This morning I am wondering if I should take the cats the vet for their annual physicals/shots or nah. It feels to me that many businesses are (understandably, considering their own desire to stay in business) putting pressure on customers to behave as if there isn’t a pandemic: like, “Look, we have face masks, we have Pandemic Policies in place, and your cat is !!!!!OVERDUE!!!!! for an appointment that, until recent history, would not have existed because people did not bring housecats in for annual physicals and preventative bloodwork as if they were well-insured humans.” I’m not saying we SHOULDN’T take pets for preventative care, and in normal times we DO, but these are exceptional times and I don’t think we have to act as if they’re not.
But then I wonder if I’m being paranoid and should just keep up with the cats’ appointments. I don’t want to cause a problem by having too big a gap between shots or something (though our cats are indoor-only, so that makes me a little less worried about some of the shots). The vet is doing the thing where you call them from the parking lot and they come out and take the pet-carrier inside without you. Still, with an immunosuppressed person in our house, this is so far failing my own personal “How would I feel if I found out I were infected, and I was asked to list everywhere I’d been the last few weeks?” filter.
I’m feeling similarly about dentist appointments. The percentage of the world population that receives dental check-ups/cleanings every six months is… small. And yet, within this percentage, those appointments are considered !!!NECESSARY!!! and so it is hard to get perspective to click accurately into place. Most of us don’t actually need dentist appointments every six months. It’s nice, but it’s not necessary. We can skip one, two, three in a row, and it’s STILL not shocking, even though it FEELS shocking. In earlier adulthood, making $5/hour with no benefits, I skipped four years’ worth of dentist appointments. (I also didn’t take my cats for preventative appointments. When there’s no money for it, there’s no money for it. I don’t like that I now get treated as if I am a Better, Smarter, More Responsible Person for doing these appointments, when actually I am just a person who has more money now.)
I’m not taking Henry for his allergy shots. I know this could result in various disappointing outcomes, such as losing progress, having to go back and start over, maybe insurance won’t pay to start over, etc. But all of those things are okay in the grander scheme of things. These are not life-saving shots for him. Many people don’t even have access to this kind of optional medical care. There is this feeling of “But he’s SUPPOSED TO get the shots, he’s not SUPPOSED TO miss any!!”—but that’s a construct that doesn’t apply right now. There are a LOT of things that were supposed to happen but won’t.
And we ordered new glasses for Henry the month before all this happened, and the eye place has called us twice to tell us we can pick them up, and we are not picking them up. His old prescription is fine. It is a very small part of the world’s population that gets to have new custom-fitted, custom-prescription glasses every year or two. The new glasses can sit there for awhile.
Last night I dreamed that I was waiting for Henry to pick up his things from the pool (he of course does not have anything at the pool, but we have an appointment in a few weeks to pick up his things from the SCHOOL and this must be the origin of the dream concept), and while I was waiting, people kept brushing past me or standing too close to me while not wearing masks, and I kept moving to new safer locations only to have people crowd in next to me again, and some of them were doing it mockingly and on purpose because I was wearing a mask, and then I fled inside the rec center and had to dodge through an area where they were having a bridal shower and people were just standing around close to each other and eating food together, and anyway I guess this kind of dream gets added to the permanent roster of recurring “Can’t find my classroom/locker” and “Oh no, a pet is in peril” dreams.
Tessie asked about favorite masks, and I want to order more masks because I am trying to find fun where I can (it reminds me of how if we have to wear glasses, we might as well have fun/cute frames), so this is a question I too am very interested in answers for. Where are you buying masks? Which ones are you finding to be a nice fit? Where are you finding fun/cute ones? I have one mask made for me by a friend, and it is very cute and comfortable considering it is a mask; it has ties and it fits like this (I have one tie tied above my ponytail, and the other across the back of my neck):
I have made about 5 masks for my wife who works outside the house and I am very charmed by how they look and how cute they are when I use fun fabric. I am going to tweet you pictures.
