Do you ever feel this will never be over?

Nona4ever and sincere sympathies. There are no words at such a sad time

Nona4ever I feel so very sorry for the situation you are in. No words are good enough, all I can offer is

Anybody that wants to pm me, I will reply.

Nona4ever, my heart goes out to you. Sending you love and hope. Your heart must be breaking. Love XxX

I could cope if it wasn’t for the fact that my daughter had her second baby at the beginning of February and I will miss the joy of holding a tiny baby in my arms. We are so lucky to have FaceTime etc but I can’t smell her!

Nona, so very sorry. You won't want to hear this right now but if you are in the UK, there will be organisations that can help you.

Please lets try and keep this kind and supportive to lessen the lonely feelings.

So sorry for your loss Nona4ever and for the let down on the blood test. My DH died on 25th January and I had been coping reasonably well. But since the lockdown I seem to be in a permanent daze, not able to get on with anything. As so many others have said its the "not knowing" and not being able to see family that hurts so much. I hope everyone stays safe and well and hugs to all those,like me, who are on their own coping day to day xx

It will be over eventually. Next summer will have to make up for this year's very odd one.

I feel fine, sleeping well, (over)eating well, plenty of projects to work on. I do miss my family but that's all.

I've gained a new appreciation of how lucky I am. I enjoy the solitude and pottering in the garden. It must be hell for families in flats with bored children.

My only worry, longer term, is that if we return to 'normal', we'll have the same, ideal conditions for the next pandemic.

I know. My daughter said to me this morning that she heard it could go on into next year and she feels time is a-wasting. All I try and do is what you are doing, try to see it as a break, a hiatus, a chance to hear the birds, talk, rest. The world is having a rest too - dolphins in the grand canal, pollution cleared from the sky...I hope when it’s over we’ve learnt something. However, I woke this morning feeling quite down and not sure why. It’s horrible too.

This is exactly how it feels to be estranged. Tip toeing around everyone, not daring to do what feels natural, changing your behaviour to suit am external situation you have no control over. It's exactly what gp go through when they're cut off from their gc. A living hell.

This has got to pass, it's not helping my mental health probs

This too will pass. My mum used to say that and it always seemed to help. Not sure now. My DP died of the virus on Sunday after 10 days in ICU. I am now in self-isolation in a house in the back of beyond which we came to as our retirement dream 2 years ago. I have no friends here - DP and I were totally self-sufficient. My children are 50 miles away but are also self-isolating. This week a new GP at my surgery offered me a private blood test which would establish if I’d had the virus and more importantly, now had the antibodies. Just what I need. The next day another GP told me that no such reliable test exists and that if it did it would be for frontline NHS personnel only.
So I’d been at absolutely rock bottom - had my hopes lifted - and then went back to sub-zero which is where I remain. I go to bed and pray that I don’t wake up. But the same cruel God always does wake me up.

BTW I can thoroughly recommend watching Joe Stilgoe,s Songs from his Shed. Monday to Friday at 1.00 on FaceBook (I think) and 8.00pm on a Saturday.

Very uplifting and you can interact with him.

Of course it will end. Things will be tough for another few weeks but there will be an end to it.
I admit I am feeling fed up staying at home except for a daily walk & a weekly trip to queue outside Sainsburys-which is good as you get to chat to strangers while you wait & see how others are coping. TBH everyone is doing well.
Yes I miss my boys & my DGC but there are phones & clever things with PCs do we can see each other when we chat. My Yoga class & dance class are being sent via PC to my TV screen do I can exercise.
The weather is great so the garden is looking wonderful & I am very happy to sit out there & read.
This will pass & we will get over it.
Our grandparents & some of our parents too had a long war to contend with - all we have to do is stay at home with all our home comforts & chill.

It will be over, we dont know when, but it WILL end.
Most days I feel fine, not today however, I feel a bit depressed to be honest, nothing to look forward to, or to plan for etc.
I think not knowing if we have had, or have the virus, is one worrying thing, we arent being tested so will not know if we are carriers and might infect someone,that is frightening.
We will get through this in the true British manner,and remember "you never walk alone" Hold on out there see you all soon.

Hypno: I'm with you. Just as long as I know my family and friends are O.K., I'm with them all in spirit.

Did the world stop after the last virus - Bird Flu was it? - no we all knuckled down and got on with life.

I try not to watch too much news/read a paper/websites about the virus. Putting my head in the sand? Maybe but I am coping in the only way I know how.

