The following is another contribution from Anonymous, and not a contest entry. I'm still hoping to receive submissions for the writing contest. The winner will receive the PSD book of his/her choice. Oh, and that includes the newest title, Good Eats at the TEOTWAWKI Cafe, Volume 2: Condiments, Sauces, Seasonings, and Other Homemade Essentials Using Food Storage, which will be available on Amazon later this week.
One day five years ago I was fine and the next I was diagnosed with a terminal blood cancer. That’s life – not genetic, not age related, not life style – no reason, just life changing.
With the 3+ years of intense treatment and eventual stem cell transplant (also called a bone marrow transplant) we needed to provide as germ free a place as possible. A bit difficult with a smaller home with one bathroom. A larger house with multiple bathrooms would have been much more doable, but we moved from that one and downsized. OK, now what?! The first thing that changed for the better was when our adult daughter quit her job, sublet her apartment and moved home to caretake for 9 months. After the return of the cancer, our son transitioned his college to on-line (his college was great about it!) and continued as caretaker. He’s still here and we have purchased a house with him since I’m going to live through this cancer. He said that now I would always have a place to live. Good kid!
Here are the things we did with the family working and life
continuing as much as it could. I’m hoping that our experience will help
others. Isolating a sick person to keep them from catching anything or to keep
them from infecting others isn’t something we had ever thought of. Afterall, we
have hospitals, rehabilitative centers and nursing homes. Suddenly, we had to
devise systems that would allow those who needed to go out to return and not
bring germs or infections home. This is what we did:
1. We set up a disinfecting station at the door. Until winter, it was just outside the door. This station sported hand sanitizer, an alcohol based cleaner with paper towels, and disinfecting wipes.
2. All shoes and boots were left outside until the snows came.
3. Each person who returned home took all their clothing (expecting undergarments) off and the clothing was put immediately in the washer and washed each night. We had hooks by the exterior door holding everyone’s bathrobes. We also kept each person’s slippers by the front door as well.
4. All packages were unpackaged outside of the house and the packaging removed from the premises. There were more packages than usual because of Covid lockdowns.
5. All purchased items from any store or any orders were washed down with an alcohol based cleaner.
6. All foods were properly cared for and no food was purchased from the hot bar or prepared on site. No foods were purchased from restaurants. No salads, no sliced meats, no Chinese food. Plastic gloves were used. We had to buy 3 different sizes.
7. All the handled spots in the communal areas were wiped down daily – door knobs, sink handles, chairs, bathroom area, remotes, phones, etc. At first, we used the commercial disinfecting wipes, but after a bit we made our own. They were difficult to find at times.
8. The bathroom was kept very clean. Toothbrushes were removed from the bathroom. The toilet seat was kept closed when not in use. I had my own hand towel and bath towel. They were washed and dried daily.
9. In the kitchen, I had my own set of dishes and glassware that was only used by me and was washed and dried in the dishwasher.
10. All clothing, bedding and towels were washed and dried in a hot dryer. No line drying if possible. I have read that drying in the sun can sanitize.
11. The car/truck was disinfected and vacuumed before I was allowed in it.
12. Personally, nails were cut short and filed for comfort and cleanliness. They were also free of polish for the caretakers to monitor. When I was really sick, I couldn’t cut my nails and needed someone to do it for me. Any open sores or wounds were covered.
13. Fortunately, I did not have bathing issues, but we did buy a shower chair for stability. We also ended up purchasing a rotary toothbrush with a changeable head. Not having to manually brush was a godsend.
14. We had to install door handles that were easy open and had electronic locks. A traditional door handle and key were too difficult for me to open and use.
15. Nothing was shared without being wiped down. Nothing.
16. Anyone who got a cold had to stay in their room. Dinner trays were brought to them.
17. If needed, we could have used plastic sheeting to further isolate anyone. We could, if needed, make zones within our house for different people and different purposes.
18. A second bathroom would have been really useful as one could have been just for me. We worked with what we had.
19. All vacuums were emptied outside.
20. All real plants were removed from the house. No fresh flowers were allowed.
This is how we handled my being so very ill WITH electricity and running water. I am sure that it would be far more difficult without those. Boredom started to be a real problem as my eyesight was temporarily changed and reading became difficult. We had lived without television for 30 years until my dear husband brought in a Roku TV. Company! We have two dogs and the doctors tried to tell me they needed to be kept in another room. I absolutely refused as their company helped me to recover. I was very smart about it and kept them away from my face. Be wise.
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