Oh, the cat appointment thing is a hot topic in our household. One of our cats is on a special diet, which can only be obtained at/through the vet. When we called a couple of weeks ago to order more food they said, no, Licorice cannot have more food until we see him. OK, let’s schedule his annual appointment. Nope, we’re not seeing cats for routine visits. Really, what about all the EMAILS and POSTCARDS and URGENT MESSAGES I get on the regular, telling me that you’re open for business, really important that you bring your cat in for his annual wellness visit? Oh, those are automatically generated, nothing we can do, we are not seeing pets for routine stuff.
OKAY, then, how do we get food for the little guy? Turns out their issue is that he has not had his Rabies vaccination and is due NOW for it. Great, I’m cool with all my indoor-only cats getting their Rabies shots, but if you are not taking appointments… turns out they were able to bring him back for a SHOT ONLY appointment, but only if we prepaid, and then we could get the food while we waited for his prepaid rabies appointment.
Gotcha. It’s about the money, then. Cool cool.
Oh, back to your question. I think it’s perfectly fine to let those appointment slide until things are better. Even if that’s another year. Same with dentist visits.
This is Extremely Obnoxious. Vets are considered essential where I live and are just making necessary accommodations (curbside pickup of animal, pay over the phone type stuff).
Mine are doing that as well, Natalie, including offering pet food delivery. I think that’s awful, Susan :(
I had to bring my cat to the vet yesterday for his checkup (and rabies shot) so that we could continue to get his prescription food, too. I don’t know where you live, but here (Illinois) the vet can’t legally prescribe anything, even food, without having seen the animal within the last 12 months. I don’t know why they wouldn’t do the routine check along with the shot (mine did), but the need to go in to continue to buy prescribed food is probably based in state law, not just your vet’s personal preference and/or their desire to get as much money from you as possible.
Couldn’t the governor change the state law temporarily, though? Like, your pet can have prescription food during a pandemic even if you’re behind on certain shots..
Signed,
Someone who is pretty happy about the temporary availability of to-go cocktails
I assume he could, but if he hasn’t I think the vet’s hands are tied. My point is just that the vet isn’t the one making this rule, that’s beyond their control.
(And to-go cocktails are spectacular, I concur.)
My sister is making masks. She already had a stash of materials, because that is her thing. She has fun fabrics. Her Facebook page is Facebook.com/invisiblegoddesscreations. She has other cool stuff too.
The appointment suggestions are exhausting. It makes me want to fully rebel and fire the ones who are being super pushy.
My favorite masks so far are made by Los Angeles Apparel. They’re cotton, with a French terry inside. Not too thick, not too thin. Nose wire, which many I’ve found don’t have. The shape/size “seals” well on many face shapes (I have a big head, big cheeks and my 14 y/o is super petite, the masks fit both of us well.) They have several colors/patterns, too. $30 for a three-pack.
Considering I ignored the annual visit reminders for my (indoor-only) cat(s) even before These Times, I am very far on the “they will be JUST FINE” side of things.
We had to call an electrician to come to the house this morning because the area where I’ve set up my home office has had every single outlet trip in the last 48 hours, and 0 of the circuit breakers on our circuit board a) were tripped or b) even made any difference when we manually reset every single one anyway (!?!). Anyway, he came this morning with a helper and was very friendly and chatty but also took ZERO PRECAUTIONS, like no masks, insisted on SHAKING MY HAND when leaving, etc. I don’t yet know how to be pushy/assertive in the moment when these things happen. Instead I just washed my hands quickly and thoroughly as soon as he left and tried to take comfort in the article that has been circulating that talks about how the viral load *build up* is so critical in actually catching the virus (ie, spending 2 minutes talking to someone w/the virus = hard to be exposed to enough individual virus particles to reach critical mass).
(Here is a link to that article in case folks have not seen it and are interested; I found it immensely reassuring. Not in a “we’re all going to be fine! go back to normal!” sense, but the exact opposite – we will NOT be fine but here is sane and scientific reasoning on how You Personally can mitigate your risks without being a hermit living off the grid: https://www.erinbromage.com/post/the-risks-know-them-avoid-them)
Thanks for sharing that. I also found it very reassuring.
