Well That Escalated Quickly

Hey Friends,

I know that I just blogged a few days ago, but I've got plenty of time and suspect, given the steady increase in "get to know me better" Facebook survey posts,  that you might have some free time as well ...so why not provide a little update, given that EVERYTHING has changed here on our island in the last few days!

As more cases of Covid-19 have been discovered in Cayman over the past 5 days, our government has been tightening the reigns by the hour. On Monday, an island-wide curfew was instilled. We were told that we were not allowed to leave our house between 9pm and 5am. On Tuesday that curfew was extended from 7pm to 6am.  We were also told that all non-essential services would be shutting down immediately. Yesterday we were put into a 24 hour curfew lasting until Saturday. This means that we cannot leave our house until this curfew is lifted on Saturday morning...or until they tell us what the next plan of action is. There is a steep punishment for disobeying the law - a $3000 CI fine and/or one year imprisonment. The police have already arrested one person for breaking curfew.

With changes that affect your day-to-day being implemented by the hour, your mind races and your emotions go into overdrive, as you attempt to process the new information and accept the loss of control over your daily life. On Monday, for example, when we were told about the 9pm curfew, I laughed nervously as I said to Ev, "Good thing we go to bed at 8:30!" On Tuesday when the curfew was extended and non-essential services were shut down, I found myself panic shopping at the liquor store, wondering what the hell Benedictine is and whether or not I might actually need it for a cocktail. Yesterday when we were informed about the impending 24 hour lockdown, I raced to the beach for one last beach walk and swim in those incredible turquoise waters. I went to the spot where Monty's ashes were spread and had a little chat with him. Personally, I think that Monty would have thrived during this lockdown, as he often put himself into isolation when he felt socially overwhelmed, watching old movies and perfecting his Gumbo for days. Wherever he is, I imagine that although he is concerned about family and friends, he probably finds it amusing that we are losing our shit over being temporarily stuck inside!

Whoa that pedicure is rough man, and it's only gonna get worse.

Where is everyone? Oh, they are standing in the 2-hour line at Fosters trying to buy toilet paper. 

At the risk of sparking a political debate (trust me, that is not my intent and is not in the forefront of my mind these days!), I will say this...I fully support our government's decision to act radically in this situation. We are currently at 8 cases and although these measures are extreme, I feel as though we are ahead of most countries in terms of acting swiftly, boldly,  and putting the health of our country first.

Our Chief Medical Officer, Dr. Lee, was my Pain Specialist for the first 4 years that we lived in Cayman. He was one of the best Doctors that I have ever had the opportunity to work with (and I have seen MANY doctors!). Dr. Lee worked methodically and patiently to wean me off of Opioids. He never sugar-coated the situation, he prepared me for what to expect, and he was always anticipating the next plan of action. Dr. Lee rarely responded impulsively when I asked questions. Rather, he pulled down books from his library and spent much time searching online to provide me with his most educated and comprehensive answer. During one of our last appointments together, he calmly commended me on persevering through the process, and explained that he was retiring. He couldn't wait to spend more time with his dog and enjoy island life without the intense working hours. Shortly after his retirement I heard that he agreed to take on the Chief Medical Officer position. I see him tirelessly and steadily explaining and answering Covid-19 questions in multiple press conferences a day, and although I feel sorry that he is not presently enjoying his retirement, I am incredibly grateful that he's our leader through this unprecedented event.

So with that being said, today is our first day in full 24-hour lockdown. We are allowed to take our dogs for walks around our complex, but we are banned from being on the road or anywhere in our neighbourhood. Police helicopters regularly fly overhead, patrolling our country for curfew-breakers. This morning when Dundee and I had finished our short loop around the complex, Dundee suddenly sat down on the grass and stared out into the distance. The usual sounds - car motors, laughter, planes flying overhead - were gone. I think that even Dundee noticed as he swivelled his head left, then right, then left again and sniffed the air. Is he wondering what the hell is going on ("What did those humans do now?") or is he simply noticing that time appears to have come to a standstill, and he has the luxury of enjoying another peaceful day with his favourite people?

Hang in there friends. Stay safe. Stay sane.

Hey there! I know things have been ruff, but we are feline fine!