Day 37 of Phase 3 - California Covid spike - bars closed

At the top of Central Park hiking trail…

Wednesday. 7/1/20

4:30 - 6:00 - I’m up and can’t get back to sleep, so at 5:00 I go downstairs, wake up the dog and take her out, then warm up my coffee. I sit down in the shower and drink my coffee and water while I try to wake up. 3 hours of sleep - this is terrible. I put on my hiking attire.

6:00 - 8:00 -B. arrives and we drive to Central Park and take the hiking trail to the top of the mountain. It’s a somewhat difficult hike but we make it and take pictures.

8:15 - L. and I drive to her doctor’s appointment and the experience is like gaining access to a haz-mat site - total overkill. Once we arrive, we’re instructed to call the doctor’s office from the parking lot at which point I’m told that I can’t accompany L. to this appointment because only the patient can report to the appointment. I’m irritated because I already cleared it with the office three days ago, so we have to do it all over again and I’m placed on hold for some time. It’s finally approved and L. and I are asked a series of questions about Covid 19, like “Do you feel sick?” “Have you been exposed to anyone with Covid-19?” L. and I put the receptionist on speaker and answer ten questions - all of our responses are “No.”

After that, we’re allowed to approach the entrance to the office, but we must stand outside until a MA is ready to escort us in. The door slowly opens and we enter - L. and I are the only patients there. Both of us are masked, but the receptionist gives us a second mask and instructs us to put it over the masks we’re already wearing. Seriously? The MA and receptionist are gloved and wearing N95 masks. The MA moves a thermometer in the airspace near our forehead and calls out our temperatures to the receptionist - she logs them. Everything is white and very clean. Have you ever seen Logan’s Run? Like that.

The receptionist says, “I have the new patient paperwork right here.” Disgusted, I say, “She’s not a new patient.” I can’t believe the incompetence - L’s been a patient there for over 5 years.

I tried to make an appointment for L. the first week of June, but the office will not schedule patients for an in-person appointment without an M.D.’s consent. The scheduler says she’ll “call me.” All of this is in light of the fact that I’ve already had THREE dental appointments. Why was my dentist open two months ago?

Nobody ever calls me, so 4 weeks later I call again and I’m told the same thing. This time I reply, “California is in Phase 3. Are you ever going to open? You’re a doctor’s office…” The receptionist says that she will forward my request to a M.D., but by now I’m pissed - its been 4 weeks and nobody ever called me. I reply, “Your customer service is abysmal” and go. off. I know I’m not being understanding, but at least I’m not one of those nuts who goes through a drive thru and punches the employee at the window simply because she’s wearing a mask and asks him to mask, too (yes, that’s what’s happening across the country). I’m not that person…. So, I’m transferred to a RN, then the RN’s supervisor, then back to the scheduler, and they give me the only available appointment they have - 7/1/20 at 8:30 a.m.

L. and I are led to an exam room and the MA is actually social distancing even though she is wearing full PPE. L.’s blood pressure is taken but now, in the era of Covid-19, they place, like, a steri-strip, similar to a piece of paper towel, on the patient’s arm, then put the cuff around that. But, how do you sanitize the cuff for the next patient? Does the MA assume that a piece of paper towel provides enough of a Covid-19 barrier for the B/P cuff so that it’s safe when applied to the next patient? When B. goes to his weekly PT appointment for his knee, he dons a mask, walks into the office and gives his name, and staff take his temperature. That’s it. I feel like I’m at Chernobyl…

The doctor comes in, wearing an N95 and no gloves -she maintains social distance. We all talk and a prescription is called in for L. then L. and are escorted by staff to a back entrance that lets us out into an alley on the side of the building so remote that we don’t know where we are. We stumble around, looking for our car, and finally find it.

9:30-11:00 - We meet B. at the Dennys located one minute from the doctor’s office and L. and I split a ‘grand slam.’ Everyone inside is social distancing, and there are two to three tables between the customers. An old couple are sitting in the far corner of the restaurant. Eventually, the old man - I would say he’s around 90 - get’s up and hobbles through the entire restaurant, in search of the bathroom, without wearing a mask. He looks like he’s dying and walks slowly next to our table - I’m sure we are now infected. CA guidelines dictate that if you get up from your table at a restaurant, you’re supposed to wear a mask, but nobody checks him, nobody says anything.

He returns, still not masking, and he and his wife finish breakfast. Then, both of them put on their masks and walk slowly to the cash register. So, you know you’re supposed to put your mask on when you leave…why would you think it’s ok to go to the bathroom without a mask? You walked through the entire restaurant, unmasked!!! I’m hinked up over this entire experience. When I go to restaurants, I do my best to request outdoor seating because I really, really hate eating indoors, but Dennys was B.’s call and there is no outdoor seating here.

11:30-12:30 - Home and I water all my plants and spray down the astroturf in the backyard. L. leaves for work.

1:00-2:30 - I try to take a nap, but I’m sleeping with one eye open, on my office couch, because I have a wine.com delivery coming with the time TBD (to be determined).

3:00 - 4:30 - I give up napping and resume taking care of the backyard. I sweep, clean and fill the fountain, and wash the patio table. Then, I sweep and clean the kitchen.

4:30-6:00 - I freshen up and change out of my hiking clothes.

6:00 - 8:00 - B. arrives with burritos from the Burrito Factory and we convene on my patio. He brings his “margarita kit” and prepares margaritas for himself. I stick with champagne. The burritos are excellent and mine is as big as my head.

8:00-11:00 - We go upstairs and watch two episodes of Love After Lockup, Season 1 and then talk politics the final hour.

11:30-12:30 - Bedtime routine and I watch a couple episodes of Forensic Files.