I too found it reassuring regarding activities like shopping and going for walks. But I found it very disconcerting that all those companies/offices planning to sanitize surfaces and keep workers 6 feet apart don’t realize that these measures are almost useless as just breathing the same air as an infected person for too long can deliver a critical viral load if they’re “downwind” as the air circulates around the space.
Yes, I’m SO GLAD my office is continuing the “work from home until further notice” policy. I REALLY miss my co-workers, but there’s just no way to maintain a safe distance for 8-9 hours a day with 1200 people milling around.
AGREED. I sent the article to my HR person at work for that reason. And I sure as heck am not opting in to return to the office when it opens up in the coming weeks. (I realize I’m lucky I have that choice/option!)
I’m taking my dog for shots and heartworm tests tomorrow, because that is a real actual concern for a dog who goes outside. I would not take the cats if I were you, especially with a risky person at home. (In fact I have lazily not taken my indoor only cats for quite some time). My vet would also only sell me 2 months of flea/tick stuff without bringing the dog in. It will be ok, they are doing curbside pickup and the dog is only 3 lbs and very compliant. I will just hand her out the window of my car.
My son turned 3 last month and we cancelled his well check. I was very surprised when my pediatrician called a few days ago to say, “we are calling to reschedule those who had to cancel, to be sure you can get on the schedule, since we anticipate filling up very rapidly”. I thought it was quite proactive of them.
I got the kind of mask that has the two long ties, but with short hair, I find it hard to get them to stay in place. I prefer the kind that go over the ears; I’m not going out enough to find that extremely irritating, and it stays in place better. It doesn’t have a nose-bridge thing, and I do wonder if that would be better in terms of fit.
Definitely hear you on putting off the regular appointments. The cat will be fine, knock on wood, without the next shots. My dental cleaning in two weeks? No, I’m fine (though I need to stop grinding my teeth when I get annoyed, or that won’t stay true).
Your mask is SO CUTE.
I have purchased two sets of masks from Etsy.
MichelleRomary masks are awesome — they have room for a filter (which I haven’t yet figured out, but it’s there) and they have a little wire that helps you tighten it over the nose. The straps are nice and long. There are cute patterns. They are — currently — VERY affordable.
I also like the masks I got from tinyhinythreads — the ones I got did not have a filter, and the straps were not super long but were long enough and there were lots of cute patterns. The pricing has gone up significantly since I first purchased my masks, but I would expect that — there’s a lot of demand and I imagine these sellers are making masks ALL DAY LONG, bless them.
My husband ordered a mask from Sock Fancy, but we ordered it weeks ago and it hasn’t even shipped yet, so I can’t report on its quality. (I understand the delay — they must be INUNDATED with orders.)
How many masks do we NEED, do you think? I am thinking ahead to the school year (please be school, please be school) and wondering if my daughter will need to wear a mask every day. If so, I would want to have a few extras on hand, so I’m not laundering them daily. Three masks per person? Obviously, three masks per person in my three-person household is much more doable than it would be for other households. But, like, in an ideal world, is that what we’d aim for? Five?
Like you, we are holding off on non-essential appointments. I feel guilty about this, because I know the dentists/hair dressers/vets etc. NEED us to continue to make appointments, and they are trying their best to offer their services safely. But… I am still waiting a bit, to see how things go as things open up a bit.
I really want my teenaged daughter to become comfortable with mask-wearing (since this is TX, it’s unlikely they will require masks at school but her soccer club is talking about requiring them, and she has some unavoidable air travel planned for the fall).
Luckily, kids her age seem mostly on board and they may not have a choice in any case. I don’t think mask-wearing is going away anytime soon, at least in more populous areas. So, I can definitely see it becoming something of a fashion statement, similar to phone cases.
