The Hannah Family

Only halfway through 2020?

We don’t really do anything to celebrate New Year’s Eve, but I have never been more ready to ring in a new year...

Chloe has Mom and her Thomas blanket

Mom is officially Covid-19 negative

How she’s in this dire state and yet recovered from Coronavirus humbles me. Visitation is on hold indefinitely, but Mom just had her second negative test, and awaits the rest of the residents on the hall to do the same. She is “less interested” in fluids so they try every hour to get her to drink and continue to classify her hospice status as a “slow decline.” We’re in agreement on that one, but she’s in good spirits, has no pain, and best yet: She’s cleared to return for regular showers! That part made me cry tears of pure joy. 

We’re getting old

Today we celebrated Mark’s (our) 26th Father’s Day. Thursday, we celebrated our 28th anniversary. Two kids have moved out, and we have two kids in high school. The years are flying past so quickly these days.

The one where Pat came home with 3 men

I phoned Mom’s old neighbor in Tampa to keep her updated. We reminisced about how smart and funny Mom is, which was great. Then she shared a new story that Pat and Leon hadn’t.

Mom had been diagnosed with dementia, but only the two of them knew and she was still driving. She came out of Walmart and couldn’t get her (in good working order Hyundai) car to start. She encountered a few gentlemen who agreed they would all go back to Mom’s townhouse to get her debit and credit cards (probably already in her purse so dementia helped a bit that afternoon), and then hit the banks to get the money for the “easy” repairs they were willing to make.

Fortunately Leon met the four of them at the door with his customary “What the hell, Pat?” and sent the guys packing before they committed any number of felonies. Nice job, Leon! That was a close one.

 

Apparently, I had the flu in March

I had a flu shot in the fall, but I was also exhausted from grad school by spring. I was sick for almost two weeks at the end of March so I was hoping I had COVID-19 early, built some antibodies while my family did the same, and could feel somewhat protected in the classroom this fall (hopefully in a classroom of my own, but possibly substitute teaching). No such luck. Maybe I can plan better and go to the grocery store even less.

I’m glad I took so many photos when I could!

I miss visiting Mom very much, especially during all this global uncertainty. Hospice noted today Mom lost another 10 pounds over the past 6 months (that she obviously didn’t have to spare). She isn’t drinking as much and is “slowing down.” I take this as a gentle warning of the inevitable, but they aren’t sounding any alarms yet. I probably qualify for a Guinness World Record of “Most Goodbyes Given to Someone You Never Want to Lose.”

Big Matt

His roommate still feels well and they’re kinda/sorta distancing as much as one can in a two-bedroom apartment. Matt has fatigue, sinus pain, and fever. He’s sleeping now which is good. It’s hard not to have him home when he’s sick, but at least there’s no chance of him infecting anyone here so that’s a tiny something.

Hospitalizations for C19 on the rise

Matt’s friends tested positive so he’s sheltering in place for 14 days in Charlotte since they spent an evening together just before that. He said he’s been tired, but fine otherwise. Between the George Floyd protests, beach gatherings and other reopenings, this is not slowing down. I’m going to get an antibody test next week to possibly determine whether what I had in March was the coronavirus or the flu (back then they were reserving tests for healthcare workers/patients in the hospitals).

Mom’s SNF is currently reporting 40 positive cases of COVID-19 and 4 deaths; her condition remains the same.

So many people have had to delay surveillance exams

I finally had my overdue mammogram Tuesday, primary will get the report shortly. Today I have mole biopsies, postponed because the dermatologist’s office closed for two months due to covid-19. Still waiting to have my overdue third colonoscopy for those wonky polyps like Pat’s that are benign originally, but malignant 5-10 years later. On one hand I don’t mind waiting, but if anything shows up positive for cancer from pathology we’ll be heartbroken. This will play out in a million plus households over the next 12+ months, at least. Are they going to be counted as C-19 deaths too? No. I know our own NC hospitals are rapidly backing off on routine care to prepare for the current second wave of COVID-19. Hospitalizations are rising after the state reopenings, protests and riots against the ignorance, racism and police violence. This is unlike anything we’ve expected, but I can already feel the ripple effects lasting decades.