Amanda’s Lockdown Story

Hi, I am Amanda from Australia. Lockdown was one of the best times that I experienced. At a time when we were all busy with our jobs and studies, it gave us the opportunity to spend time together as a family and enjoy delicious food cooked at home.

My Mum, brother Louise, and my grandparents were here too. We loved spending quality time together and focusing on making some great memories, even while things were difficult.

For the past nine weeks, our family has been shielding at home. This has become a different way of life for us, with my husband working from home upstairs in our children’s playroom and my kids, Heidi and Noah, home-schooling themselves.

However, having an incredibly fragile kid during lockdown does not come without difficulties. My mother was undergoing emergency tests and had an operation that was scheduled to take place soon.

The operation has now been delayed, and experts are trying to find the best possible way to conduct the tests. In the meantime, my mom unfortunately has to “put up with” the body spasms that take over his body during the night, without us understanding the cause and without care.

This is in addition to having to manage one of his complicated situations, waking him each night in a less-than-desirable way in order to keep her alive.

During our early days of shielding, the toughest thing was getting groceries and other important items. Our nominated person for doing the food shopping was my husband, Stuart, who took extra care to reduce the risks.

I am talking about putting antibacterial cleaner on keys and glasses, washing his clothing, and going straight into the shower the second he stepped through the door.

Fortunately, we now have a government home-delivery slot for vulnerable people and a food parcel full of important products every week. This has been a godsend because it means there is less need for unnecessary exposure.

Lockdown was full of ups and downs, but it was also one of the best periods we had spent together in ages. We got to know much more about one another, and one of the best things that happened was that I learned to cook.

My mum has always been the best cook and used to make the most delicious food during the holidays. This time, I made sure to write down the recipes she follows.

It can feel nearly impossible not to go out for walks. The weather has been beautiful.

We are very fortunate that last year we made our small garden accessible so that we can enjoy some fresh air and exercise, but it is not quite the same as going out.

From time to time, we are allowed to go for a rare stroll, but only with many extra precautions in place.

When we go out, my mum does not use her wheelchair because of the possibility of germs getting on the wheels. Yet she loves being high up and unable to touch anything in the backpack carrier.

We are still concerned whenever we leave home. We prefer very isolated routes to avoid seeing others, and we carry wipes and hand gel.

Because of COVID-19, our two most recent holidays were canceled, and we have not had a vacation since just before Christmas. That place is usually our refuge from the hustle and bustle of daily life.

Even though we are at home, we still have the same responsibilities to juggle, and in some ways they are harder to manage.

There is my mother’s care, her treatments, and virtual appointments that can last up to two hours.

Because of the current situation and the need to manage difficult issues at home without as much assistance, our medical problems now feel heightened.

Home-schooling is another responsibility added to the list, and Stuart is also balancing his full-time job.

We miss our little breaks very much and hope that everything gets back on track so that we can live as we did before the coronavirus gave us such a difficult time.

I come from a family that is seriously waiting for a vaccine to bring some relief back into our lives.