RV Living During A Pandemic
When Brad and I set out to travel full time we definitely talked about what we would do if one of us became ill, but never in a million years did we take into consideration a pandemic - who would?! With the coronavirus impacting the United States more and more each day we are all feeling the effects and I wanted to share some of our personal experiences.
I’m going to rewind a few months first…Back in December I was finishing my first travel assignment in New Mexico. With 4 weeks to go I started to feel pretty terrible. I went to work on a Friday, lasted 3 hours and was in Urgent Care that evening. I tested negative for the flu and went home. We had visitors in town and my sister-in-law was staying with us in the camper, but luckily she and Brad were able to crash in a hotel with our other guest that night while I wrestled a fever, aches, chills and all the symptoms you get with the flu. The next day everyone was on a day trip and I felt wrecked but mustered the energy to lug our sheets and towels and anything else I may have contaminated down the block to the laundromat. That walk felt like a marathon but I knew it had to be done. We don’t have the storage for extra bedding and the germs had to be removed from our tiny home ASAP. It was official, getting sick is awful but getting sick in the r-pod really sucked.
You know that feeling of barely having enough energy to walk to the bathroom? I was there. Except it was 30 degrees out and using the bathroom for us meant bundling up in a hat, jacket and shoes and then walking through the parking lot to use a public restroom. In those moments I hated that we converted our bathroom into a closet.
My facility ended up with a serious flu outbreak. Patients were all isolated to their rooms and the facility banned any visitors and admissions for my final few weeks I worked there. We had to wear masks our entire shift and the whole event was exhausting. Although I tested negative, I’m pretty sure I had the flu and just got tested too soon. I remained pretty sick for a month after that and it was not easy on the road. There was nowhere for Brad or I to separate and our already tiny space felt much smaller. At home we used to sleep in different rooms away from each other when one of us got sick, but that was impossible now. I was up all night many times coughing resulting in limited sleep for us both. We disinfected our surfaces constantly and when it was time to leave the state when my contract ended all the driving and physical tasks were on Brad as I was still useless. It was a nightmare to be honest.
Now I’m on my second assignment and we’re here along the Florida-Georgia line facing yet another health situation, only the magnitude is greater. So how is it impacting travel, work and life in general for us on the road?
To be honest, like for most of us, it changes daily and we’re lucky to be in a small town where the panic isn’t as great as we’ve seen on TV in larger cities. The mood is generally good, although it’s also nerve wracking as people aren’t taking COVID-19 as seriously as we are. It was hard to believe that some didn’t even realize what was going on which can be kind of scary. In our camper we have a tiny fridge and pantry so we have no choice but to grocery shop every few days, something we are trying our best to plan better for with canned goods that can last awhile. It’s definitely frustrating when aisles are cleaned out and it’s made us aware that there are lots of people just like us with limited space or have limited income and can’t go on a huge shopping spree and will need more groceries in a few days.
I’m going to rewind a few months first…Back in December I was finishing my first travel assignment in New Mexico. With 4 weeks to go I started to feel pretty terrible. I went to work on a Friday, lasted 3 hours and was in Urgent Care that evening. I tested negative for the flu and went home. We had visitors in town and my sister-in-law was staying with us in the camper, but luckily she and Brad were able to crash in a hotel with our other guest that night while I wrestled a fever, aches, chills and all the symptoms you get with the flu. The next day everyone was on a day trip and I felt wrecked but mustered the energy to lug our sheets and towels and anything else I may have contaminated down the block to the laundromat. That walk felt like a marathon but I knew it had to be done. We don’t have the storage for extra bedding and the germs had to be removed from our tiny home ASAP. It was official, getting sick is awful but getting sick in the r-pod really sucked.
You know that feeling of barely having enough energy to walk to the bathroom? I was there. Except it was 30 degrees out and using the bathroom for us meant bundling up in a hat, jacket and shoes and then walking through the parking lot to use a public restroom. In those moments I hated that we converted our bathroom into a closet.
My facility ended up with a serious flu outbreak. Patients were all isolated to their rooms and the facility banned any visitors and admissions for my final few weeks I worked there. We had to wear masks our entire shift and the whole event was exhausting. Although I tested negative, I’m pretty sure I had the flu and just got tested too soon. I remained pretty sick for a month after that and it was not easy on the road. There was nowhere for Brad or I to separate and our already tiny space felt much smaller. At home we used to sleep in different rooms away from each other when one of us got sick, but that was impossible now. I was up all night many times coughing resulting in limited sleep for us both. We disinfected our surfaces constantly and when it was time to leave the state when my contract ended all the driving and physical tasks were on Brad as I was still useless. It was a nightmare to be honest.
Now I’m on my second assignment and we’re here along the Florida-Georgia line facing yet another health situation, only the magnitude is greater. So how is it impacting travel, work and life in general for us on the road?
