Page 87 - ActsCOVID-19_and_Me

Faith, Trust, and Love
By Jackie Dianich Bayleigh Chase
Why didn’t they tell us more of what was happening? No! They didn’t reveal the total severity of it in Wuhan. We kept watching the news and waiting to see where it would take hold next. First, China, then Italy, and on to Spain. We hoped it never would grasp the people in the United States, especially Maryland. But it drifted from person to person those thousands of miles away and became a global pandemic.
Nothing had affected the world like this since the Spanish Flu of 1918. Hospitals were gearing up with “ammunition” to fight it,
and once the coronavirus hit in Maryland, Governor Larry Hogan mandated that everyone isolate themselves. People started working out of their homes, children were schooled online in their homes, restaurants and other businesses closed. Everyone needed to put on their protective “armor” with masks, distancing themselves from others by 6 feet, using hand sanitizers, antibacterial wipes, and frequent washing of our hands. My hands started feeling like they might erupt; however, hand lotion after each washing seemed to help.
In the midst of the pandemic, I was dealing with another serious issue. My husband, David, who had been diagnosed with dementia and Parkinson’s, was getting worse. Watching, listening, and running to his aid during the day was wearing me down. Our daughters, Kari and Lauren, were concerned about my health and so was David’s neurologist, who told me after two visits that he was more concerned about me at that point than about David.
Listening and giving serious thought to all three, I pondered
what my next steps should be. Praying and listening to others, I decided to take it to the next step. Lauren and I spoke with the Social Services employee at Bayleigh Chase and also the marketing person at Candle Light Cove. Both communities are about the same distance from where we live. Comparing with a spreadsheet,
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