Face mask, a rant

Starting today per company policy, I have to wear a face mask. My 12 hours of work were pure agony wearing this thing. While you might not think a face mask is a big deal, try doing it for 12 hours while you are in constant motion, bending, lifting over 60 lbs (remember I'm an older lady in poor health, 60 pounds over my head is a big deal for me to start with).

I swear I was suffocating the whole time. As if my job wasn't hard enough, now I can't even breath freely.

K, I understand the need because my state is trying to pass a law that makes face mask mandatory for my job. But first, I have been on the front line from square one, aka, a grocery store worker, so I have been exposed and exposed and exposed, I have had people right up to me and in my face from the start. Kind of like closing the barn door after the horse got out, a bit late at this point. And the company supplied face mask are no more than t shirt fabric with holes cut out for ears, I can see through them, like those even offer any protection. I think it's more to put the customer at ease than for our own protection, our protection is kind of a mute point considering all we've been through. But to put those customers at ease, we are suffering, some even got so sick from the mask, they had to leave since they were not allowed to take the mask off.

Now let's top this off with the fact I lost a ear to cancer less than a year ago so am having trouble even getting the blasted thing to stay on. Plus I also wear glasses and I have enough problems keeping them on minus a ear, and the blasted mask steams them over every time I breath. I have to read tiny numbers all day, try doing that with steamed over glasses.

K, got my rant out, sorry I had a very frustrating day. Now what I need to do is figure out how to make my own face mask since I have to wear one. I do have some darling poodle fabric I've been saving for something special, maybe this is the time, I'm all about the poodles, would love to be able to show that at work, or at least until I find some shrimp fabric, lol. I've been looking at how to make face mask and I'm sure I can work something out, even if it means using tie on straps instead of ear straps because of missing an ear. At this point, I have a day off tomorrow, that might change, but other than much needed tank care, I might get enough umph to make a mask, don't hold me to that, I'm so exhausted.

 

Oh my goodness that sounds horrible!
In the summers where I live we have to wear them whenever we’re outside because of the smoke, and it’s nagging enough than.
I can’t imagine what it’s like, and I hope your plan to make your own custom mask goes through well!

 

Hi first off let me say TY for what you are doing. Next its saving your life wearing a mask. If your glasses fog up when you are wearing a mask, they say if you use soap and water to clean the glasses then let them air dry. As far as the mask staying on for you, if you like private message me, and I will respond back to you.
My wife has been making mask and a type of band that goes behind your head so the mask attaches to that and does not go around your ears. If you send me your address I will send you out some.
Again Thank You for what you are doing.
Stay Safe & Stay Healthy

 

I immediately thought maybe you can try it with a head band, like they wore in the 1970s for tennis? That way it'd have a stabilizing element & prevent slippage or of they'll let you wear a company logo baseball cap, the mask can site much easier that way.

Thank you for all you do, imo grocery stores have been our unsung heroes during this time period!

 

Why not go cowboy style, a bandana.
tied a around the face. Maybe a hunters mask. Both are popular in my area.

 

For the fastening of the mask, I’ve seen some people thread the loops through a paper clip or a small carabiner.

 

I'm right there with you. Masks have been mandatory for weeks at my job (veterinary hospital). We have 12 hour shifts as well, often longer because we have had an incredible amount of emergencies this past week. The best part of my day is getting in my car and ripping the thing off after my shift ends.

 

sorry your going through this its hard all round

 

You guys are all too sweet in understanding, thank you so much, you make me feel better. And you all have some wonderful suggestion for my problem, believe me, I'm looking into them all.

I just wanted to rant because it really was a miserable day, I just can't wait for things to get back to normal and it will happen someday, this is not the first pandemic I've been through being an older lady, it's just the worse thanks to the fact we have too much access to the media and they are the ones causing a lot of the problems we have to deal with.

Side note. SM. I am a obsessive dog/cat mama, they are the most important things in my life (sorry hubby, lol). How are the vets handling little things like shots? My boys, aka, Eustace, my large, ugly, airedale/hellhound cross, problem child and Roland, my beautiful, perfect, standard poodle, will be needing their shots in the next month. What I am wondering is that since both have always been up to date on shots and are young healthy dogs, will it hurt them to be late on them? If not, how are the vet office's handling this. I have no problem with having shots and heartworm checks done in the parking lot, hey what ever is best for my boys. But I'm also dealing with a cat that is going on 18 years and looking pretty sad. How is your office dealing with your case's?

And SM, thank you do much for all you do. You are also one of those unsung hero's in this all. Face it folks, our critters are a big piece of us and we need their health care providers as much as we need our own, if only for our mental health and taking care of my critters is my most important metal health thing I have, they keep me grounded.

