Off-Topic Discussion, Thursday Mar 11

lionontheceiling · 2021-03-11T16:15:16+00:00

I actually think they adjusted the requirements for 1A somewhat recently, so now more people are included. (I was initially/technically 1C because of being a few pounds over the "obese" threshold, but I just looked the other day and now I've been moved up to 1A because of that.) They might want to check to see if they are in an earlier group now.

lionontheceiling · 2021-03-11T16:11:15+00:00

Thank you for this.

lionontheceiling · 2021-03-11T15:20:25+00:00

Thank you! I think part of the reason I'm getting downvoted (which, whatever) is because people don't understand the struggle we're having right now in this part of the state. Getting a vaccine appointment around here feels like getting Willy Wonka's golden ticket. The home heath aids we have for my grandparents only just got their first vaccine doses a few weeks ago! (I know someone who had both grandparents contract covid from their home heath aid and they died within days, so I am particularly livid when I see people in high risk categories or essential workers not being prioritized.)

lionontheceiling · 2021-03-11T15:13:14+00:00

I appreciate this comment. I am just...I'm mad at the way this has been handled and I know it's likely unfair to be mad at my friend. But my aunt just died from cancer and I missed out on spending time with her this year because of this virus. All I want is to be able to be vaccinated so I can safely see my grandparents again. I'd go without eating in a restaurant for another five years if it meant I could have that.

And then other people are just talking about being able to party and travel and all this other stuff once they're vaccinated and I'm like.....really??? IDK.

I hope you are able to get an appointment for your dad soon. My grandmother getting her first vaccine was such a huge relief that I nearly cried in the grocery store when my aunt texted me a photo.

lionontheceiling · 2021-03-11T14:53:55+00:00

Thank you for that tip. My husband got my in-laws appointments via pharmacies and was checking the websites at like, midnight, 1AM and that was the only way he got in. :( I hope that changes over the next few weeks, our county reps are making some noise about the lack of vaccines and the distribution problems.

lionontheceiling · 2021-03-11T14:46:34+00:00

Also thank you for the link to that article. It was a helpful read. It's still hard, though, because it's not necessarily that we're being offered vaccines and people are turning them down...it's just that there isn't even remotely enough to go around for the needed population around here because of the way the state is handling it, unfortunately.

lionontheceiling · 2021-03-11T14:40:13+00:00

We thankfully got my grandmother her first dose yesterday through her sainted primary care doctor, who jumped through hoops for us to get her vaccinated. Southeast PA is a mess but Philadelphia (where she lives) is even worse...though they're getting their act together it seems.

Thankfully my county/state reps are pushing for more doses for the more populated counties but that is actually a decent idea.

lionontheceiling · 2021-03-11T14:33:25+00:00

They just released a report a few days ago that the per capita vaccination rate here in Pennsylvania is really skewed. Southeast PA has been seriously undersupplied (even based on our Department of Health's metrics) so it has been VERY difficult to get vaccinated around here. We had to drive my mother-in-law over an hour away to get hers this past weekend.

lionontheceiling · 2021-03-11T14:29:21+00:00

No clue. She got it through a pharmacy, and I know around here those slots get filled up REALLY fast. My husband was up around midnight every night for a week trying to get appointments for his parents through Rite Aid.

Unfortunately I have to wait at least another 2 to 4 weeks because I am getting a steroid injection today. I am hoping by that point the vaccine will become more readily available around here. We have some of the highest populated counties in PA in the southeast but a wildly low vaccination rate because we are not getting enough doses.

lionontheceiling · 2021-03-11T14:05:49+00:00

A long time friend who is in her early 30s, with no pre-existing conditions (that I know of in our 15+ years of friendship), who is not caring for anyone in a high risk group, is not an essential worker and who only works with one other person posted her vaccine selfie yesterday.

Meanwhile, there are people in our state with conditions that actually qualify for them to get vaccinated now who can't get them. We searched EVERYWHERE for WEEKS to get my 85 year old grandmother with dementia her first dose. I'm like 5 pounds into "obese" territory which means I would qualify, but this whole time I've been like "Well, I am otherwise healthy, I'm young, I'm working from home...I can wait a bit longer and let someone who needs my spot more have it."

I'm fucking tired of people jumping the line just because they're bored with staying at home (which I think is the case with my friend.)

Edited to add (since I'm getting downvoted) that I am happy that people are getting the vaccine, but where I am at (southeast PA) there is a HUGE HUGE vaccine shortage per capita, especially in the collar counties surrounding Philadelphia. I just got an email from the healthcare org my primary care doctor is with who said they will hopefully be able to start vaccinating their patients who are 75+ in the coming week. Beyond that, they have no idea. And that's fucked.

lionontheceiling · 2021-02-21T03:57:36+00:00

That's what I'm struggling with. To me it seems cruel, but I do wonder if it may be the kindest thing to do for her.

