Just as weather was changing and you were nearing the end of cold and flu season you were finally looking forward to introducing your infant daughter to so many people, the world turned upside down. After keeping her to yourself, your tow boys, and your husband the first three months of her life, you were finally ready to share her with the those closest to you, who out of love had kept their distance for so many weeks.
At that point, you were already feeling a little lonely and clung to the few social activities you had carved out for yourselves.
Then Covid happened.
Your sister has not even met your daughter yet, and the baptism is now postponed indefinitely. your best friend who wanted to fly to visit cannot. Events have been canceled. Trips postponed.
You realize that these changes are the new reality for everyone, but you are extra sad because your daughter will only be little once. You cannot get these days, snuggles, and firsts back. No one loves your daughter as much as the four of you do, but no one else gets to share the joy that this first daughter has brought and that hurts your heart.
Family Medical Practices Continue to Manage Many Appointments Through the Telemedicine Platform
One of the biggest challenges of working, exercising, and socializing at home is the absence of schedules. Motivating yourself to do things in a different order or time of day can make the work feel different. And that is, unfortunately, the new norm.
And while your dog certainly seems comfy lying around and encouraging you to do the same, she is also really good at moving and asking for walks.
Who is in your quarantine who encourages you? If you have no one, a fast cruise online can either make you mad because everyone is posting their homemade workouts, or, hopefully, inspire you. The truth is, moving makes us feel human, not like a lazy dog. Just because your new routine happens in your living room or garage does not make it less real. Kind of like riding an indoor bike does not make the workout any less effective. As you know, movement makes you feel better and usually more movement motivates you to move more again.
What do you do, however, if you were already pretty inactive and now find yourself slipping into depression given that you are unable to socialize with other family members or friends. Whether you are a new mom dealing with a little bit of th eBaby Blues or you are an older adult who has problems managing a chronic health condition, you are likely finding yourself with less access to health care than you did in the past.
Fortunately, doctors, physician’s assistants, and nurse practitioners are all making themselves available in some way or another. And while some baby doctors are still doing infant checks in the office for the youngest members of society, there are many other doctors who have transitioned to telemedicine appointments. In fact, doctors across the country, as well as local politicians, are constantly reminding people that they should only be seeking emergency room care for life and death situations. Even if you fear you are suffering from some fairly significant effects and are thinking that you will be diagnosed with Covid-19, doctors are still asking you to call your family physician first before just walking into a clinic.
There are currently 20,000 physicians who practice Urgent Care Medicine today, and it is worthwhile to note that in a typical time as many as 3 million patients visit these clinics each week, according to the Urgent Care Association of America. Today, of course, those numbers are very different. So much so, in fact, that many of these clinics are actually changing their hours to accommodate the kinds of cases that they are able to care for and the number of health professionals who are available.
For the last generation Americans have lived in a time when it has been increasingly common to get the quickest answers to any health question. And when new babies are born, parents have had the luxury of dictating when and where they wanted their new infant to meet friends and family. Today, many of those rules have changed.
