona virus that was causing problems in China. We were all a little bit appalled by the authorities there, locking people in their houses etc but it was OK, because China is miles away, right? In February, there were cases reported in Italy which by March had escalated to the extent their healthcare services, especially in the Lombardy region (which are superior to the U.K’s) were overwhelmed. The rest of Europe was soon to be engulfed by a disease we knew little about. Italy begged the world to learn from what was happening there. Some countries listened and were quick to respond, the U.K., was not one of those countries that listened or acted in a timely manner. I could talk to you about the lack of testing, lack of PPE and inadequate planning but you’ve read it all in the news and will all come to your own conclusions, dependent on your personal circumstances.
This is my personal perspective.
A week before lockdown my husband and I, who rarely agree on anything were in accordance that we needed to lockdown, NOW. We were already wading through e-mails from concerned colleagues and attempting to navigate our way through the vague advice issued by government agencies. Our social media feeds were beginning to fill with alarming posts from intensivists.
Two weeks before lockdown my husband’s colleagues were concerned and questioned whether he should be having face to face consultations with patients given his immunosuppression and he moved to telephone/ video consultations. We had both booked annual leave the following week. No.4 was due to go on residential with school and I felt really uneasy about letting him go. When I expressed my concern to the playground mums, they looked at me as if I was bonkers. I have nothing but praise for school, their risk assessment was comprehensive and I had to concede he was probably safer in a small group, in the middle of nowhere than he was in the general school population.
Fortunately No.1 had already booked her flight home. Leading up to her departure in our WhatsApp conversations, she asked me if she ‘should be worried about this virus’, I tried to remain calm whilst praying the ‘evolving picture.
On the same day No.2 and No.3 were told school was closing. No.3 was indifferent but No.2 was thrown into dissaray. He had so many questions I couldn’t answer and worries I couldn’t alleviate, especially regarding his A’Levels. No.4 returned from residential delighted to be home and even more delighted that school was out, probably for summer.
That evening, as a family we made the decision to lockdown and on the Monday the rest of the country was told to. I knew I didn’t want any of my family to be a statistic and the relief of having them all home was overwhelming. Everyone’s circumstances are unique and we all have the freedom to make our own, often difficult, choices. I don’t think any of us realised how challenging this was going to be or on how many levels.
Ok, so I’m all flowery now, reflecting on the beginning. The interim has been tough, at times unbearable. For us, as for so many others, there is no end in sight. I’ll save the actuality for another day when I’m in better humour. I would at this point, ask you all to stand on your doorsteps and clap, not for key workers but for ever single individual who has managed to not bury a loved one under a patio.