covidian land of counterpane: geography for the new year
by bam
counterpane noun
coun·ter·pane | \ ˈkau̇n-tər-ˌpān
Definition of counterpane: BEDSPREAD
Origin (from Oxford Languages): early 17th century: alteration of counterpoint, from Old French contrepointe, based on medieval Latin culcitra puncta ‘quilted mattress’ (puncta, literally meaning ‘pricked’, from the verb pungere). The change in the ending was due to association with pane in an obsolete sense ‘cloth’.
***
when i was little, i was oft confined to bed when i got sick. and, as i recall, my childhood was pocked with the sorts of sicknesses for which bedroom doors were closed and meals delivered by metal tray. a dinner bell rested on my mirror-topped vanity, and i jingled it if in need of gingerale on ice, or saltine crackers in wee stacks. clearly, my mother of five was practicing astute infection control lest she find herself in charge of quintuple cases of whatever was my ailment of the hour.
it was all quotidian enough—scarlet fever, chicken pox, mumps, measles, really nasty flu. i twice was sent to hospitals for IVs and a week of restitution, and so, given the spells in bed, i came to think the land of counterpane a most familiar terrain. (maybe, in part, it’s why i was drawn to being a pediatric nurse.) and, of course, i populated the contours of my bedclothes with a well-steeped storybook imagination––hills and vales and undulations, the nooks and crannies of my make-believe lilliputian chambermates: trolls and elves and sprites and sometimes an imaginary baby sister.
among the first poems i memorized was robert louis stevenson’s “the land of counterpane,” a verse i know by heart:
When I was sick and lay a-bed,
I had two pillows at my head,
And all my toys beside me lay
To keep me happy all the day.
and so, this past stretch of days (now ten), once again behind closed bedroom door with trays duly delivered by the nurse in charge (now, the sweet, sweet man i married long ago), i find myself a-bed, beneath my counterpane, all my toys beside me laying. and (except for the few days when it was a bit of a challenge to catch a breath) it’s not been quite as dreadful as it might sound.
i’ve windows on three sides with golden sunlight streaming in by day; at night, i watch the twinkling lights and street lamps that punctuate the darkness as far as i can see. and the wonders of laptops and itty-bitty phones mean you can stay in touch with even the longest lost compatriots (two friends from nursing school in fact), neighbors who’ve checked in every day, my faraway best friend who has been as close as close could be, and my distant cousin whom i adore who thought to overnight me a barrel of freeze-dried apocalyptic broccoli. and, best of all, i’ve got my covid buddy––my firstborn, the one who fell first––directly across the hall. he escaped solitary confinement at midnight last night, as we’re abiding by the 10-day rule unless a negative antigen test allows early egress (which, in his case, he never got). so he and i have had long hours of crossword puzzles and conversation that might not have unfolded had we both been skittering hither and yon. it’s the younger one i miss the most, as he’s taken to steering as clear as possible of me and my omicron. (the kid’s no dummy.)
strange to think, a week ago i didn’t yet know what it was that had buckled me at the knees, and it would not be till christmas afternoon that the test result came back in red ink with exclamation mark, dare i miss the point.
the lesson of this covid tale would be as one wise doctor told me just the other day: assume you’ve got it––and stay in isolation––till proven otherwise. testing is just a mess, and misses far too many positivities till all the contagions are scattered in your wake. i fear for what’s coming in a country shut down by this latest red-ringed mutation. but i enter it now armed with mighty antibodies (or so i hope and pray). and a determined willingness to do all i can to help the next one fallen to make it through with TLC, and all the isolation tips i’ve learned along the way.**
sticking to the rules, i’ll not be sprung from my confinement till the midnight bell tolls tonight, and the year turns as well, allowing me to begin afresh the year of our Lord MMXXII.
my new year prayer is even more distilled than my christmas prayer a week ago:
dear God, let all of us have someone dear to check in on us, to bring us cups of tea, to care for us in tender ways (and even on the days when we’re not anchored in our lands of counterpane). keep us safe, dear God, and mindful of all that matters most: let us put down the weapons of words, of grudges, of cold hard shoulders. let us snap into focus to see that the path is short, is sometimes rough, and that the best way home is side by side, entwining elbows, and leaning toward the light. let us lock out the rampant toxicities (and i don’t mean the biologically viral ones), bar the doors to discourse that divides us, and strain to find our common common threads. we’re woven of the sacred, after all. it’s buried there, beneath the noise, the bombast, the sure evidence otherwise. the unfettered truth––most clearly realized on long nights when breath comes hard and fevers swirl––is this: life is swift. we’ve no escape from certain end, so let us make each day a living prayer in which we seek and find certain trace of all that’s heaven-sent, and all that hails from You, the One who fuels the light, who preaches love beyond measure and without end, and who gives us our each and every breath—even when it’s labored. blessed be that holy, holy breath, amen.
most of all, i hope and pray you’re well. and staying safe from this nasty bug that’s toppling us like tin soldiers.
what’s your prayer to usher in the new year?
