Journal For the Pandemic

Our local airport is a gateway for carriers such as Ryanair and TUI taking passengers to reasonably close destinations in Europe and private aircraft. It is unusual to see jumbo planes sitting on the tarmac but with the grounding of so many flights internationally, some of British Airways planes are parked for storage in Bournemouth.

Before things start to get back to normal (or as we are told ‘the new normal’) I decided to drive by to see what the fuss is about.

Well, it is impressive to see these planes crammed in to our little airport and I had the added bonus of watching the NHS delivery plane take off.

Diary of 2020 April 19th Spring Growth

It’s a beautiful sunny day here in the UK and blossoms fill the trees. The virus isn’t the only thing growing.

My baby granddaughter will be celebrating her 1st birthday next weekend. During the weeks of lockdown, she has grown in stature and moved on in her development. Our other granddaughter is growing with a world where she has to avoid contact with us because of coughies and sneezies. Her birthday will also come along before social distancing becomes a thing of the past.

It is hard not to resent our time apart from the two precious little beings in our lives. It would be lovely to have the usual big family celebrations to acknowledge the joy they bring to our lives.

‘Never mind’, I said to my daughter-in-law this morning. ‘We’ll have a hell of a party once this all ends.’

We are told to protect everyone including the NHS. I accept that and having worked in the NHS, I respect the sacrifices the staff are making. But sometimes I feel that my later life is slipping by and I don’t want to spend it in isolation from the ones I love.

So, although I appreciate the beauty in the natural world, it is difficult to keep positive when my tears are desperate to burst their dam.

Paying the Penalty for an Active Life

My hobbies include dancing, zumba, gym work, spinning, walking, swimming and other forms of exercise and I was led to believe this would keep me well into my more mature years but here I am with worn out knees – too young for replacements but showing signs of wear and tear which are affecting my lifestyle.

In the UK there is much discussion around how the NHS can fund future treatments and one area of debate is hip/knee surgery. If recommendations of weight bearing exercise to counteract the effects of the menopause continue, it is likely that many more people will suffer from similar worn-out joints to mine. We will live in a society of people unable to leave their homes, causing further strain on social services.

Having worked in the NHS I do believe that we should be responsible for our own good health and try to limit expenditure on non-essential treatments however I also know that we must find a solution to the problems that will arise if we do not help people with worn out joints.

I don’t have an answer but know that there needs to be a discussion about the perils facing the next generations of elderly.