As the maps at the Center for Disease Control show an ongoing expanding reach of cases of the coronavirus, a strong fear is “What if I get the coronavirus?”
This week the Washington Post ran an article about someone who was recovering and what he had experienced. In “Fever, Fear and Slow Recovery: One Man’s Battle with coronavirus in South Korea” the ordeal of a 47-year-old restaurant owner was explored.
He was recovering well from the coronavirus but said it was painful for the flu, he had much anxiety about possibly infecting his wife and daughter who had cared for him, and he had been in the hospital for eight days. He was also having a self-imposed 14-day quarantine just to be sure that he would be safe for his patrons and family.
This is a pretty favorable result but involves a dramatic departure from day-to-day activities. Few of us are prepared for that type of disruption to our lives and routine. It is one of many humbling reminders that we are not in charge of things.
For our office, we have talked about not coming in if you are sick, having plenty of hand sanitizers, and working remotely. What is harder to talk about is the unknown.
As Franklin Roosevelt pointed out so well about dark times in his First Inaugural Address, “[T]he only thing we have to fear is fear itself—nameless, unreasoning, unjustified terror which paralyzes needed efforts to convert retreat into advance.”
I am confident that if I do get the coronavirus, I am resilient, not alone, and will be graced with the strength to cope with what comes. We wish you safety, wisdom, and courage to face the health challenges that may come.
We work with many families working with their estate planing who are bravely facing difficult circumstances. Having your medical decision-makers in place and able to respond when needed is often a part of that effort to be prepared to manage whatever happens.