** see isolation tips in comment down below!!!
Oh Barbara! I’m sending wishes and prayers for strength and good health to you and your family.
thank you, bless you! xoxoxox stay well!
Oh my dear friend…how do you manage to make the “Vid” sound like retreat for the soul ? Especially when we know it more likely has been bit of a knock down in the ring of life. You have such a gift for bringing words and soul together to bind the experience. I am glad you are on the upswing and will be wielding a superpower immune system in the new year…and in your own special new year on Monday. xxoo
you, my beloved school nurse friend, were among the bright spots of every day, as you made your “rounds” and checked in on your fallen comrade. much love, always. xoxoxoxo
one of the chair’s dearest friends just wrote and asked if i’d tap out a few things i’ve learned from here in the isolation chamber. being a nurse, and someone who has studied to the nth degree all things covid, and now having lived through 10 days, here are the few things i’ve figured out about life in isolation:
1.) if you start to feel symptoms, assume it’s covid until proven otherwise.
2.) go into isolation right away. if possible, designate a bathroom and bedroom just for you.
3.) double mask when you leave your room, and if in a public area (say, quickly making what amounts to a snack or meal) open windows for circulation. and BE BRIEF when in shared spaces. (my doctor said it was ok for me to make my own food, but to do it quickly and with caveats above.)
4.) i kept a tub of lysol wipes on the kitchen counter, and pulled one out soon as i got there so that the lysol wipe was always between me and whatever i was touching. my effort was to not leave a trace behind. if i reached into the fridge, i opened the door with the wipe, and grabbed what i was reaching for with my lysol wipe.
5.) i kept my own dishes separate and washed in the bathroom sink.
6.) excuse me if this is too graphic, but it’s important: close the lid of the toilet before flushing (covid droplets can fly out of the toilet bowl.)
7.) i have a garbage bag here in isolation land, and everything i throw out goes in there. when i’m released i will slip my garbage bag into a large hefty bag and carry straight to the trash.
8.) we bought a case of water bottles and delivered half to each of our isolation rooms. i normally am not a water bottle girl, but disposable is key in covidLand.
9.) keep windows in isolation room open as much as possible, depending on how cold it gets, but always some small crack.
10.) order a pulse oximeter from amazon if you don’t already have one. it’s key to monitor your blood oxygenation four times a day. 96 to 100 is normal. if it gets as low as 92, call your doctor. (i got down there a couple times.)
11.) don’t wait for a fever to think you’ve got COVID; this is a really weird virus and fevers aren’t a big part of it. the highest i ever got was 100 degrees, though i felt like i was on fire…..
12.) finally, testing really is a mess. it takes about 3 to 5 days post exposure/infection to register as positive on a PCR. before diagnosis, PCR is best test. BUT once you’re positive, and checking to see if you’re still contagious, the antigen test is the one to use, as it’s less sensitive and will let you know when your viral load is low enough to not be contagious. once you’re infected, you will likely test positive with PCR for 90 days, so no need to use a PCR again. smart epidemiologists insist that a negative antigen should be a required condition for early release from 10 days of isolation. the CDC cut isolation in half (from 10 to 5 days) this week, but there are likely myriad reasons they did so. pure science says stay isolated til you know you are no longer testing positive on antigen test.
i think that’s it.
Wonderful words of wisdom from one of the smartest nurses I’ve known. I’m just very sorry that it had to come from personal experience.
I am so glad that you are on the mend. Stay safe, warm, and healthy in the new year my friend! I hope that our paths will cross again.
xoxo,
msm
ohhhhhh, honey! what a heavenly and heart melting thing to find you here, in what feels like a hug! i think one of the side effects of this thing is i keep having lumps in my throat and tears in my eyes. it’s a tenderizer, this covid, that’s for sure. xoxo i MISS you. we should have a proper catch up. xoxoxoxo
this just in, from joan our resident school nurse, and wonderWoman! a COVID risk calculator from MIT!!!!
https://indoor-covid-safety.herokuapp.com
i think i like this one better: https://covidvisitrisk.com/riskscore-english.html
Oh my oh my. Just catching up! I’m so sorry your holidays took a covidy turn. I hope your 2022 starts with good health and some overdue hugs. Our best to you and feel better soon!
covidy turn. now there’s a great new twist of phrase. covid is developing its own lexicon. blessed new year to you tooo!!!!!!!
