Returning to Normal 

As the masks come off and regulations relax around the country, I’ve started to reflect on what the past year has meant for us as a CF family. For the most part, it was not that different from anyone else’s experience. The unknown but dangerous implications of COVID-19 were scary, and we took lockdown and social distancing very seriously. Explaining to a three-year-old why she was no longer going to daycare every day was hard, and trying to balance our jobs while taking care of an active but also high-risk child was nearly impossible.

Our normal became everyone's normal

But we began to adjust and soon realized this “new normal” of masks, routine temperature checks, and quarantining when presenting cold-like symptoms were all actually working in our favor to keep Margo safe. Sure, it could be isolating and boring. We didn’t see friends for months and our trips home to see family were canceled. But the responsibility of disclosing symptoms and considering others’ health and safety fell to everyone, not just on us.

Finally, we weren’t the only ones asking if anyone had a cough and requesting they stay home if they did. It was a shared responsibility and people took it seriously. It felt like others could relate to the intense paranoia my husband and I always feel when you’re in close proximity to someone who sniffles and coughs. We felt like we were in a protective bubble.

Today

Fast forward to today, and we are feeling a shift in our perceived sense of safety. The bubble we’ve enjoyed for more than 15 months feels less protective. While I breathe a sigh of relief that we can see our friends and family again and things are feeling a little less scary, it has happened so much quicker than I expected. Indoor and outdoor gatherings are taking place again and we as a family are back in the position of having to make judgment calls for the safety of Margo.

The old request still stands: if you’re currently sick or have been sick in the past week, please stay home or let us know and we will stay home. However, now it becomes tricky for us. If we go somewhere, will it be indoors or outdoors? Will people be wearing masks? Should we ask if our friends and family are vaccinated? If they’re not vaccinated, can we all either wear masks and stand outside, or should we sit this one out? The burden is on us to make the call and decide to attend or not attend, which is a familiar situation. This is something CF families deal with every year during cold and flu season.

Cystic fibrosis in a post-COVID world

My hope is that some habits and lifestyles that were forced onto us over the past year continue long after COVID-19 has disappeared. As a family, we will continue to wear masks in public places, particularly during cold and flu season. We loved the slower pace of life over the past year and spending as much time outside as possible. Frequent handwashing and sanitization of high-touch areas in public places have always been a given for us, and I hope public places like grocery stores and restaurants continue to prioritize this.

If anything, the past year has instilled an important sense of health and safety into Margo while normalizing so many habits that will be a part of her life in her battle with CF. And for that, I am thankful.