Truly lovely to talk to @jen_marchant again this morning #ABCNewcastle about living the #iso life whilst #ChronicallyIll & #disabled . Our lived experience is important.

What's changed for me since we talked last a few weeks ago?

#Covid_19australia #COVID19

I'm probably less distressed, now, over all. I was ill for other reasons & needed to #SelfIsolate all of Feb - got back to the office for just 3 days, had a weekend with social outings, before ,my doctors told me to strictly #self-isolate against this #coronavirus . Oooft....

Those first few weeks were a bit terrifying, tbh. My scientist & medical colleagues where tweeting about the urgent need to lock things down, but generally people, the public, did not seem to understand the gravity of it all.

Through March, to me, felt like watching a car come crashing towards my house in slow motion. That sounds dramatic, but here's the thing. People - because they didn't understand - were going about their business as usual; to me it felt reckless & like a show of entitlement.

There was this constant, repeating narrative about how it was all not so bad if the the virus spreads, because it would only affect the elderly & the unwell. It's OK, they said.

This virus will only kill people like you. #COVID19

Of course that's not true. It affects everyone. Social distancing saves health professionals lives! It saves all lives.

Also, this is not The Great Leveller. @maitlis said it succintly - scroll down for video, thanks for the share @drruthmitchell https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-politics-52216542?fbclid=IwAR22HMbOY3cVXIwDEOB0LmkkmeXo3VSr8AWcrPzXzTSJV5QjwSNcrVu6ETY

#Accessible info was slow to come out. People genuinely didn't understand & were incredulous that lives might be restricted for the sake of #TheVulnerable . I spent a few weeks feeling connected to the support of the chronic illness community - collectively sharing outrage & fear

Chronic illness doesn't go away b/c there's a pandemic. In March, restrictions on #medicare billing for #telehealth appointments relaxed, but the system wasn't ready, or willing to offer tele-consults for just any-old-thing.

Medical practices were stretched, clinicians were still hung up on the old chestnut 'it won't be as good as face-to-face, so you get nothing' ...

Now we have #VirtualFirst ! It's massive, expensive & complex for clinicians, systems & practices. Rapid consultation has taken place w/ clinicians & policy makers, but honestly, consumer #LivedExperience expertise is still being ignored in implementation & we can help!

Now, half way through April. I'm feeling connected, supported, loved & useful just as much as I'm feeling stressed, frightened, lonely & hug-deprived. It's starting to feel, sometimes, like maybe we are all in this together
#WFH #HomeSchool #accessibility https://twitter.com/gillyminn/status/1245182407709323264?s=20

Super grateful, honestly, though it really *is* ridiculous that it took a pandemic to get so many relatively easy-to-do things actually done to include disabled people in society (see also #DisabledAndSaltyAF ) https://twitter.com/JessHealyWalton/status/1245582362802438144?s=20

I'm moved by people's kindness - we're up to episode #82458274563947 of #iso lyfe - #MyNeighboursAreBetterThanYourNeighbours - daily smiles being delivered by this legend @CoxDan dan & also my other neighbours are so damned lovely https://twitter.com/gillyminn/status/1247055839149490176?s=20

I had a birthday last week, and it's possible that I've never felt so loved - seriously though, a whole cheesecake (it's gone now...) landed on my doorstep, balloons were delivered, there were personalised music videos in my inbox ...

check out this balcony serenade OMG [video descript: aerial view, through trees, from high up balcony of two friends is cycling gear with party hats on their helmets & sparklers in their hands, singing happy birthday whilst daggy dancing ]

There was a @zoom_us zoom #dance party - how bemusing that despite being the only person physically partying in my loungeroom, I managed to get a noise complaint! That's fun times levelled-up, ha ha
(I've ordered new headphones with a longer battery life now, sorry neighbour)

side note - check out the moment that @louise_schaper clocked 10,000 dance party steps - come for the party, stay for the #iso #exercise !
Your personal invitation to this Friday's dance party within
https://www.newcastleherald.com.au/story/6708457/dance-like-no-one-is-watching-on-webcam/?cs=17267

We're all finding ways to have fun - I'm in an online fashion group & peeps are posting hilarious pics of them dressed up & staying home, I'm living for the bins-out challenge & loving that people are sharing more of themselves as real & hilarous humans https://twitter.com/carolduncan/status/1249278723104182274?s=20

To y'know, amuse myself in difficult times, I changed my online dating bio into a call-out for blood donations @lifebloodau & the replies - & receipts, yay for donors! - are giving me both actual life & heaps of entertainment
( @Tinder pro tip - hav @LindaDrummond in your pics )

And LOOK EVERYONE - YESTERDAY I FOUND MY PERFECT MATCH!
@lifebloodau @Tinder

So, although it feels like it might never end, and it genuinely is awful & terrifying & we #ChronicallyIll & #disabled people are going to be isolated for a LOT longer than most other people as restrictions gradually lift - I think I'm gonna be OK everyone.
We can do it. X