The Comfort in Social Distancing
Years of living with multiple sclerosis has made this blogger more adept than most at keeping her distance—long before COVID-19.
The novel coronavirus has really turned our world upside down, putting life as we know it on pause indefinitely. Because none of us is totally immune to it, the only way to avoid crashing our health care system and potentially killing 2 million Americans is to stop the spread. Enter “social distancing.” Translation: Stay away from each other and don’t leave home for anything other than for food, medicine, or essential activities.
Countless articles and news reports have chronicled the stress and anxiety caused by this enforced hibernation. I get it. I know it’s tough. Why? Because for the past 19 years, I’ve lived with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (MS), a chronic condition that sometimes forces me to stay inside for days at a stretch.
About eight years after I was diagnosed, I began experiencing muscle spasticity that made walking challenging. In fact, taking a stroll outside is something I haven’t taken for granted in at least a decade. These spasticity flare-ups have dictated whether I could go outside on any given day years before COVID-19 ever did.
Having groceries and prescriptions delivered? Check. Shopping for almost everything online? Check. Feeling the pain of social isolation? Sadly, check on that too.
The COVID-19 stay-at-home rules feel a little like a leveling of the playing field. Right now, I have almost equal opportunities for social interaction and activities because everyone is online instead of outside. Of course, some things I still can’t participate in—online dance or aerobics classes, for one—but I suspect social distancing will allow me to engage more with current friends and make more new ones.
What’s ironic is that I’d resolved to get back out into the world more in 2020. That won’t be happening this year, but that’s okay. Staying at home seems like a small price to pay to save as many lives as possible. Besides, I’m already a pro at this.
Lisa Cohen was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis (MS) in 2001. She’s the author of Overcoming the BS of MS and founder of Rockstar Women with MS, a website that offers programs and resources designed to empower women with MS
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COVID-19 (Coronavirus) and Neurologic Disease Resource Center