Oh man, it hadn’t really occurred to me that my kids will need masks to go back to school in the fall. But of course that would make sense. At least I’ll have the summer to source a few per child! They have one each coming in the mail now, but I thought it would be good to have them on hand in case there are provincial or municipal requirements put in place for walking outside (they don’t come to stores with me at this point of course). When I ordered them, fall seemed so far away I didn’t give it any thought.
I ordered some masks from Zulilly that are very cute. I ordered some neoprene ones that are not very, cute but are very comfy. I have masks coming from Groupon and old navy.
If you are a Zulily user, they have been running various events with masks at reasonable-to-me prices. I bought some of the Nanu loop style ones and the Shou adjustable contoured ones (ordered 4/20, shipped this past weekend.) I might grab some of the Nanu pleated ones too. I have others like the loop style and they do well for me. They have a TON of cute patterns, and kid sizes too (though I think most of your kids are beyond the ages listed). My goal is to do like I do with my reusable grocery bags and just have a large zipper pouch of them stashed in the car so I always have some on hand.
I was going to ignore the cat well check, even though he was due for a rabies vaccine, because it did not seem super necessary for an indoor only, otherwise healthy cat. But it turns out to be able to keep getting our prescription cat food for him (extremely sensitive stomach, that one), the vet has to have seen the cat within the last 12 months (state law), so we had to go in anyway. So I got the shot and the well check as long as I was there, and I combined it with a human pharmacy pick up errand for 7 prescriptions for the humans in the household, so at least I got two things done with the one trip out. My vet was set up like yours is, I think. They called when they were ready and I brought him to the door, then went and sat in my car and we did the appointment by phone. Then they did blood draws/etc. and called me to do payment over the phone and then I walked back up and picked him up at the door. Not too bad, over-all, and since I never went in and was only within six feet of the vet tech for about 30 seconds at each drop off and pick up (and we were both wearing masks) it seemed about as low risk as it could be. But if you don’t have to go to continue a food prescription or anything like that I would still skip probably.
I got some masks from Reformation that have the two ties rather than the ear ties, which I like. At 5/$25 it was a good price, and some are neutral enough for my husband to wear. I also got some from furtees.com and they are cute but took forever to ship. I am not taking our pets for shots, for similar reasons. Also, our dentist keeps updating us that they are not open and won’t do routine visits, which is fine by me. It will take awhile before I feel super comfortable having someone that close to my face for non emergency reasons.
Oh, I will be checking each and every one of these mask recommendation sites. I can see a point in the near future where I will have Way Too Many Masks, but we take the small victories/joys where we get them right now.
So far, I’ve placed 2 orders for homemade cloth masks from Etsy sellers. They are the kind that tie behind the head, and that have an insert built-in for a filter.
I ordered a set with the logo of my college alma mater, and one with my daughter’s high school mascot and the insignia of her soccer club. We enjoy fan gear at our house, and even those who are Crabby/Judgmental About Masks will sometimes be less crabby about fan gear, or if something can be in any way related to sports (HELLO TEXAS). Not that I should care what anyone thinks about my mask, but as we have discussed repeatedly throughout the years, I Am Like This. Perhaps I should order one with the words “LIVES WITH AN ER NURSE” stamped across it, similar to the woman I saw wearing a FAMILY OF SIX t-shirt in the grocery store, which I did enjoy and appreciate.
Our eye doctor is sending out emails saying, “Come in for your annual eye checkup! We are taking precautions!” And I….am not making any appointments with them. I’m thinking of the gizmos that go Right! On! Your! Face! and I’m not doing it. Even though I definitely need a new glasses prescription.
I will go for my endocrinologist appointments next month (blood test, then follow-up), though maybe the follow-up can be done over the phone. I haven’t gone for my annual OB/GYN exam, nor my annual mammogram, because those can be put off for a year without major consequences if you’ve been relatively regular about them. All of our dentists are closed.
We don’t have pets, but if we did, I’d only be taking them in if absolutely necessary.
