3 years ago today……

merlotgran A poignant post.
I imagine in hindsight lockdown was a blessing in some respects.
I felt myself and my husband grew closer in lockdown, we had time for each other.

My older daughter, who has two children and a partner, had just been diagnosed with breast cancer,
Not only was there the worry of whether she would get prompt and effective treatment, but I could not be on hand to support her in person.
Thankfully, after a mastectomy, chemo, radiotherapy and reconstruction surgery she is doing well, and is just off to the French Alps with the family for some walking, maybe skiing, and just a general good time!

Luckygirl3

I remember thinking that we would be fine as we are an island and the government will close the borders .... hmmm.
I remember thinking thank goodness my OH is not here ... he would have been frantic with worry.
I remember struggling to cope as OH had died a few weeks before ... I faced the prospect of lonely grieving separated from family and friends. It was hell.

Luckygirl, me too, and I was often to wonder how I would have coped with the Bodach’s dementia. I think I was grateful in a way that I could hide away from the world, without having to appear strong.

My wife of 13 years had recently retired and had bought an apartment on a Small Canary Island. We had both just overwintered there and returned to the UK in February. At the start of March my daughter and SIL went out to the apartment for a long weekend and I looked after the grandchildren in London. They returned and I returned to where I live to be told by my wife that she really didn’t fancy getting locked down in the UK and had decided to bring a flight back to our island abode forwards and was leaving a few hours later. Bags packed she departed.
Lockdown there was shorter but harder and as soon as things opened up life there was back to a sort of normal, sunshine, beaches and fabulous food and wine.
I spent a total of 14 months alone here most of it spent walking on the hills and moors around where I live. We attempted to maintain a relationship via zoom and WhatsApp but it was impossible. I may never forgive her for abandoning me at the first real test of our marriage and the divorce is sadly ongoing.

It was scary - everything unknown. I remember the main road near me completely empty of traffic. It was eerie. I remember being labelled "elderly vulnerable" by Waitrose and getting priority for delivery slots. I remember unpacking those early deliveries and wiping/washing every item before putting it away! At that time we had no idea how Covid was transmitted.

Three year's ago yesterday our flight from Australia through Abu Dhabi was cancelled so we ended up staying there another 3 months! An extended holiday

I remember that ,Kate1941.
One of my daughters had told me we were about 2 weeks behind Italy.
I remember stating, confidently, that we would never get into that state !
How stupid was I ?

Mirren

I remember that ,Kate1941.
One of my daughters had told me we were about 2 weeks behind Italy.
I remember stating, confidently, that we would never get into that state !
How stupid was I ?

Italy were begging us to see what was happening to them and to take action. And when the government did do something they gave people several days notice so they could go out and party. Which they did. Matlock Bath eg was rammed the weekend before lockdown one. By that time my family, young and old, were in siege mentality and had been for quite a while. Johnson (and his father) believe in letting people do pretty much as they please.

It was an awfully anxious time. Our first grandchild was only 10 days old and I was worried about her and about my DD who lived over 100 miles away. We felt lucky we saw the baby two days before lockdown started but didn’t know when we would see her again. Thankfully, everyone has survived and even thrived and my DGD is now a beautiful bright 3 year old living a good life.

Being an introvert I quite enjoyed lockdown. Both DH and I retired so need to go to any work. Only needed to do shopping. Problem is I am find it hard to get back into 'real' life and don't really want to go anywhere!

Three years ago, two days after lock down, my husband was admitted to hospital. I had to leave him in a wheel chair and was told 1 could not stay, a nurse took him in.
I went home and that was the last I saw of him for three weeks. I was allowed to visit in full PPE three times, no family was allowed and the last time he sadly passed but I was so glad to be with him to say my final goodbye.
What an awful year it was for everbody.

I could not see my Mum, who lives on her own, 350 miles away from me. She spent her 94th birthday on her own and her 95th birthday too.
I could not see my new baby grandson, very difficult as he was in hospital a couple of times and we could not help the family.
Both sons were key workers, I worried about them at the time.
The legacy of lockdown has left me with anxiety, I get panic attacks in crowded or enclosed spaces. I am just about getting back to normal. It was truly horrible and so sad for those who lost loved ones.

I do think the amount of lockdowns and restrictions have also had some negative effects as well. But they did in an odd way make you appreciate things more as they were lifted my DH was very pleased when he could go to the pub again.

Was busily filling the shelves in store with Easter cards when the boss called said down tools leave store go home stay there until further instructions. 3 weeks of bliss followed, peaceful roads, beautiful weather, no hustle and bustle, family all safely at home with there families. Loved every blooming second.

