Argh, enough already!

I'm so tired of this virus already.  Even though I often stay home for weeks at a time I always knew I could go out if I wanted.  Sometimes I would go to a bookstore, thrift stores, or craft store just to get out of the house for a while and now they are all closed.  I guess I can order online from Michael's or Joann's and do the curbside pickup for things they have in stock locally.  It is just not the same.  I love to wander those aisles and find things I didn't know I wanted. 

Alaska is now up to 133 cases of the virus with 3 deaths.  35 of those cases are here in Fairbanks where I live.  I've stayed inside and away from anyone outside of my family for the past 2.5 weeks since I am high risk.  This morning though, my younger son came home from work early because he was sick.  He works as a cashier at a grocery store.  He probably doesn't have the coronavirus but we had to be sure so we had him call the hotline.  They decided he should get tested ASAP so my husband took him through the drive through testing center.  Now we all (4 of us) have to stay home and no one can go to work until the test comes back negative.  I really hope he doesn't have it.  He could just have a cold.  He said he has a lot of head/sinus congestion and wasn't really coughing much but now that it is later I am hearing him coughing more and more.  My house smells like lysol and bleach and I'm afraid to leave my little corner of the house.  My son has orders to stay in his room and call if he needs anything.  We will bring him food and leave it by the door like a prisoner.  Poor guy.

I'm trying to keep myself busy with knitting and reading.  My knitting has an issue now so it is in timeout.  Now I'm reading Mary Higgins Clark's debut suspense novel, Where are the Children?  I figured that was fitting since she passed away on January 31st this year.  I'm about half way and so far it is pretty good.  I'll probably finish it tomorrow sometime. 

I guess she actually wrote one book before this one but it didn't sell well and she decided to switch to suspense.  Aspire to the Heavens was actually her first novel which was a fictionalize account of the life of George Washington.  It was later released under the title Mount Vernon Love Story.  I'm not into love stories so I'll stick with this one for now. 

I hope everyone is staying home and avoiding the coronavirus as much as possible.  This is one time where we can be a bad host.  We can not wear a bra because no one is coming to the door or stay in pajamas as long as we want.  I say that's a blessing to count for sure.
Be safe!
~D

Update

Right after my last post we had our first confirmed case of Covid 19 in Alaska.  I almost updated my last post but decided to wait and post a new one.  Now we have 3 confirmed cases here in Fairbanks, 1 in Anchorage, and 1 in Ketchican (5 total in Alaska).  I have cancelled my appointment to see my Rheumatologist in Anchorage and I'm going to just stay in my house.  They are closing places anyway so there isn't really anywhere to go.

Yesterday I went to the imaging center connected to the hospital to get my blood work done.  My husband thought it would be safer for me to go there since they are screening anyone who comes in.  No one is allowed to go in without an appointment or order for the lab and I'm not sure what they do if someone is sick but I was assured no one sick was there.  Some of the staff were wearing masks as a precaution.  I told them I take immuno-suppressant drugs and they got me in there after screening me and people were kept spaced out.  I felt so relieved seeing all the precautions they were taking.  By going there I was able to use the direct door to that area instead of walking through the hospital and there was hand sanitizer and wipes right there when you get in the door.  I am so glad to get that over and done with and hopefully my Rheumatologist will refill any drugs needed without seeing me now that he has the blood work.  

I did sneak into Michaels real quick to grab some yarn for some new projects and now I am not going to leave my house for a while.  My husband and 2 sons (adults) do have to work though so we have a place set up with hand sanitizer and lysol wipes by the door.  My husband works at the hospital in IT and my 2 sons both work at Fred Meyer (large chain grocery store plus other stuff similar to walmart super stores) so I really hope they don't get it and bring it home.  

It is so strange how everything is closing and everyone is so scared.  Our whole world is changing so fast.  We realized our bed was broken last night and we needed to get a new one.  We looked at the websites of a couple local stores and picked one out.  Today I called and talked to someone at Sadlers in Fairbanks.  Ashley was very kind and super helpful and I was able to order a bed and pay over the phone.  Ashley was very knowledgeable about the bed and was able to answer every question I had about it.  I didn't even need to go in but she said they actually do have it on the floor if I wanted to (even though the website doesn't show it as one available or displayed at he Fairbanks store.  In just one week they will deliver it AND put it together for us.  I'm extremely happy about that.  Thank you Sadlers and ASHLEY!  

So now I am going to attempt to relax and work on something and that is not going to be easy to do.  I ordered a new circular knitting needle to make something I have made once before.  I used 4 balls of cotton yarn (4 strands held together) to knit a rug for my bathroom.  I love that rug and how easy it is to wash.  Now I need a new rug for my kitchen and I'm going to make one in sage green to match my kitchen colors.  I used a pattern where they used fabric strips to knit the rug and I did make one but it was huge.  I really didn't like it that much either.  I really love the rug I made with cotton yarn.  