I feel very comfortable going to the vet — we have seven animals and not surprisingly seem to go to the vet a lot! — and you should know I do NOT feel comfortable about much in this pandemic. I have all food and everything else delivered and have honestly gone off my property zero times in the last two months except to the vet. I wear gloves/masks, all the vet office personnel wear gloves/masks, and I never even get out of my car. I am sympathetic to a high risk person in your family but I honestly feel this is one of the safest transactions these days. I am extremely anxious about going anywhere else but this feels ok to me. If that helps!
I did make my 12 year olds dental appointment, because every time he goes it is a disaster in there with cavities and tooth pulling and a mess, and I just don’t want to make things worse than they could be.
We are in exactly the same boat. 13 year old just went in, got cleaning, got lectured (as ever) about how dreadfully he does (both he & I got lectured). I despair (I was the same, as a child, as he is now). But I will not go in for a cleaning in the immediate term myself and am somewhat disinclined to take him back as our DENTIST (who is usually very good about many things) was wearing her mask below her nose which — HELLO?! And no, I did not say anything (sigh). At least the hygienist (who of course spent way more time with him, and no, I was hardly in the office at all except when called in — I waited in the car) was masked, face-protected, and gloved. Aiyiyiyi.
A mask shopping tip: I found a few news articles that highlighted some local companies and individuals who’d pivoted to mask-making, which helped me narrow down my options. Bought something really cute, supported a local business and received it through the mail in 24 hours? Check, check and check.
I am a sewer so I have been making TONS of masks for various organizations. I think my mom & I have made more than 600. We’re just making the elastic-over-the-ear type. Since our family really only needs masks for groceries and a foot doctor we’re visiting, these have worked out fine. I’ve found with glasses, you need to wear it high enough to put the glasses on top of the mask, then there is much less fogging. My favorite one is of bee fabric (of course) that I made myself – and I’m going to appropriate a cute one with birds on it that my mom made. I’ve made a few with the ties but find that they just annoy me – but my daughter likes them with ties. If you need a bee mask, let me know :)
The kids and I were scheduled for our 6-month exam/cleaning right before lockdown. I called the Friday before to check that they would be open. All clear. The next Monday they called to cancel, planning to call back the first week of April to reschedule. They said cleanings can wait, to only call if there was some issue. Haven’t heard anything since, which is fine. There is a lot of stuff that can wait until the world isn’t a cluster.
My dad called them last week because of a cracked tooth. No answer for 3 days. Called another dentist, checked his schedule on Facebook. Within an hour he got a call from the dentist, saying he was sending his son, also a dentist, into the office to meet my dad. Then the assistant, unaware that the dentist had handled it, called to set up an appointment. Then the dentist’s wife reached out on Facebook to say her husband was unavailable, but would he be okay with seeing Jr? We might all be changing dentists. That family takes care of business.
Regarding masks, I had been making do with scarves, which aren’t ideal. I finally ordered some masks on Etsy. I wore one for the first time a few days ago and felt very uncomfortable until I realized there was wire sewn into one seam that can be bent to fit better around the nose. Still not a fan, but less cranky about it.
My dad is an artist and has made some of his images available on masks through his Redbubble shop. He is donating all proceeds plus an extra 10% to a local food bank in his city. Maybe other artists are doing the same? Redbubble seems like a good site to browse for masks with original artwork on them.
I got some masks from here: https://printmakerscollective.com/
They have a wire on the nose bridge to help it conform to your face. They are only 2 layers of fabric. I find all the masks hard to breathe through but these were less difficult than the one I got from etsy that had 2 layers of cotton and one layer of felt – that one’s impossible.
I used to take my cats for regular checkups until we took in some seriously feral cats (mom and her two kittens). Fourteen years later and they still do not want us to pick them up, so after the first few traumatic visits when they all got fixed and got shots, we’ve never taken them back for shots/checkups. They have actually been the healthiest cats we’ve ever had (indoor only, as all our cats are). It makes me wonder if all those vaccinations were not only unnecessary but possibly harmful to them. And I’m not an anti-vaxxer at all, honest!
