I’m counting down to my formal wedding. There are three weeks to go and my house looks like a warehouse. I have more stuff than the average bride because I’m not average. I’m immunocompromised, living with an autoimmune disease. The thought of having dozens of people in the same enclosed space is distressing to me. One of the last times I was in an indoor group setting I got Covid and had symptoms for 33 days. I required prescription cough meds, a steroid nasal spray, Tylenol every four hours, etc…

So, this time I’m taking tons precautions at my wedding like spraying down every table with disinfectant, providing my own fresh linens, giving out hand sanitizers and masks to anyone who wants them, asking guests to test for Covid or stay home if they are sick, getting a room where the doors can be open for fresh air, spacing out the seating and handing out tissues so anyone who has it cough or sneeze can cover their face.

For the majority of the world, the concerns of the pandemic are in the rear view mirror but I don’t get that luxury. Covid was just the latest germ to threaten my existence. I always had to worry about colds, pneumonia, RSV, etc… Working in an open office posed challenges over the years. I couldn’t stop someone from coming in sick, coughing and sneezing without covering their face, or sitting at my desk when I was gone.

Working from home offered me something I hadn’t had since I was in my early 20’s. It was piece of mind. I know that I’ve been less ill because I’ve been exposed to fewer people. I also got to rest my body so there’s been less pain, as well as wear and tear. But, things change and the world wants to forget Covid, as well as some of the upsides that came along with it like a work-life-balance, less illness, less stress due to no commute, and more productivity because there’s no reason to be late for work.

I need to work, at least for now, so I know I will have to do what I can to protect my own life while still living it to the fullest.

#invisibleillness #chronicillness #chronicpain #spoonie #covid

#immunocompromised #disability #returntowork #weddings