Dundalk

 

Buildings closed down

around this old town

where would we be

without it

5 Places to get your COVID-19 information

For those who know me in real life, you know that I am far from an alarmist. A realist sure, but I absolutely despise idle gossip and absolutely, seriously despise fear mongering, fake news and conspiracy bullshit.

What we are being asked to currently do in Ireland to combat the spread of COVID-19, and in many other countries, is by far that drastic. Like just stay inside as much as possible, for YOUR circumstances. Wash your hands, keep a metre distance from people at the very least (when possible), don't shake hands... these are not alarmist things to do. They are the very most basic things things we could change now to prevent a bigger issue in the future. We need to #FLATTENTHECURVE, and this can only be done if we all take tiny measures.

Those who rely on work (those who still have a job to go to) cannot stay at home all the time, not everyone can work at home and not all businesses can close down completely. BUT you can keep your kids away from other kids (cancel all playdates), no trips to the grandparents, drinks at home for just two weekends rather than the pub, get your food delivered where possible if you are high risk or have cold like symptoms, and really other very basic measures that many of us are lucky enough (privileged enough) to be in a position to do.

It's not about shaming people in to complying; we are all in very different circumstances. It's all about doing what YOU can do to flatten the curve.

- Lads, it's really not much of an effort when you think about it. Unless you are a dick. Don't be a dick. Have some consideration for all the nurses, doctors, general front line staff, food suppliers and supermarket staff, general civil servants/ army etc who are currently working their asses off behind the scenes at this very moment, to ensure everything is in place for you for the coming days/ weeks. Having your fucking 10th pint of Harp tonight in a crowded pub is a real piss in their faces.

With all that in mind I have compiled a basic list of bloggers and official websites that you should definitely consider getting your pandemic news from. Being informed can help greatly if you are feeling anxious right now, but make sure you are getting the correct information from reputable sources. You may want to stay away from Jim Corr, YouTube and racist Mary from down the road right now (actually that's just good advice in general).

Pregnant and Disabled

As some you probably know, if you follow me on Facebook or Instagram, I'm currently pregnant. It's been a very tough few months, trying to navigate not being on my usual wonder drugs that keep some of my worst symptoms at bay, while adjusting to the increase of symptoms that the pressure of pregnancy has placed on my body -as well as all the pregnancy usuals. We are delighted though, and cannot what to meet are little muffin.

I'm lucky enough to be in a maternity hospital and under a team of doctors, as deemed a bit higher risk than average. I won't go in to all the nitty gritty of how my health has declined throughout the pregnancy in this post, and what my doctors are taking in to consideration, but I might do a video for the #EDS4IRE YouTube channel outlining my personal story further. Here's just some of the increased issues I have faced to date, and indeed you may face too if you have these conditions. Just remember, even if your health profile mirrors mine, everyone is totally different! So take with a pinch of salt if you are wondering what to expect in your own pregnancy.