So sorry to hear that this nasty virus got to you and part of your family! It seems that at this point there is no escaping, no hiding. So happy your isolation will end soon. My prayer for 2022 is that this covid nonsense somehow goes away and we all live peacefully, joyfully, and without fear. Best wishes to you, your family, and all who gather here for a healthy and happier 2022.
i’m singing the same wish right beside you, dear jack. and a happy blessed new year to fill in all the cracks. here’s to better!!! and bless you much, always.
The last time that I was ill I was diagnosed with pneumonia. I wasn’t able to catch my breath and it terrified me-I actually thought that I might suffocate. I also broke 3 ribs from a horrible coughing fit that had me doubled over and gasping for air. So for me, the thought of becoming infected with Covid would pretty much feel like a death sentence. I’m SO relieved to hear that you are slowly recovering, Barbie! I’ve been so worried about you! Your prayer for the New Year is just perfect. In addition, I’m asking God to continue to hold our beautiful earth together despite our negligence. I’m also praying for Him to hold our humanity together, the way in which He had originally intended it to be, despite the hatred and intolerance that continually bubbles up and spreads out, over and over again. We’re here for such short time and there’s so much that needs to be done! The lives of our children and our children’s children depend upon it.
Have a most blessed New Year and a very happy day on the 3rd, dearest Barbie! People like you make a such difference in our crazy, crazy world! ❤️
The last time that I was ill, I was diagnosed with pneumonia. I wasn’t able to catch my breath and it terrified me-I actually thought that I might suffocate. I also broke 3 ribs from a horrible coughing fit that had me doubled over and gasping for air. I’m sharing this because for me, the thought of becoming infected with Covid pretty much feels like a death sentence. That’s why I’m SO relieved to hear that you’re recovering, Barbie. Your prayer for MMXXII is just perfect! I hope that you enjoy celebrating the new year with Blair and the boys and that it continues on through to your special day on the 3rd!
oh, sweetie, i feel your fear. i too was terrified that if i ever got covid it would knock me over big time, and that’s why i was SOOOOOOO careful. and when i found out my firstborn was exposed i literally saw a burst of stars i was so scared. and i haven’t broken ribs from coughing nor did i quite think i’d suffocate when i had pneumonia. this time the breathing was really weird, and scary to be honest. i thanked GOD i had two vaccines and a booster. i was hanging onto those three triple shots (as a friend just dubbed them, a name i love) like a lifeline. anyway, sweets, i’m here to say i think i’m on the other side. my chest still feels like a used car lot, and my doctor says it might take a wee bit. but she also said to take solace in omicron’s preference for the upper respiratory tract not the life-sustaining lungs. so if i feel a bit wheezy for a while, at least i’m back out of isolation and entering the real world. i spent the day sanitizing like a crazy lady, and wished i’d had a haz mat team. but alas. my boys thought i was nuts, i’m sure. but i just needed to scrub every last crevice and rid this joint of all vestiges.
sending lots of love. and courage. and i promise to be here for you should any bugs try to knock you down.
giant hug. love, b
i love to leave morsels here at the table, and here’s a bit of Tolstoy i just absorbed. may this guide our way this fresh new year…..
“The kinder and the more thoughtful a person is, the more kindness he can find in other people.
“Kindness enriches our life; with kindness mysterious things become clear, difficult things become easy, and dull things become cheerful.”
–Leo Tolstoy
You are easily one of the kindest people I know BAM! I’m so sorry to have pulled up my chair to learn of this brutal Christmas Covid. Glad you are on the mend & thankfully through your isolation period. Happiest birthday Eve. Sending hugs.
twas a bummer, but moving farther and farther into the distance with every passing hour. thank you for bd hug. i feel it. xoxo
So sorry to hear about you and your son bedridden with Covid. I have been lucky so far in avoiding this nasty sickness.
I wish you a happy birthday and much luck and happiness in 2022 with your family.
Katherine Flotz
thank you, dear katherine. soo good to know you’ve been able to hopscotch two steps in front of the nasty virus!!!
Hoping that the bright sunshine and VERY crisp Chicago land air is whisking away any remnants in your home and that your are feeling much improved.
Care and comfort and blessings to cover your heart and home.
bless you much, and thank you! VERY crisp, indeed!!!