Risk, Reward and the Inevitable March of Time

Coronavirus.

There, I said it.

As I write this, news stories on the virus are crowding out most other news stories, and, unless something changes dramatically in the next few weeks, it will be the same thing once you read this.

While coronavirus will not be the end of the world (knocks wood), it is certain to cause disruptions to daily life not seen with the “regular” flu.

And even though there seems to be a lot of “panic” buying of certain things – bottled water, disinfectants, toilet paper, I don’t begrudge anyone who does this. If the past has taught us anything, it’s that most people don’t tend to prepare for emergencies. Whether the emergency is a coming hurricane, or a coming pandemic, there’s always a certain group of people who make fun of those who do prepare ahead. And the ones who don’t prepare are always the same people getting rescued by first-responders.

With the Coronavirus pandemic, as with most health situations, how you handle it all boils down to what you have to do on a personal level and what your unique situation is.

For me, although my brain still thinks I’m in my 20s, I have reached an age where I am beginning to approach a group identified as a higher risk. As reports began to identify other factors to determine who was at higher risks two things hit me a like a ton of bricks: pre-existing conditions and compromised immune system. My pre-existing condition is diabetes, which I have managed fairly well since being diagnosed. My compromised immune system is due to taking Cosentyx for psoriasis. I spoke with my dermatologist many times before starting Cosentyx, she takes a very conservative approach to treatments, and it was a long time before she recommended going to a biological. We went through all the risks and rewards, one being a compromised immune system – but of course, we never could have foreseen Coronavirus.

So, here I am, my body susceptible to a virus my 20-year-old brain really doesn’t want to deal with.

As I mentioned, healthcare ultimately comes down to the individual – making the best choices based on the best information available.

Stay healthy!