Viral Diaries (7)

April 7, 2020

South Carolina

Every time I get (somewhat) adjusted to the new not-so-normal, things amp up. I am in the group of women who have no choice but to continue in-person prenatal visits and so I find myself in doctors' offices twice a week. As I walked in for my ultrasound today, the nurses that now gatekeep the elevators asked me their usual set of questions ("Have you traveled recently? Have a cough or fever? Do you have an appointment? What floor are you going to?") but this time, they handed me a mask. I'm grateful that my local medical system is taking things so seriously, although having to wear masks and gloves for once routine occasions still strikes me as surreal. While I will comply for the sake of the health of my family and community, I don't know that this is something I want to just "get used" to.

I've been trying to work on pieces about having a high-risk pregnancy during a high-risk time, but the energy to do so often escapes me. I'd like to share my story in a more formal and widespread way, but at this point, naps seem much more appealing. My body is tired, and my hands and fingers are often swollen, and they make typing and writing a difficult task. Baby girl likes to roll and push around inside of my body, and the constant pressure in my abdomen and hips makes sitting up to type an arduous task. Some days, I feel as if the skin stretching across my stomach is going to rip in two. Even the escapism of fantasy writing does not seem like enough.

Even as cases continue to rise, the governor has been reluctant to issue a strict and all encompassing order, and instead has chosen to make an extensive list of businesses and public areas that are required to close. My mother-in-law's COVID test came back negative, and so we paid Hayden's parents a visit- in the backyard, while sitting at least six feet away. My mother is still on a work contract in Iowa, and I am unsure if she will make it back in time for the birth. I worry about the possibility of virus-related travel restrictions causing her to get stuck in one state or the other.

I read an article recently that projected the peak of the pandemic for various states in the US. The date predicted for South Carolina is the same as my induction, the 28th. I wonder how different things will be, even just three weeks from now. I suppose there is little I can do but take life as it comes, day by day.