Freya Levy, who lives with FSHD, discusses the serious difficulties in having to shield.
My home is my favourite place to be, somewhere I can close the door and be in my safe space, with my favourite person and 4-legged best friend. So when the government announced “stay home, stay safe”, I was a big fan!
However, I have felt very anxious about the process, and as things are starting to re-open and people’s lives are returning to whatever the new ‘normal’ will look like, I wish we had a bit more information on what the future looks like for those shielding and how we come out of this all.
I’ve not left my house since Sunday 15 March and spent my last pre-lockdown weekend how I know best: with a double header of a Basketball game and Rugby training on the Saturday and a venture to Hull on the Sunday for a Rugby away game.
With all sport now on hold, this will be my first summer without an international tournament in 7 years.
Part of me has enjoyed the break for the first time in a long time, however there’s a much bigger part of me that is so ready to hear my coach yell “baseline”, and to be back in those team environments. Sport is so, so much more than just training to keep fit!
I posted on our local Facebook page and a neighbour sourced some bricks for me so we could fashion some ‘rollers’. We place my sports chair on top so I can still get some sort of cardio training. One of my friends has also released a whole series of home wheelchair workouts, so big shoutout to Ella for motivating some strength training into my routine too!
As schools started to close the decision was made, by the charity I work for, to close like everywhere else, until this all blows over! Thankfully due to the furlough scheme and the support from work, I was and will be safe financially, but had more time on my hands than ever before.
Like the rest of the country, I’m trying to keep busy, with those niggling DIY jobs I’ve never had time for, soaking in the sunshine in the garden, playing with the dog and learning sign language, just trying to embrace this time as much as possible.
My first job was with Alpine Taxis, I’ve always stayed in touch with the boss Peter, and been incredibly grateful to him and the company for giving me my first “chance” in the working world.
He “saw past my disability”, continues to do so, and has played a huge part in the person and leader I have become today.
He often phones for help or advice on projects with the company and he phoned during the first week of lockdown for help with a plan to get shopping and essential items to our community, as like everywhere, supermarket deliveries were 3+ week waits and the shelves were empty anywhere else! He’d teamed up with a local greengrocer and we could now offer next day delivery of essentials and fruit & veg to our community.
We are in our 7th week and have reached 140 homes! More recently, we have launched our ‘smoothie activity packs’ with puzzles, games and colouring in to help keep the children busy and get them excited about their 5 a day!
It’s definitely been keeping me busy through lockdown. The feedback we’ve had, from some of the people we are helping, has been overwhelming and it definitely helps me power through some of those harder days.
Above all, I think I share the same two views as many others during this time:
I cannot wait to hug my family again, and thank you to the NHS and keyworkers for keeping us safe!