I remember when the first lockdown was lifted, in July I think. Younger son and I drove up to Kensington to see elder son and his family. They were using a friend’s flat while they finally had a new kitchen fitted in their place in Kew. What a nightmare journey. I don’t often drive in central London and I must have driven over one particular bridge several times! My sat nav was misbehaving too.

I suffered with a tooth abscess the week lockdown began and of course dental clinics closed but the manager managed to drop a script for antibiotics thru my letter box..antibiotics didn't work and had to request a 2nd script and download pictures of my gums..soo much pain and the 2nd lot didn't work either so was desperate and had an emergency appt where another dentist tried to drain the abscess ..very stubborn abscess - long story short had to have tooth removed because they couldn't do root canal at the time..so all in all i lost an upper molar which is nothing compared to people who lost their lives..

To add, later on in the first year of covid, despite following all the precautions, our household succumbed to covid (pre vaccine development). Mr GO was taken by ambulance into ICU, there was talk of him being intubated, and I wondered if I was facing widowhood. Tbh, I was so out of it myself, that it wasn't until later into the weeks of illness for all of us, that this really started to sink in. Thankfully we all got through it and can look back and hope this scenario never happens again.
However, apart from the decent weather, the privilege of getting to know our foxes, and our recovery, there is just nothing positive I can find about it - clearly a glass half empty point of view!

I remember the silliness of folk rushing to buy loo rolls !!!
The shelves were then empty for weeks & we had to get some from a friend who had loads !

My friend’s mother rang her for an urgent request for loo rolls, she went to every supermarket but couldn’t get any.
She rang her mother and said she’d keep trying, but as yet hadn’t been able to get any, her mum said, not to worry too much, she had six packets, but didn’t want to run out.
I only remember shortages of pasta, but we never actually ran out, my granddaughter got into baking, and flour was a problem till a colleague got us some from a farm shop at a massively inflated price.
One thing we couldn’t get was paracetamol.

Threw me into complete panic. Expectation that the future would be like some apocalyptic film. Scared to go out shopping and followed those lockdown rules to the letter.
A few weeks in wasn't it bliss to have the main roads so quiet. We looked forward to our walks. Mastered facetiming. Zoom and online grocery shopping.. Back to basic recipes, Growing our own, and decluttered the house with lots of reminiscing. Furlough gave the kids an opportunity to home school and enjoy their little ones in a way not known before. We facetimed friends, did group quizzes and dressed up at the weekend to pretend we were on nights out. It was good to just 'be' although the fear of covid , illness and maybe even death was never far away and the heartbreak of not being with loved ones who so needed you was often too painful to bear.
Now we live along side Covid and are having to come to terms with the chaos it has caused. Emotionally, physically and financially. But ever grateful that we are here at all and never forget those tens of thousands of folk who died or are suffering long term health issues.

I remember feeling unusually exhausted and my husband commenting I looked "peaky" Not surprising as I was coming down with Covid. Two days later I became really ill and remember wondering "Is this it? Am I going to die" After 2 dreadful weeks I thankfully recovered. I spent the rest of April sunbathing in the garden and enjoying the quietness.

I kept a diary from the beginning of the first lockdown, and took a photo each day which I printed out and stuck on the page with the account of the day. In the first few days our family brought us flour (from a local windmill) and shopping as we decided not to go into supermarkets. I was making bread and growing bean sprouts in the airing cupboard. We started playing Bridge on line with my sister-in-law and her husband and planned to use Zoom to stay in touch with our community choir. (This worked as we have survived!) It was sinking in that this was going to be a very difficult time and we had 'wobble days'.

I think the thing that scared me most at the beginning was finding out that, if you were going to be very ill with covid that kicked in in the second week, because I realised that, if I caught it I would be waiting for that to happen. As it is I didn’t catch it because we basically shut ourselves off from the world. The second disappointment was realising that the vaccine didn’t prevent transmission or give long term protection. I didn’t keep a diary but did message my daughter a lot so I have a record of what we discussed during that time.

Looking back, I’m surprised at how little we actually worried about catching it.
We were very worried about our business, we were worried about the children who were living with us, and our other children and their families, but a serious illness, which could have potentially killed us, seemed somehow remote.

I was still working at a preschool for key workers children, and worrying about my 2 daughters who were both due babies in the June and July 20, all turned out well in the end, I ended up being furloughed for a few weeks, my husband was also furloughed so we cleared our house/loft as we wanted to move when covid was over, just for info, the impact covid had on preschoolers was awful, upsetting and emotional to see them coming together again when we opened up again, socialisation, behavior, was impacted badly