I made all of our masks, but yesterday was the first time I had to really wear one for a long time and TALK while wearing it. (My husband’s monthly oncologist visit, and it was a good one, yay!) Both of us noticed that our masks were riding down off our nose as we talked, and we kept yanking them back up, then having to sanitize our hands each time we touched the mask. If anyone has tips for how to keep a mask in place while you’re talking, I’m all ears! (These were masks with elastic over the ears; we do have some with ties that we can try.)
Finally, your dream about being crowded at the pool/shower made me think of my real-life irrational panic spiral: My 82 year old mom is in Florida with her boyfriend, totally not taking any precautions. She’s a hairdresser and has been going around cutting hair within the apt complex they’re at. No mask. She has COPD and congestive heart failure but is still active. My brother, his wife and her family are all Trumpers and heavy into conspiracy theories and they have her convinced of this stuff too. (She believed the Plandemic video, the Bill Gates conspiracy crap, etc.) So now I’m terrified she is going to get covid-19, die from it, and my brother, who refuses to “give up his freedom” will have a funeral even though it’s heavily advised against, and I won’t be able to go because my immunocompromised husband and I are sheltering in place. I know it’s crazy but my mind won’t stop toying with this, and how I will look like a horrible person because my whole extended family leans toward my brother’s political beliefs. Blah.
Yay about the good oncology visit.
Sorry about your extended family.
Seconding Slim, I’m so sorry you’re having to deal with that.
On masks, no idea if this helps with the sliding down problem, but I saw a story on NPR that wearing a “gaiter” cut from a nylon stocking over your mask, improves the protection cloth masks provide (of course we all know that is mostly protection of others from you, but presumably still worthwhile). You can read it here — https://www.npr.org/sections/goatsandsoda/2020/04/22/840146830/adding-a-nylon-stocking-layer-could-boost-protection-from-cloth-masks-study-find . I haven’t tried it yet but probably will.
I don’t see a single reason to not pick up Henry’s glasses and ask them to deliver to your car? I keep Lysol wipes in my car and wipe down anything I pick up, then use hand sanitizer, then wash my hands when I get home. Maybe I am missing a good reason?
They fit the glasses to the face when you go pick them up—there’s a lot of fussing and adjusting and taking the glasses on and off and handing them back and forth with the technician. They would probably waive that if we requested it (and I’d probably do that if it were a big change in prescription)—but he chose some rather large glasses the technician tactfully commented he’d have room to grow into, so if we CAN wait to pick them up when it’s safe to get them fitted, I’d rather.
That makes sense!
So far I have one mask that I got from my local buy nothing group, one that my stepmother picked up and mailed to me from the (donation-requested) free supply at the Country Store in her town, and three on the way to me from a former coworker at a previous job, who I am inexplicably friends on FB with (I think we may have talked twice while I still worked there?). My goal is to be like Nicole and just keep a stash of them in my car like my reusable grocery bags, but every time I go to buy some from etsy or similar sites, I get So Overwhelmed with choices and end up giving up… I’m letting my stash grow organically instead :)
Ah yes, the missed appointments. I can’t comment on pets since I don’t have any. But I have 4 family members who missed dental exams (with a new dentist, so I have no rapport with the office staff). I had 3 kids going the same day (two with back-to-back appts, then one later) in April. I won’t even try to get them all the same day next time – won’t be possible. They were due to go in later Jan, I had made their appts in Feb (and April was the earliest) so I feel like it will be months before I can get them in. I’m ok with that if none are having issues. I would like my son to go for an appt. before leaving for college though. Last July, former dentist told him to watch how well he was brushing as he was having some gum issues…. and I don’t think he should go past a year w/o a check-up. I missed my appt last week… dentist is opening this Friday. I’m wondering how they will catch-up – I’m guessing they’ll add Friday appts (previously off Fridays). Thankfully that’s all we missed. Oh, no wait, my husband missed a physical (routine, no hurries, no worries).
