Couch 213: The Tulip couch

It's been a debate around here--what you say about DWI's and withdrawal is one side, but the other side argues that alcohol often increases abusive situations and violence in the home, even people normally fine who get stressed by being cooped up, also that DWIs are down anyway with social distancing and shelter in place.

Alcohol increasing violence/general stupidity were the ideas of what I was getting at. In my experience in representing alcoholics (the ones found by the authorities or brought in by family members - not themselves) in incapacity proceedings (the state had to hold a hearing before tossing them into rehab for 30 days) they were not all that likely to go to the emergency room and even though you can die from detox if you are an extremely severe alcoholic - most are not that extreme -I think 5% is the statistic I have seen.Dying from Alcohol Withdrawal: What is Delirium Tremens?

Just to clarify, I'm not saying alcohol withdrawal isn't a real thing. I know it is. It's just that I figured SNEH would have had to deal with it as much as he drank (every day, almost all day), but he seemingly didn't because I did speak to him a few times after his arrest and he seemed fine. I'm not trying to minimize other people's potential problems with alcohol withdrawal due to shelter-in-place.

Covid-19 and Alcohol: Where Things Stand Right Now in Boozeland | R Street

Hope nobody here lives in pennsylvania! I dont drink, but this seems primitive to me. Like the lawmakers dont know people who drink? Otoh, if they can turn off access to abortion, then why not access to booze. Just because its legal and a right, who says something is "necessary"? Or essential?

Eta - city of detroit is turning water back ON for a lot of people.

One of my law school's most popular classes is on the law surrounding alcohol. I will say that it would never occur to me to go get liquor even if they were closing the stores in my state - which so far they are not. I wonder what this is doing to all the microbreweries which we seem to have on every corner nowadays - they are still able to sell growlers from what I have seen advertised. I didn't see how they were making any money before this and now I really don't know. I think we almost have more microbreweries than we do walgreen's (and we have one of those on almost every corner)

More info on Facebook I think:
Dolly Parton posted on Facebook Monday that she will start reading to kids every Thursday night for the next couple of months.
Calling herself "the book lady," Dolly invited everyone to join her for "Goodnight with Dolly."
“Goodnight With Dolly” will feature Dolly Parton reading a series of Imagination Library books all carefully chosen for their appropriate content at this moment in time.

That's cool!

I wonder if I’ll ever be able to see T again? :/

I’m reading a detective novel and the detectives just took two witnesses into a coffee shop to interview them over lunch.

And I’m like, “are you crazy? You can’t eat inside restaurants anymore!”

After only about two weeks, this is already transforming my world view.

hi friends! I need to catch up on the couch, but wanted to pop in. I am losing my mind in self-isolation. I sleep WAY too much, and just spent the past few minutes staring at a wall feeling like crying. Not to mention I only get to talk to my T (on the phone) for 30 minutes once a week. It sucks.

also, i found out today i am officially furloughed from my company and we need to file for unemployment. I think I did it correctly online, but it was really confusing. So now i'm afraid i'll get denied

I know! My favorite show, Americas Favorite Videos, yesterday ran a disclaimer at the top of the show that it had taped the show before the pandemic! Poor um Alfonso!

Im switching to mail order prescriptions. I emailed my dr asking if i can skip my appt.

Ha ha - there is a store opening in detroit area called "Pet Beastro". With natural pet food.

Day one of telework under my belt and I already hate it. I had to really think of things I could do. Normally I would be busy with meetings and home visits, but that’s not allowed.

About COVID, it turns out that someone who lives with one of my coworkers tested positive, which is why they shut down the building; they’re doing a deep cleaning. Now telework is mandatory or you have to take leave, unless you’re super essential. My department is, but we’re not allowed back in the suite until next week.

I’m all out of sorts. H thinks I’m watching too much news and I’ve missed three days of morning meds in the past week.



I have T tomorrow. It’ll probably be a mess. I was a mess the last time I saw him. That was only a week ago? It feels so much longer.

Woke up with a stomachache in addition to the sore throat—not sure what that’s about. (Could be the fact that I had half a beer via Netflix Party with a friend before bed, which I hardly ever do.)

I did end up getting Animal Crossing for the Switch. I’m finding it kind of slow and soothing as against “fun” per se but that’s not a bad thing right now. I’m also learning to play the mandolin which is a lot of fun (I ordered one online a few weeks ago anticipating that I would be quarantined at some point.) It has the same tuning as a violin (which I played for many years) so that makes it less daunting.

I emailed T telling him I’d been tested for COVID and his response vis email was, “NOOO!!! Oh man, what are your symptoms?” which I thought was kind of funny. After I told him my symptoms he emailed back saying, “Oh wow, [c], I am so sorry to hear this. I hope the rest of the day goes OK, and please let me know if you need anything.” and then reminded me that we have an appt today (Tuesday).

I know I should be grateful he emailed at all but part of me wishes he had cared enough to call.

And speaking of calling, I told my parents that I had been tested and they immediately said I have to call them daily with a status update. And then they send Insomnia Cookies to me and my roommate

Hugs, I'm sorry, Velcro. I hope you're able to get unemployment without a problem.

I have read that Covid can have GI symptoms as well, but still hope you don't have that. Have you been given the test? Hope you start feeling better soon.


And your T's email replies sound really caring. I would have hoped for a call as well, but also know my T (almost definitely) wouldn't do that. Hope your session goes well today.

I got tested yesterday morning by Occ Health. It was a drive-through test, which was kind of interesting--I didn't get out of my car the whole time, and a nurse in full hazard gear stuck a swab waaaaay down my nose. It hurt.

Yeah I've read about GI sx with COVID as well, though I haven't personally seen any patients with that presentation. So far for me the only GI thing is belly pain, nothing else. (I also have sore throat, body aches, subjective fever, and am developing a cough Could still be strep, though classically strep doesn't present with a cough.)

Yeah my T does care, I know. I was sort of amused by him saying NOOOO like a teenager sending a text message

My T once dropped a "YASSSSSS" in an email, and I almost died laughing. That very much not her style.

Yeah, the "NOOO" struck me that way, too, and seemed sort of endearing. It's like the couple times Dr. T has used emojis in his emails or texts.


Also, meant to say before that it's interesting you're learning the mandolin, because one of my friends just started taking lessons in that a few months ago! They've now moved to online. She's been having lots of fun with learning. Maybe I should try to actually learn guitar (H has one), and Dr. T keeps talking about how good an outlet playing music can be.

I finally got a hold of our employee health department - they are deferring to my pcp (who says I probably have COVID-19 but she's not ordering a test unless I need hospitalization). I might have posted about this already (the days are draaaagggging on and on).

Woke up with more of a cough today - was hoping I just had strep but that is appearing less likely.

My family (husband and son and I) are getting along well but we are confined in close quarters and it's hard.

Oooh LT you should definitely try learning the guitar! It's so fun! And there are tons of free resources online so you don't even have to pay for lessons.

I think the main GI Symptom with covid is turning out to be diarrhea. Which makes all the tp hoarders accidentally smart.

Welp, my hospital is going to run out of precaution gowns tomorrow. I have no idea what we're going to do.

NY nurses were using giant-size Hefty garbage bags. (Yes, I know that's not ideal.)

Pa. evaluating whether to resume some liquor sales - News - GoErie.com - Erie, PA

Pennsylvania is/was the only state to make liquor unavailable. Some pdoc is quoted in this article as saying whats the big deal, let them CALL AHEAD TO AN ER. I cant wait to see how this turns out.