Stay safe and healthy and PLEASE stay home. I have friends in the NHS who need to stay strong and not get this virus, to look after those that do.

As DelBoy said, this time next year we could be millionaires or at least wondering what it was all about.

To be a boomer you need to have been born between 1946 and 1964. That is less than 20 years. Many of us are older than that. Already some post-boomers are in their 50s and grandparents and members of GN.

It is a silly term used by sloppy thinkers, too young to know better. Older people have been brainwashed into thinking anyone over 60 is a boomer and then start blaming themselves for every ill that besets the country.

I am not a boomer and never have been, by any definition.

Don't go there, Greymar - we can choose to laugh or cry in this world, and imagined fears are so destructive. I have a wobble here and there, but try to live in the 'right now'. My family are, so far and thank God, safe, I have something to eat for tonight, there are worries about jobs etc. but I absolutely refuse to allow events that haven't happened to dominate my life, as I have a lot less life in front of me than I do behind me. Perhaps considerably less than I might hope given the situation, but it won't be spent gripped with fear. Take heart - my experience has been that worst fears rarely happen, and if they do then we will have to deal with it.

Hi Greymar,
I know no matter what, this shall pass, although at times it seems it's going to last for ever, I was out to the chemist or the first time in 3 weeks as generally my husband does the shopping, once a week.
I've been holding it together by walking round the garden, actually thought about going back onto antidepressants, I stopped them 18months ago.
I can't concentrate long enough to do baking, it's taking me all my time to cook meals.
My eldest daughter is keeping her sanity by doing 1,000 piece jigsaws.
I just keep saying, it will go.
I have had an operation cancelled for the time being, but I'm glad, because I really don't fancy travelling a long distance to the hospital concerned, therefore I'll wait until the time is right.
It's good we can let go on here, I haven't opened up before as I thought everyone would be coping better than me.

This will not end until there is a vaccine. Life will not go back to normal until then , and anyone who thinks it will is kidding themselves .

Good morning all! I relate to all of the above. Due to underlying health conditions I have been self isolating since mid march,although I'm not one of the shielded group. I work in a care home which has residents with the virus. I'm very lucky in that my house is paid for and I have a small amount of savings as I dont receive sick pay and not sure if will get statutory sick pay as not sick,although my Dr advised me not to work,its a very grey area! I live alone with 2 cats but content with own company. I live on a close so in some strange ways things seem the same! I havent left the house since mid march,but luckily have enough supplies. I count my blessings which are many,including family friends and neighbours who happy to help. Like many here I have days when I'm positive and bake,do crafts etc. I also have days when feel lethargic and overwhelmed and negative thoughts seep in,when will I see friends and family? When will it be safe to leave the house. ? What happens if household emergency needing plumber etc,scares me to think of letting someone in house!
My concentration is terrible,I cant focus to read a book! I find I need to watch really bland tv and programmes before the crisis seem so strange and also bring about a hint of sadness when see normal pre crisis life. ! I have grown weary of live programmes where talk seems to go in circles!
I think we all need to be so patient with ourselves and accept it's ok to feel whatever we are feeling,so much of this situation is out of our control. I do think that there is much we are not being told.
So fellow gransnetters,be gentle with yourselves and try and find some positived about each day. Even during such a terrible global crisis there is much love in the worldxxx

It will end , although I'm sitting in my garden. Am I wrong in wishing it was raining,as so many people going out sitting in parks, even going on the gym equipment in my local park. If people stop doing this it will be over sooner.

I agree with you and I am fortunate in that I always live only one day at a time. The challenge now is to take it further to just one moment at a time. This seems as good a time as any to actually live just in the moment.
I think we all do this but we have the opportunity now to fine-tune it. Concentrating for one minute on now is very rewarding and comforting. Happy Easter xxxx

I think we all feel uncertain in these times. It's like a silent killer...we can't see it but we know its there BUT we can only look to the future and believe that it will come to an end.
I think of those who are living in North Korea where they have to live like this every day of their lives. This for us is just a short period in time but I hope that we can reflect & know whats important and what isnt

It will end a darn sight quicker if those morons who insist on behaving as normal, going around in close groups and treating the whole thing as a holiday, instead of staying six feet apart. Idiots! (what we need is a continual rainstorm for the next month) It might not solve it all, but it slows it right down.
This is potentially deadly, but it will pass.
I just feel like l am living in a very low grade disaster movie, with every day seeming as if it's Sunday.
If the sensible people outweigh the morons, it will sort itself out eventually. I certainly don't dispair, l just get a little fidgety sometimes.