 

Side note. SM. I am a obsessive dog/cat mama, they are the most important things in my life (sorry hubby, lol). How are the vets handling little things like shots? My boys, aka, Eustace, my large, ugly, airedale/hellhound cross, problem child and Roland, my beautiful, perfect, standard poodle, will be needing their shots in the next month. What I am wondering is that since both have always been up to date on shots and are young healthy dogs, will it hurt them to be late on them? If not, how are the vet office's handling this. I have no problem with having shots and heartworm checks done in the parking lot, hey what ever is best for my boys. But I'm also dealing with a cat that is going on 18 years and looking pretty sad. How is your office dealing with your case's?

And SM, thank you do much for all you do. You are also one of those unsung hero's in this all. Face it folks, our critters are a big piece of us and we need their health care providers as much as we need our own, if only for our mental health and taking care of my critters is my most important metal health thing I have, they keep me grounded.

Things have been very wishy-washy as far as vaccines are concerned. The guidelines (at least in our state, PA) were initially "sick or emergency only." We tried doing that for a few days and realized it was not going to work long-term. It is the legal responsibility of the vets to make sure pets are, at the very least, up to date for their rabies vaccination. In my vet's words - the last thing we need right now is someone getting bit by an unvaccinated dog and ending up in an already-full hospital for who knows how long getting the many, many rabies shots required for exposed people.

So my vet is allowing people to make vaccine appointments if due for rabies or lepto (zoonotic diseases we can vaccinate against that pose a threat to humans if our animals aren't vaccinated), and if they're already here for that, then they can update all their other vaccines too. We're also allowing puppies in the middle of a vaccine series to finish their series so they don't need to start it all over again once this is over. The only thing we're saying no to (as far as vaccines go) are the pets that are due for elective vaccines (like lyme, kennel cough) and nothing else. Those can wait and be boostered later. However, every hospital is managing vaccines differently.

We are still seeing appointments for sick and ADR ("ain't doing right" - yes, professional medical terminology!) patients. If you're worried about your old cat's health, the hospital will likely allow you to make an appointment. Most places are doing curbside services where people wait in their car while employees bring the animal inside for whatever diagnostics or treatment they need. All communication and transactions are done over the phone. It's actually working quite well for us.

That being said, that's just my vet hospital's approach, and other places are doing things very differently. Some are shut down completely, some are still doing everything they normally do and allowing clients into the hospital. It varies hugely from state to state, but also from hospital to hospital, even ones right down the road from each other.

Thank you for the kind words! They matter so much in a time like this. Thank you for sticking it out in one of the craziest and riskiest jobs someone could have right now!

 

this is a hard time but there is light at the end of the tunnel

 

SM, that puts my mind at ease in that my boys do not need rabies vacs this year, it was more a matter of standard shots. I don't know, but I'm sure my vet would extend heartworm meds since they have always been up to date in that respect and with them both being young and healthy, I'm sure other shots can wait since the dog park and walking trails are all close. Of course worm testing doesn't require them to actually be there, I'm not worried about that.

One thing on the animal front that really has me bothered is that groomers are not considered essential and have been closed down. Sorry, but grooming is essential to the health of our fur babies if only to get nails clipped. But more so in the long haired breeds. Not being groomed is a serious heath risk, dogs and cats can die from lack of grooming and most pet owners are not equipped, skilled or prepared to handle it. I'm lucky in that I used to be a professional groomer, started with show dogs and then pet grooming and have all the skill and equipment to keep my standard poodle groomed. Granted he's now sporting the shaved down look because I'm so over worked and with what little time off I do have, I have to do it in the fastest way possible, but hey, hair grows back and when things get more back to normal, I'll have my poofy parti poodle once again.

Back in fluffier days.

 

One thing on the animal front that really has me bothered is that groomers are not considered essential and have been closed down. Sorry, but grooming is essential to the health of our fur babies if only to get nails clipped. But more so in the long haired breeds. Not being groomed is a serious heath risk, dogs and cats can die from lack of grooming and most pet owners are not equipped, skilled or prepared to handle it. I'm lucky in that I used to be a professional groomer, started with show dogs and then pet grooming and have all the skill and equipment to keep my standard poodle groomed. Granted he's now sporting the shaved down look because I'm so over worked and with what little time off I do have, I have to do it in the fastest way possible, but hey, hair grows back and when things get more back to normal, I'll have my poofy parti poodle once again.

I can explain this one too as far as our hospital goes!

We have a professional groomer hired at our vet hospital, and two rooms dedicated just to grooming. We are still doing "medically necessary" grooms during this pandemic. If they need a sanitary clip because of urine/feces getting in their fur, our techs are capable of doing those. Our techs are also allowed to schedule mat removals (won't turn out pretty, but if it's medically necessary, it doesn't have to be). We also do medically necessary nail trimming if nails are beginning to curl over, a nail has been torn, or an old dog is having trouble slipping on floors. For dogs that are becoming more of a problem than a sanitary clip or "just a mat or two," our groomer is still coming in once every couple weeks to do all the medically necessary full grooms that our techs aren't skilled enough to handle.