I do need to schedule my kids for annual well-visits, but I completely understand those that missed theirs in Mar/April/May should get precedence on scheduling. But, again…. son going to college who needs an exam (and apparently his Tdap or Dtap – who knows which!?!). College says due by 6/15 – well, not gonna happen! But I know he can’t be the only incoming-freshmen with this issue.
I agree these are just little blips in reality.
It’s nice to hear I’m not the only one (still) being vigilant. I agree, wholeheartedly. My own state has not entered phase 1 of re-opening just yet, but even when we do, and for the subsequent phases, I’m planning to lay low and avoid places (and non-urgent appointments) as much as I can. I figure, I’m able to at this point in my life, and so many people are not or won’t be able to, depending on their job or health, so why add to the crowds and interactions if I don’t have to. Plus there are plenty of people itching to “get out there” regardless of whether it’s wise, thoughtful, or necessary.
As for masks, some brands are selling them (j.crew, busy bees kids- but they make adults Sizes too, j. McLaughlin) but I decided to just search Etsy for what print I might like. I found a blue pinstripe and a pretty floral reminiscent of a Liberty of London print for myself, and truck prints for my little boys. I thought I’d have a better chance at getting them to wear them with a motivating design! I felt better supporting a small shop owner, too. They are well made and reasonably priced! staying safe, but make it fashun;)
My son has missed two orthodontist appointments. We took pics of his teeth and the orthodontist said it was still okay, but I assume he’ll have braces on longer than originally planned.
I have gone in myself for two allergy shots that are a miracle cure for the maddening hives of unknown provenance that I’ve had for the past five or six years. I’d risk a LOT to be rid of those hives.
I have an eye appointment in 3 weeks I made a long time ago and the eye doctor sent me a video of how the office has been reconfigured, safety procedures, etc. I’m still going to cancel.
My dentist has re-scheduled my cleanings twice since this all went down. And honestly? At this point, I can only imagine the next appointment will be cancelled, as well.
I actually have made several of these masks (not difficult once you make one or two AND remember how to work your machine) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zm_NmpdgWWA I like that they have the wire so you can adjust as necessary.
I only go to the dentist once a year – in December so I have nice, clean teeth for the Holiday Party Season – but I’ve never had a cavity in my life, don’t get much tartar buildup in that time, and even my dentist agrees I don’t need to go more often. My husband tried doing that schedule with me one year and the dentist (same one I use) tactfully suggested that perhaps he couldn’t go 12 months without a cleaning and to keep to the 6-month rotation going forward.
I too got masks from a couple of sellers on Etsy. It wasn’t easy to find makers that adhered to all the advised properties though: 100% cotton, woven not knitted, minimum 180 thread count, at least 2 layers with an opening to insert an optional filter, wire over the bridge of the nose to make it more fitted.
Would you mind sharing what sellers met those requirements?
I have bought too many masks. I stress bought a bunch in the beginning but don’t love how they fit. My new favorites are from Rustic Dime, with subtle patterns, and WallyGro which sells a set of 3 with leaf patterns that are lovely. They have the wire over the nose, which is great for glasses wearers. Also discovered that the type that tie on your head and neck can be converted to loops by tying the 2 strings on each side together.
Two of my kids went to the dentist today. They were meant to go in April and it was postponed. (I think they were actually meant to go in March but because I wanted them to go at the same time for convenience, they are harder to schedule that way.) So it was about 8 months since their last checkup. My 9 year old has very crooked teeth that are growing in weird and also not growing in. Plus he’s not great at brushing. So I really wanted him to go. My 14 year old could have waited, but I felt ok with her going too. My husband took our 9 year old because we thought it would go better with him having to go in on his own – normally I go back into the exam room with him because he wants me to. It all went fine. And he had no cavities. When I called later to make the next 6 month appointment I did ask about his teeth not coming in and if he might need teeth pulled like his older sister did. They said they would check in 6 months and x-ray then.
