Covid Support Thread
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September 11, 2020 at 5:49 pm #962089
I wondered where’d you’d been. I’m so sorry that you’ve gone through all of that, AON. I’m glad you have gotten yourself on the mend and a new job! That’s great.
September 11, 2020 at 10:02 pm #962092Welcome back, AON! Glad to hear you’re on the rising side of things. That sounds like a very difficult set of weeks and months.
September 12, 2020 at 9:24 pm #962101Big hugs, AON. Glad you’re on the otherside
OriginalusernameSeptember 30, 2020 at 10:34 pm #962772So my job demoted to a lower title and lower pay but would require me to work more hours as a ” sub”. Basically, a lot of teachers left because of how badly our director handled( is handling) Covid. Around Labor day I ended up in the hospitalwith what could very likely be MS. I am sorry I can’t eleborate any more right now. It’s weird for me to go into all the details of that because I don’t think I have been processing it like I should. I had been feeling strange for a little bit and it runs in my family. I wasn’t expecting this. I keep pushing it into a back corner of my mind. I’ve been trying to get seen by a specialist and do all of the things they told me to do at the hospital, but everything is backed up due to Covid. This was before I found out our director was going to be changing my job/title/ pay/ taking away all my sick and vacation days.
The scheduling coordinator promised me they would work with my schedule, because I said I had some appointments coming up for medical reasons I could not miss. They don’t provide for my health insurance so I don’t think I had to go into too much detail. When I came home from work that day, that night the same person was texting me that I was scheduled to come in and sub and provide coverage everyday that week, outside of the hours we agreed on. When I tried to tell her that I didn’t understand why , seeing as how we had just discussed how I wouldn’t be working those same days, she kept saying we all had to do our part in the pandemic and that whatever I was “so depressed about/ she sensed a change in me” I was welcome to talk about at work with her ” because we’re family and you can tell me anything”.
I feel like my brain isn’t letting me process all the things the doctors have been telling me these last couple of weeks. Like, I just snapped and can’t process anymore bad news. It’s so much. I’m really sorry to be so vague and to rant constantly.
I had gotten an offer from a local school here that would pay me more than what my current ( as of today) job was paying since the demotion, and I would be working as a supervisor role that looks better on a resume. Regular hours, for however long that could be because everything changes all the time now with new pandemic regulations. But regardless, I would be making more, commuting a lot less on public transit , and not being made to lug around bulky furniture and get chemical burns. They were just having me do a lot of grunt work with ko direction or consinsty. So when I got the confirmation email from the other place saying I could start Monday, I called my director and said I was leaving. She tried to argue with me about it saying she knew I had gotten another offer, but she thought what I had gained in personal experience there would compensate for the pay loss and outside work and that she had hoped I would be more understanding because of the pandemic. After I got off the phone another staff member approached me as I was scrubbing cots and said “Hey, you know I don’t like how [adminstration staff]is treating you. They’re doing you dirty girl.” And I said ” Yeah, me either. Actually I think this is my last day here”.
I feel so nervous to be leaving. 2020 has destroyed my nerves so bad that even though, logically, I can see this new job as being a step up- no matter how small a step, I just feel like the rug is about to be pulled out from under me again. I feel like growth shouldn’t be possible during these days and idk. I think I’m going to get my first real tattoo to commemorate this, a change I’ve always wanted but always seemed like not the right time to make but can’t take back once it’s made. I want to be able to accept these changes, even if that means tattooing them on me.VathenaOctober 1, 2020 at 8:41 am #962784@OUN, I’m sorry you’ve been having such a hard time – especially with your health. That’s great news that you have left a toxic work situation. I hope you are feeling lighter today!
A few weeks ago, my 7yo daughter tested positive for covid by a rapid antigen test. She had some congestion and a few hours of low-grade fever, so we got her tested just to be careful because my MIL was supposed to visit us. It came back positive and I lost my damn mind. I actually tried to post about it here later that day but I think I wasn’t holding it together enough to remember to click “submit”. I thought we could all die. Total and complete panic on top of the feeling of utter failure to do my ONE JOB and keep my child safe. I cried all day and my MIL arrived (after driving across the country) in time to wave to us through the window. I told our few friends that she’d been playing with and they all went to get tested – negative. It is very difficult to isolate from your young child, but we all wore masks in the house for 10 days, my husband slept on the couch, and she mostly stayed in her room with the iPad and a carton of goldfish crackers. My husband and I both tested negative last week, and I got another test yesterday to be sure (no results yet). Now I wish I’d had the presence of mind to ask the pediatrician to send out the PCR test, as it’s much less prone to false positives than the rapid test – although false positives are still rare. We will do an antibody test in another week or two.
Now I am trying to figure out what to do about our neighborhood “pod” situation. The other three families have signed their kids up for soccer, plus they have other child care for younger kids (nanny and babysitter). My daughter is begging to go out and play again, but after being mortally terrified that we were sitting in our house waiting to get sick and die, I just don’t know if that’s too much risk. There is another family in our neighborhood with similar-age kids that I think has been more careful – mind you, I’m basing this on social media posts and occasionally seeing them out taking masked walks – so I’m thinking about awkwardly texting the mom to ask if they’re a good match and want to be in a relationship with us. Pod-forming does feel very much like dating… of course then I will need to break up with our other pod (“It’s not you, it’s me!”)
October 1, 2020 at 9:00 am #962785oh man, Vathena. that is so hard, but we’re all doing the best that we can under the circumstances. The best for everyone isn’t staying home all day without seeing anyone for months on end.. everyones best looks a little different based on your own emotional, work, etc needs. You ARE DOING AWESOME.
With the potential breakup of the pod, are you worried that your daughter DIDN’T have it and you guys would have to go through this again?
VathenaOctober 1, 2020 at 9:20 am #962786Yeah, that’s my main worry. We are definitely proceeding as though we are all still vulnerable to it. Rates are fairly low in our area – hovering around 5% – but all the points of possible exposure make me nervous. We have talked about keeping the kids entirely outside but we tried that before and they sneak into each other’s houses. And the other kids are just 5 so less compliant with masks. And I need to figure this out by tomorrow because I told my daughter we will be allowed a little more freedom after I get my test result back (which should be tomorrow morning) and I can’t deal with another screaming fit over not being allowed to play.
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