To be honest, like for most of us, it changes daily and we’re lucky to be in a small town where the panic isn’t as great as we’ve seen on TV in larger cities. The mood is generally good, although it’s also nerve wracking as people aren’t taking COVID-19 as seriously as we are. It was hard to believe that some didn’t even realize what was going on which can be kind of scary. In our camper we have a tiny fridge and pantry so we have no choice but to grocery shop every few days, something we are trying our best to plan better for with canned goods that can last awhile. It’s definitely frustrating when aisles are cleaned out and it’s made us aware that there are lots of people just like us with limited space or have limited income and can’t go on a huge shopping spree and will need more groceries in a few days.
(our little pantry)
(our tiny freezer!)
We are trying to be extra cautious as we are definitely exposed more often to germs because we use public restrooms nonstop and live in a community of 40+ RVers that come and go daily from all over the country (who will also use the facilities). We share everything from bathrooms to showers to mail rooms to washers and dryers, things we can’t stop using and it’s anxiety provoking. After my illness in December we’re both freaked out about getting sick right now, mostly because of our lifestyle impacting other people and where we would go to isolate.
At work, like all healthcare workers, first priority is patient care. My facility is located in Florida and requires us to fill out a form upon entry each morning and if our temperature is over 100 or we show any other symptoms we cannot work. They’ve also banned visitors from coming inside for who knows how long at this point, so staff try to facilitate FaceTime calls and wheel patients to the window when their loved ones drive over for comfort. They’ve also stopped dining room meals and activities which is hard to explain to someone with a cognitive impairment.
We are trying to be extra cautious as we are definitely exposed more often to germs because we use public restrooms nonstop and live in a community of 40+ RVers that come and go daily from all over the country (who will also use the facilities). We share everything from bathrooms to showers to mail rooms to washers and dryers, things we can’t stop using and it’s anxiety provoking. After my illness in December we’re both freaked out about getting sick right now, mostly because of our lifestyle impacting other people and where we would go to isolate.
At work, like all healthcare workers, first priority is patient care. My facility is located in Florida and requires us to fill out a form upon entry each morning and if our temperature is over 100 or we show any other symptoms we cannot work. They’ve also banned visitors from coming inside for who knows how long at this point, so staff try to facilitate FaceTime calls and wheel patients to the window when their loved ones drive over for comfort. They’ve also stopped dining room meals and activities which is hard to explain to someone with a cognitive impairment.
Like I said earlier, I was in a smaller scale situation at a previous facility and let me tell you, it wasn’t easy. Many of our residents have memory loss and thrive off of their families visiting. They depend on them to bring food if they don’t like what the facility cooks, wash their clothes or advocate for their needs. They’re losing a tremendous source of comfort without their families and friends around. When you’re sick don’t you want love and comfort from familiar faces? They’re getting it in very limited ways and we as workers, all over the country, are trying our best to fill in the gaps. In situations like this you can expect to see increased cases of depression and anxiety, weight loss, and overall decline in functional abilities. And that’s a facility that isn’t infected but IS impacted by COVID-19. We also are approximately one hour away from the closest hospital so resources are limited and we have to act quickly if any symptoms of the virus are suspected with a staff member or patient.
As for Brad and I, we personally have lots of thoughts. I’m nervous about losing income and my contract as many traveling therapists are experiencing right now. I’m worried about being a carrier or the one to get sick and bring it to my facility unknowingly because of our lifestyle. Brad worries about getting sick and impacting my ability to go to work. If either one of us were symptomatic I would not be allowed to work for at least 14 days and in the case that would happen, Brad and I have formulated a plan to return to Pittsburgh temporarily where we could safely isolate ourselves, something we just can’t do down here and would wrongfully and continuously expose others. Hopefully it won’t come to that though.
We are following guidelines and avoiding areas where we would be in close contact with others leisurely, but it’s impossible to avoid people completely with this lifestyle and through my work which involves direct patient care. It’s frustrating and most of the people we live near don’t comprehend the severity of the situation and for them it’s business as usual. So in the meantime we plan to hang around the camper, I’ll go to work, get some fresh air when we can and step away from the media frenzy because it’s overwhelming and frankly upsetting at times. I think it’s beneficial for everyone to take a frequent time out for your overall sanity.
I know everyone‘s situation is not the same and we feel extremely fortunate for our health, income and access to food and shelter. It’s a stressful time for everyone and we hope in the coming weeks we can help others in small ways who feel the impact the hardest. Just remember that we’re all in this together as a society and as humans. We need to practice kindness and realize that people are impacted financially, socially and with their health. At some point we may know someone who has the virus and if not we’ll probably know someone who has been significantly affected. All we can do is be smart, supportive and kind. And I hope that task is taken seriously.
In the meantime, we are doing fine and will continue to do our best to remain that way. Much love to you all, from my little family.
"We think too much and feel too little. More than machinery, we need humanity. More than cleverness, we need kindness and gentleness." -Charlie Chaplin
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