2020—What A Year!

Frankie endured so much during 2020 but seems to be managing like a trooper. Here is her message concerning our Pandemic life:

“I live in a community that has so much to offer and all of a sudden we’re having a problem. I always had something to do or somewhere to go every day and suddenly there was nothing to do. The club house closed. No more line dancing, no parties—only fear of a new Coronavirus.

(Wow! 2021! I just want to go back to living the way I remember it).
“A year ago we were rehearsing for our 2020 song book. We had just finished our Christmas tour at all the Nursing Homes we perform for—not to mention the restaurants we’ve eaten at every Thursday—having a good old time with my Company G singers.

We had a Christmas party at Habachi Grille, exchanged cards, gifts, and wishes to everyone. Always looking forward to our performances at Signature, Indigo, Ormond In The Pines, or to the VA to see our old friends waiting for us.

We had our first 2020 rehearsal in January, then sung at Benton’s House and a rehearsal. I missed the rehearsal because I had to bury my 21 year-old cat, Midnight, and the pain was so bad I couldn’t face the group.

My husband, Ray, and I went on a cruise for our 56th Anniversary. When we came back, I went to church Friday night, and on Sunday, March 15, 2020— BANG!!!! Church was closed.

All our Company G performances my dental and eye appointments—everything cancelled. Oh well, two weeks, it’s not so bad. I worked in the yard and Ray painted the house. The second week we washed down everything inside. We took out dust gathered there for 15 years. Let’s face it—cleaning that we couldn’t do like we used to was skipped for years.

Now it’s April and I’m panicking about toilet tissue, sanitizer, and bleach.

May rolled in and we were still on lock down!!!!! How long is this going to last? I’m really missing going out to eat with my singing group. I’ve been cooking at home and eating really good—even my elastic big pants are getting tight on me.

June came and I turned 74. I’ve been watching so much news that if I go out, I might catch something and be hospitalized. I made sure I distanced from everyone and wore my mask and sanitized.

Ray got Alaskan crab legs and a bag of rice. I was in heaven.
Some would say ‘Oh they were bonding, she and her husband.’ Actually, Ray watched his sports and I watched the news.

We spent so much time outside working in the yard, putting mulch down in the hot July and August months.

Then it started with side pain. I’m thinking it’s from carrying mulch, weeding, and lots of bending. I called my doctor. My urologist sent me for blood tests, a CT-scan, and x-ray. Then back to my primary for check ups. They found I had kidney stones after checking for a month!

September, I need an EKG, another doctor who wants testing done in the hospital as a stress test.

Finally, October is here and I get my first lithotripsy. My big stone split into two.

After three tries, the doctor decided to do lazier surgery. I had a stent four weeks because of so much pain. From August 4 until October 13, I went twice a week for doctors visit or blood work, and x-ray before my first surgery. Now I follow up from my heart doctor and primary care doctor.

I went into deep sadness or depression. Then there was the holidays. There’s still sadness. We went to midnight Mass to listen to Christmas songs. You could count the people—all sitting far apart.

We zoomed the kids Christmas day, it was sad. They, too, were all close but could not hug or touch each other.

I still cannot wrap my brain around what I see happening in my lifetime.

Wishing you all health, joy, and peace. Be safe. Love Frankie
Thank you, Frankie, for a summary of the year as you experienced it. Dear readers, take good care of you and yours.

Kitty Maiden is a staff writer for Seniors Today.