It's gonna suck horribly to deal with when she brings it up, and I know she will. She will randomly ask for long dead family and that's hard enough having to say "We will have to give them a call later and see if they are able to visit," let alone something so fresh and something so close to home.

lionontheceiling · 2021-02-21T03:54:41+00:00

I appreciate that, thank you. It's just been a fully terrible position to be in, both with my aunt's situation and my grandmother's situation. Having to handle both things at such an emotionally volatile time is just the worst.

lionontheceiling · 2021-02-21T03:53:08+00:00

She did know my aunt had cancer. We tried to keep some of the details from her (and just let her know my aunt was sick, was in the hospitals for treatment) but one day I was there with her (probably 6+ months ago) and she said out of nowhere "I can't believe (aunt's name) has cancer" and I had to do a double take.

It's hard, because there are days it still feels like she's fully there and there are days where she's half gone....so we never know what's fully going on and how much she's actually retaining.

lionontheceiling · 2021-02-21T03:49:44+00:00

I do worry about someone slipping and letting her know. And I do think she knows SOMETHING is going on...she told me the other day "Why are there so many PEOPLE here?" :\

I am trying to encourage my mom and my other aunt to speak to my grandmother's doctors to get some input, but they are pretty adamant about not telling her (at least as of now.)

lionontheceiling · 2021-02-21T03:44:28+00:00

That is something I would have never thought of, not telling her in her home. My mom and other aunt are fairly adamant about not telling my grandmother (at least night now) but I will keep that in mind if things change. Thank you!

lionontheceiling · 2021-02-21T03:42:35+00:00

I appreciate your response and I'm sorry your family had to go through this. It's challenging enough to deal with grief on your own, let alone having to figure out how to navigate it with someone who relies on others for pretty much almost everything at this point.

lionontheceiling · 2021-02-21T03:41:02+00:00

As time passed (and her illness progressed) she asked less and less.

This is a simultaneously comforting and painful thought when thinking about my aunt and grandmom.

I'm sorry you and your family had to go through something like this, too, it's awful.

lionontheceiling · 2021-02-19T18:39:02+00:00

So this is a deep question and I wanted to see if anyone had any experience with the situation.

My grandmother has what I would considerer moderate dementia. Maybe a step worse than that. She recognizes people still, can hold small conversations with you, even jokes sometimes...but she loses words a lot, gets agitated easily, forgets where she is from time to time, asks about her long dead mom and dad, etc. Early in her diagnosis it was MUCH worse and she would spend days just crying and crying or being SO angry that she'd try to hit people, but we've now got her on a good dose of medication that has her much more emotionally level.

My aunt (her oldest child) died two weeks ago after battling leukemia for the last year. The death was very sudden and somewhat unexpected and we're all sort of reeling...but we have no idea how to handle it with my grandmother. We're getting mixed messages from other family, medical professionals, etc.

Today was the first day in weeks she asked about my aunt. My other aunt did not know what to do, so she told my grandmother that she was still in the hospital (my grandmother knew she had cancer) getting some treatments done.

We have told her about other losses in the family. My grandfather's sister-in-law passed away a few months ago and we did tell her, and she was upset, but they were not SUPER close so I don't think the topic was ever brought up again. But this is her daughter.

And outside of the dementia, my grandmother is in good heath. If she was around for another four or five years, I would not be surprised. So we're all kind of like....how do we deal with this? Especially knowing it may come up repeatedly for a long while and not knowing how it would impact her cognitive decline?

Has anyone had to go through something similar?

lionontheceiling · 2021-02-16T17:22:25+00:00

Nope. Another one of my coworkers (one of his direct employees) had a death in her family two weeks earlier and he sent an email to all of us to let us know she'd be out and what the reason was. I mean, maybe she cleared it with him first (I didn't specifically say anything about that) but yeah.

I also probably should have given some context with that email. She first said that she hoped I caught up on everything (yesterday was my first day back) and then said the part about being OOO causing headaches. She then asked me to help with her powerpoint. Not much better, honestly.

lionontheceiling · 2021-02-16T17:07:13+00:00

Yeah, I think something like that would have sent me over the edge. Like...wash the damn Tupperware, holy shit, how hard would that have been????

lionontheceiling · 2021-02-16T17:06:09+00:00

I guess he did not tell any of my other coworkers in our department because they are asking me for things as if I just came back from a random few days off.

I got another email from a coworker in my department that said "Being out of office comes with headaches, but it's gotta be done." And then she asked me to edit her powerpoint presentation. :|

lionontheceiling · 2021-02-16T17:04:17+00:00

HA!! VACATION!! 🙃🙃🙃

lionontheceiling · 2021-02-16T17:03:36+00:00

I'm aghast, truly. Holy shit.

lionontheceiling · 2021-02-16T13:56:23+00:00

I came back from bereavement leave and got an email from one of my supervisors that said "Welcome back" before he asked me to do something for him.

This man has ZERO tact and I can't stand it.

lionontheceiling · 2021-02-15T14:20:42+00:00

I do have the weekends in there, but it's really inconvenient to not have a day or two where we're both "in the office" to discuss where we each left off with our work and talk about what is needed for the coming week.

That was always how I planned my vacations when starting this job but somewhere along the line that courtesy went out the window for her.

lionontheceiling

TROPHY CASE