My 12 year old is going to the orthodontist on Thursday – to get his expander out, on time and I think to get his first rewiring that should have been weeks ago. His wire pops out often in the back and he is fed up of the expander, so I am glad about that. He did have a Zoom checkup appointment. He’s our first kid in braces and is early on in the proceedings, so I have no idea about braces (not having had them myself.) So I am glad he can be seen.
I can sew so made my own masks. I really need to make more for my own family. We only have 2 completed and 5 family members – not that we go anywhere now anyway. I have made a lot for friends and friends of friends. With ties, not elastic. All with fabric that I own. It’s a good time to sew and have a big fabric stash.
We have not been to the chiropractor though. Both my husband and I cancelled. Though my MIL with diabetes has been! Though she did break her foot earlier this year and ours was more of a maintenance 3 month thing.
Nope. Nopity, nope, nope, nope. My dentist and optometrist are still open for emergencies only. My husband was scheduled for a dental cleaning last month and it still can’t be rescheduled. My vet is doing urgent care and I bought meds my dog needed while sitting in the parking lot. I called, someone wearing a mask and gloves brought everything including the car reader to my car window and I had to wear a mask, too.
We have made two different orders through myshieldmasks.com (some for us and some for friends/neighbors) and both times they got to us within a week. They are 3 layer kind of neoprene and are very comfortable. I’m slightly nervous about when it gets hot, but we’ll cross that bridge when we get to it.
I think they are a company that used to make clothing for bands or dance troops? Something like that. But they have been awesome to order from.
Not mentioning the ones I ordered on April 5th and probably won’t get here until May 20th!!
I mean, not mentioning a different company who is very backlogged. Sorry if that was confusing!
In theory, I can sew my own masks, at least for the grown-ups in the house. I have plenty of fabric due to a patchwork/quilting hobby. But I have no elastic (the fabric stores are out), and I have to make my own ties (bias tape), which is a pain. And I hate using my sewing machine, which is cheap and always seems on the verge of breaking. Thus I have made exactly one mask (in a jungle print with a lion right in the nose/mouth area, I quite like it), which I wear for the Big Shop every other week. I have cut out fabric for making three or four more for me and my husband, but since my executive function is (a) in the toilet and (b) expended entirely on making my kids do school work and planning meals for everybody home all the time, I have not gotten there yet. Today, I heard my husband on the phone with his father (a barber who really wants to get back to work) offering up my mask-making services, like … what, even.
Anyway, I ordered about four basic ones for myself and six (three each) for my kids from Necessitees, which manufactures them here in Southern California. I liked that they were local, that they had pockets for an insert, and that they had the elastic loops, rather than ties, but they are quite boring and ran a little big – I had to knot the elastic to get a snugger fit. We use those for outdoor outings and more wide-open spaces right now. I would like to find a really good (and inexpensive) place for kids’ masks, because I prefer elastic over the ears for them and would like some cuter prints.
My son has an ortho appointment this week, which is good, because one of his brackets has been loose for a while. It’s the first time he’s been anywhere since March 13. But! Then he had a crazy allergic reaction to…something…yesterday and now I have to take him in to the doctor today and it seems like two appointments is too much for me. I’m feeling overwhelmed.
To answer your question, I’d let the dentist slide and probably I’d wait on the vet appointments too.
I have been sewing lots and lots of masks. I started making them for my boyfriend who still has to work (he’s in manufacturing), and then made a bunch and donated them to a local assisted living agency, and have shared them with friends and family and people-on-the-local-reddit-page as well. I have been encouraging anyone who offers to pay for them to make a donation to our local food bank, instead, because I feel weird about profiting off something like that as someone who is still getting paid to only-kind-of-work-from-home.
Once I use up my current batch of fabric I’m going to look into how to make those clear face masks that allow hard-of-hearing people to read lips; I have a deaf student and I suspect we’ll be going back to school in the fall with masks required, if we even go back in the fall.
If you’d like, Swistle, I would be delighted to send you a Fun Assortment of New Masks! But also I can understand not wanting to provide mailing info to someone on the internet without even the authenticity of an Etsy page.