I have also been crocheting doilies.  That is really odd for me since I never like to make things that are just decorative.  Usually, if something isn't practical I lose interest in making it and usually don't finish.  Now though, I really feel like making things with thread.  I have some size 10 cotton thread and I've been using that AND enjoying it a lot even though I have to wear reading glasses all the time to see what I'm doing.  

Imbued Starweave

This is one that I made recently.  This pattern is called Imbued Starweave by Julia Hart.  It would have been bigger but I didn't have the right size thread.  I used size 10 cotton thread so mine is only around 7" across.  When I saw the picture of the pattern I saw thistle blooms so I decided to use 2 colors and I love how it turned out.  

I made another doily for my sister for her birthday this month and looked for one with the pineapple stitch because I know she likes that.  This one is Starfish Pineapple Doily and while the website the pattern was on is gone now the pattern can be found on the wayback machine website (click the linked title).  I couldn't find the right size hook when I made that one so I ended up using a bigger hook (by several sizes) so it would look a lot different with the right hook.

Starfish Pineapple Doily

The latest doily I made was more difficult because I couldn't find a pattern.  I fell in love with the picture but the pattern is in a German magazine and I couldn't figure out how to buy a copy.  I would still love to find a copy (of the whole magazine) so if anyone knows how I could get one, please let me know.  Anyway, I stared at the picture a really long time, with reading glasses.  I tried enlarging it but the quality is poor.  I ended up deciding it was probably all made of triple crochet stitches with a few single crochet here and there and chains.  After a lot of trial and error I ended up with this.  No disrespect to the designer and I would happily buy the pattern if there is some way to do so.  

Okay so now I need to think about my next project and also start a new book.  These are the things that will keep my mind off of the negative news.  I hope everyone can find a way to relax and hopefully enjoy some time at home.  

~Donna J

I'm have to say, I'm scared.

I know everyone is scared right now because of the Corona virus (Covid 19).  I also know some people believe everyone is overreacting and hoarding TP and masks.  Sure, it might seem silly to some but I really am scared.

I have an autoimmune disorder and take a biologic to suppress my immune system.  I take Humira but there are other kinds of drugs that do the same thing.  So my body's defense system has gone haywire and is attacking my own body, mainly my joints and connective tissues.  This causes me to have a lot of pain and fatigue every day, all the time.  Humira has turned down the level of pain to a more tolerable level but I also have to worry about getting infections.  I was told before I started it that I could get sick and end up in the hospital from things a healthy person could fight off on their own.  Since I have been taking Humira I have been sick a lot, even though I don't work and rarely leave my house.  Other people in my family go to work and pick up germs and bring them home and I get it every single time, no matter how hard I try to avoid it.  My two sons both work at a large chain store and my husband works at a hospital in IT.

I get a bad sinus infection nearly every time I get sick and I have to take antibiotics to fight them.  I also have to stop taking Humira so my body can fight it and then the pain starts to come back.  The last time I had a cold and sinus infection I had to take 2 rounds of antibiotics (the second was stronger) and I was off Humira for a full month and in really bad pain.

Okay, so I was due to take my next dose of Humira Sunday and I was scared to take it because of this whole pandemic.  I am supposed to go to an appointment with my Rheumatologist in two weeks which means I have to fly.  It's a short 45 minute flight but I'm worried.  We will stay in a hotel for one night and probably rent a car - lots of germy opportunities there.  So I asked my Rheumatologist if I should just skip taking the Humira.  He said there are no confirmed cases here in Alaska yet and no evidence for how the virus would affect anyone taking Humira so he thinks I should continue taking it but said "ultimately it is up to you."  So basically, he's covering his butt there.

I googled to see what else I could find out.  It seems there are no cases of anyone taking a biologic having the SARS virus so they really have no documented information about how it would affect someone but I think logic rules in this case.  I keep thinking about how sick I was from just a cold.  I got bronchitis and the worst sinus infection I've ever had.  I read online that there is also a risk, if people discontinue the biologic drugs, that the inflammation can damage organs, eyes, and other areas inside the body so they recommend people ask their doctors before stopping their medications. It really is a case by case thing so it depends on what each person's specific problem.

I just wonder, if the doctor was the one with this problem, what would they do?

I just read today that in my state they are closing schools, the university is closed to students, you can't even visit prisoners.  You can't visit the elderly homes and my church is no longer having meetings or sacrament.

Oh, and I am due to get my blood work checked so my doctor can review it at my appointment.  I hate going to the clinic because there are always sick people there coughing and sneezing.  I just want to hide in my closet until this whole thing is over but I would run out of my medications.  I can not get prescriptions renewed until I get blood work checked and go to my appointments.  The only good thing I have learned is that Medicare will cover any costs if I do catch the virus with no out of pocket from me.  I just hope I don't die.