We have a looong waiting list for grooming once this all starts back up. We get at least a few dozen calls per day about grooming. When grooming is in normal business, we only see 8 grooming appointments per day! A lot of our grooming clients see us at least once a month to keep their dog's fur fairly short, and they're complaining because they simply don't like it looking longer (like in your photo). Those can wait. Most of these people are just bored and looking for an excuse to get out of the house, or want their dog's hair redone. Those can wait. For animals that will be fine without grooming for a little longer, we're advising people to keep up on daily brushing of their dogs, and (very carefully) snipping hair out of the way of eyes if it's impairing vision.

 

If you think that's bad, just imagine slowly suffocating to death as your lungs fill with fluid. Because for every 50 people that catch this thing, that is the outcome for one of them.

 

your very right and if people catch this and its very bad once they recover they will die two years later

 

your very right and if people catch this and its very bad once they recover they will die two years later

What do you mean, "they will die two years later"? Where did you get that information from? That sounds like utter nonsense.

 

I’ve actually been using a 20 pack of KN95 (supposedly, they’re generic) masks for the past 7 months. Got it for $11 on Amazon. Ain’t I a stinker.
I was a dog bather, and so used PPE. I didn’t like the provided masks, though, because they were unbearably hot and stuffy. So, I bought my own masks, with valves too. Huh, it’s almost like my PPE saved my life...
The valves tend to drip with moisture after wearing a mask for more than 8 hours straight. Eww.

Tips for people with glasses: use your glasses to pin the top of the mask to the bridge of your nose. Prevents the steaming.

I have a shapeshifter bandanna waiting in the wings for when I run out of masks. I can twist it into a ski mask for extra coverage. Perfect for keeping out the death while robbing banks.

 

What do you mean, "they will die two years later"? Where did you get that information from? That sounds like utter nonsense.

I got that info from the australin medical bord and its true

 

I got that info from the australin medical bord and its true

Can you provide a link?

 

www,caroniavirusfactsauswide,com

 

www,caroniavirusfactsauswide,com

Not a viable URL, even after correcting the spelling and commas in many different forms.

 

ahh that's very od as that is the link the blue care nurses give out so it should work

 

ahh that's very od as that is the link the blue care nurses give out so it should work

We've known about this virus for less than six months. How could we possibly know its affect on recovered people two years from now?

I think it is reasonable to ask that people who make bold claims like that use their common sense first and back up their statement with a citable source. Spreading misinformation is very dangerous.

 

I know only as the government in this country is giving out all the facts out of fear all the worlds leaders know this info but wont relese it to the public as it will create more fear I just wanted people who didn't know that fact to have the info so they can keep them selfs safer

I wasn't trying to upset u or mislead you the more info we have on coverd 19 the better we all will be

 

This whole thread is the most wholesome thing ever.

 

Wash with water then Clean your glasses with shaving cream , it forms a anti fogging coating on them ,really it works!!!!

“stay fishy “

 

barbiespoodle

Sometimes a good rant is therapeutic. Those in the food industry should get just as much appreciation as those in the medical industry. On the front line doing your part to keep us fed.

Thank you!!

 

I know only as the government in this country is giving out all the facts out of fear all the worlds leaders know this info but wont relese it to the public as it will create more fear I just wanted people who didn't know that fact to have the info so they can keep them selfs safer

I wasn't trying to upset u or mislead you the more info we have on coverd 19 the better we all will be

I had to look it up, but the Blue Nurses are an NGO, meaning they and their employees can spread whatever they want under the protection of free speech. Which is fine in principle, but tells me a lot about the person spreading this. The actual sites of your government say the same things almost all other government sites worldwide say. The "fact" itself is physically impossible as time is linear and we can't look two years into the future.
The reasoning you discribe is the essence of how fearmongering works. People say something horrible and add "But they don't tell you because...!" to make it seem more like the truth. And whatever comes after the "because" is most often the building of mistrust in government or science or society or whatever goal the respective fearmonger wants to reach. People taking over these stances are exactly what these people aim at to get the fear and mistrust spread further.

I had to say this in another thread weeks ago, but though your motive of sharing something you think is important to know might be honorable, please do a factcheck before you post something like this, even if you trust the source.

I know it's not easy nowerdays with media being packed with unchecked and often purposefully misleading info. We had cases here where people faked government websites packed with dangerously wrong information and linked them from random news articles and twitter accounts.

It is absolutely correct to face the virus as dangerous and not to underestimate it, but we always have to consider how realistic and how likely an information is.

 

ok

 

I was only going on what I was told I should have got more info before posting what I posted but there is more to it than we all know we need all the facts on this and not false facts

 

I was only going on what I was told I should have got more info before posting what I posted but there is more to it than we all know we need all the facts on this and not false facts

If there is more to it, we will all know it in time. Right now there is not much we can tell anyways because research can only work at a certain pace. If you think somebody (whoever that may be) is not telling everything, that's your business, but in my opinion this assumption alone is already fearmongering.
Even if you say we need "all facts and no false facts", which in itself I see as a very true statement, in combination with your assumption of "there is more to it" the statement is devaluated immediately.
Sorry to say so, but this is something we all do not need right now.
What your statement does is undermining all earnest efforts of people out there to help.

 

I agree