Déjà Vu: How to Self-Quarantine

Today I wore something I haven’t used in nine years and never expected to use again: my full-face respirator mask from my 2011 bone marrow transplant. I wore it today to go to the store to buy groceries. 

In just a week, our world, at least here in California and the rest of the United States, has changed dramatically. Last week I was mindlessly browsing Costco, chuckling about people over-stocking up on toilet paper and bottled water. Now my school district is implementing distance learning and teachers, parents, and students alike are scrambling to make it work.

The truth is, the world at large is now experiencing some version of the self-quarantine/home isolation that I experienced from 2011-2012. The difference is that I wasn’t allowed to go outside except after sundown (because sunlight counteracted with some of my medication), wearing my full-face respirator mask. Also, I was extremely susceptible to infection, so fungal spores in the air posed just as much a threat to me as did proximity to other people. I know that the immune-compromised among us are facing a similar challenge, especially those in medical care facilities who can’t receive visitors during this time. I feel a deep compassion for their situation and am praying daily for treatments to be developed and supplies restocked to help the people most at risk from the COVID-19 virus. 

The purpose of this post is to share a few things I learned during my self-quarantine that may be helpful to people who have never experienced anything like this. I totally realize they are much easier to do if you don’t have kids at home, but are all possible regardless! 

1. Be grateful: 

I write this first because it has a significant impact on our thoughts, attitudes, and motivation. I am not an expert at this. After you go through something like a bone marrow transplant, you would hope and expect that you’d live every day with a sense of gratitude and wonder. In my experience, that sense of gratitude is short-lived and takes effort to sustain! Now might be the time to build some time for gratitude into your routine (e.g., every morning or before bed, record a few things you are grateful for), or you might create an ongoing list that you add to each day. 

2. Exercise: 

We all know exercise releases endorphins, which help us to feel happy. In the words of Elle Woods from Legally Blonde, "Exercise gives you endorphins. Endorphins make you happy. Happy people just don't shoot their husbands, they just don't." Fair point, Elle.

But just as important a reason to exercise is that moving our body reminds us we are alive. When I was in the hospital for the transplant, I had about one week in which I could leave my hospital room, after which I was confined to my room for about 4 weeks. During that week of freedom, I walked “laps” around the U-shaped bone marrow unit every day. Once I was confined to my room, I requested a “desk cycle which allowed me to simulate riding a bicycle while being seated in a chair. I brought my Wii Fit and 3 lb weights into my room so I could do some movement every day. Don’t take the ability to move for granted, especially when we can still get outdoors. Find some dance, kickboxing, or yoga classes on Youtube, go for a walk or hike, ride your bike. Do it with your kids, spouse, roommates, or on your own. It will help! 

3. Reflect: 

Now is a unique and important time for self-reflection. As a child, I filled notebooks with the stories I wrote and kept a diary, but I fell out of the habit once middle school hit. I had never blogged before my bone marrow transplant, but feeling the need to process my thoughts and experiences and connect with others pushed me into it. Blogging brought me much encouragement and helped me connect with people during my times of sickness and hospital or home isolation. My decision to write in this blog again after 7 years resulted from a friend reminding me of how helpful it was for me to blog during and post-transplant.  

If you’re like me, the busyness of life can feel more urgent than the need to check in with yourself, take note of your thoughts, identify your needs and concerns, and center yourself on your values and faith. But right now you are likely facing a situation where you have more flexible time and are more isolated than usual. Take some time to journal, pray, or write about what you’re thinking and how you’re doing. 

4. Connect:

After you reflect, connect! Didn’t mean for that to rhyme, but it did, so I’m going with it. Don’t just keep all those thoughts and feelings to yourself; share them with loved ones and ask them how they are doing! Going for walks while talking to a friend on the phone is the best because you’re getting fresh air and exercise while connecting with people, too. Though we can’t see each other closer than 6 feet apart, we don’t have to be emotionally and socially isolated. We can help each other manage the strain. 

5. Explore:

Find some new things to do during this time. What is something you’ve wanted to do or learn about or accomplish but haven’t felt you had the time? It’s a little tough to get supplies right now (e.g., instrument, knitting needles, etc.), but there are tons of online options and things to do, fix, or rearrange around the house. Have you heard of the subscription website Masterclass? Zack just showed it to me last night. You can learn a series of lessons from experts in their craft, from basketball to negotiation! Pretty amazing.

While I was self-quarantined after my transplant, I started this blog ;), finished some knitting projects, created a couple of scrapbooks, organized every room of the house, sharpened my cooking skills, and read constantly. Once I was allowed outside more often, I began going for walks every morning and  came back so refreshed for the day! When possible, use the extra time at home to do those things you typically can’t do. 

6. Schedule:

The lack of routine and structure, rather than simply being home, is a source of stress and anxiety. One thing I found to be helpful during my year of being home-bound was creating a schedule for each day, either with times or just a list of activities in priority order. It’s something I still do on weekends or when I have a day off. To make it easy, you can have a general schedule for every day that you tweak slightly. I recommend creating or revising this schedule each night before you go to sleep, so it’s all set for the next day. You can find tons of sample schedules online for both you and your children! Don’t get overwhelmed; just pick one that you like and tweak it as you go.