Will This Ever End

[dlr110]

My wife and I are not going to church for a couple of weeks. As a matter of fact, we’re going
to stay home as much as possible. We have another elderly church member in the hospital
with the COVID virus and another lady has just tested positive.

Here is our dilemma, my mother in law, Vera, lives with us and has been fighting cancer for a
number of years now. First it was a spot on her lung that was found very early and the chemo
and radiation appear to have been successful, but now she has it in her bones. She will be starting
another 15 days of radiation and medications and her immune system will be very weak. So, we’re
not taking any chance that one of us could be exposed to anything and then expose her to it also.

We had considered not doing a family Thanksgiving this year, but this is the first holiday season in
almost 10 years that all of my children will be able to be here at the same time. They are taking all
the precautions they can before coming, but this will be very special for all of us and especially for
Vera, she just turned 88. She is the one that insisted we not cancel.

Folks I’m on my knees asking for prayer for Vera and her battle with cancer, but also for all those who’s
lives have been affected by the COVID virus. I’ve had it and I’ve lost two friends.

I’m asking for prayer for all of you that have been so supportive to each other, that you may enjoy this
holiday season with your families free of any fear of this virus.

I’m praying that God’s plan will put an end to this virus very soon so that we can freely open our homes
to family and friends. So that we can once again gather together in a house of worship to praise and
honor God, instead of wearing masks, carrying bottles of sanitizers and worrying about what we might be exposed to.

Prayer and Faith can move mountains. Pray for one another daily.

[TPK]

I hear you & I'm with you David! I found out yesterday that a cousin of mine has tested posative for covid. She is still at home, guess we'll see how this turns out.

Take Care & Stay Safe Friends,
Tom

[OLDE CUTLER]

Since I have read several reports of people who have contracted Covid for a second time, I am wondering too if this will ever end. Some people who survived their first bout with Covid are not surviving their second.

[cudgee]

This will end, when i cannot tell you. My grandfather was killed by the Spanish Flu Epidemic when my mother was only a child, so her and all her sisters grew up being bought up by only their mother. And it was tough, there was no welfare back then, and a single mother bringing up children really struggled and they all wondered how many other family members the Flu would kill and it it was ever going to go away.And it did run it's course and went away, it is only in the history books now. When i was growing up i heard many stories about it from my 2 grandmothers, parents and all my aunties and uncles, and they were shocking stories about a disease that was out of control and it was a lot worse than Covid. It was extremely virulent and contagious and was passed on to anyone within the infected persons space. But they got over it as it started to disappear and the world got back to normal, it took time but we recovered. We have to remember it killed 50 million people, but i suspect on hearing stories about it, that figure is on the low side. So to all you people out there affected by this horrible disease my heart goes out to you but take heart it WILL end. Next week with your Thanksgiving, please take care, i cannot tell you what to do, you just have to do what you feel is right. But please think of your families and what is right for them.

[rea1eye]

Tough decisions for everyone. We decided to stay home by ourselves. This will be the first Thanksgiving
I will not see my children. Not seeing them this year may allow my wife and I to see them next year.
My children are in their 30's so they have minimal risk factors. Both myself and wife are over the age of
65 . My wife has some additional risk factors.

Two scenarios: We go and don't get sick - we would be happy. It would have been a great time.
We go and get sick- -not good. Both my wife and myself have worked very hard at our
jobs and raising our children. We do not want this to happen now that we are retired.

We do not go- -we might still get sick but at least we know it was not because of a bad
decision.
Two people we will not see are a couple in their late 80's The man is doing well but the lady is going
down hill ( not eating, moving about, having conversations with people, etc). By God's plan we may see them
at another time. No one knows the future.

Anyway stay safe out there. I work in a hospital. Covid-19 is not political, not trying to take your rights
away, or is fake news. People are getting really sick, sometimes dying, and sometimes having months
of recuperation from this pandemic.

Vaccines are going to help the pandemic but keep in mind immunity ( if it really will exist for this virus
(we don't know)) is going to very slowly appear. Getting the vaccines in refrigerated trucks is going to be
a logistics nightmare. You will need two doses ( another nightmare) . This pandemic is not going to be over
for many months. It will be getting worse in the next weeks and months also ( another nightmare)

Hang in there and participate in forums. Go outside for walks even if it is getting cold and snowy.

I am going to hang up now!

Bob

[Mumbleypeg]

It looks bleak now, especially to those who have lost friends and family, and those of us who are in the high risk group. I personally know only one person who has died from COVID, but without thinking too hard I can count at least 20 friends who have had it and recovered, most of whom had no symptoms or none worse than a common cold. Most are younger people but at least two of them are over 70.

I also know several who have had false positives, including a friend I’ve known over 50 years who died due to a false positive which prevented his getting a heart transplant when one was available. Although he tested negative 48 hours later, he died before another heart became available. The virus takes folks who don’t even have it.

One of my good friends is an M.D. He works at a major university teaching hospital where he practices medicine and also teaches classes at the medical school. He told me just yesterday that the virus is mutating, as all viruses do. Newer mutations are weaker than the original, which is why they now rarely see cases where the person diagnosed dies within a few days. The percentage of positives is increasing - it’s still highly contagious. He said the original “bad bug” is still out there, but there are also mutations which have milder affects. Those mutations are causing the spiking rate of positive cases but the death rate is not increasing.

He and his colleagues believe the virus will continue to weaken. He said the data from the soon-to-be-available vaccines look promising but it’s too soon to tell whether they will provide long lasting protection or whether a person will need repeat vaccinations as with the influenza vaccine.

Be vigilant, stay safe. But most of all keep the faith. Read Psalm 100 and be thankful for our blessings. This too shall end. My prayers for Vera, may God wrap her in His protective arms.

Ken

[glennbad]

This is tough, David. First off, I will pray for Vera.

As to your Thanksgiving, that's a tough call. Personally, we have decided not to attend Thanksgiving with my mother. I feel bad with this decision, but I will do what I can to keep her safe. The main reason for this is that there is not much room to spread out in her house.

At the end of the day, you have to do what feels right for you.

[Reverand]

Praying

[treefarmer]

David, this is a tough situation you are facing. We pray for mercy, comfort, grace and understanding for all involved. Not cancelling Thanksgiving is Miss Vera's desire. When a person is near the probable end of their earthly life, it's hard to deny them the desires of their hearts. She probably wants to see the children together as much as you do.
We too are facing possibly not seeing some of our family. Our daughter and her family are concerned about bringing the covid to us from Atlanta, even though no of them has had it. We are leaving that call up to them. We've had several families in our church to come down with the virus, one of our neighbors, also a member of the church, passed due to the covid, others have been sick and recuperated.
Praying y'all will have peace about the upcoming holiday.
Treefarmer

[espn77]

One piece of encouragement I'll give you is. God knows the exact day he will call you home. Nothing we can do can change that. Live every day to glorify him and be thankful for the day you finally get to join him in paradise.

[Meridian_Mike]

I pray every morning that God will help us and the medical community understand this covid virus.
In some ways, it seems like a scare tactic BUT in reality, older people and people with weakened health are suffering greatly from this disease.
We should continue to seek God's help and assurance with this disease and YES, God knows the exact time when He will call us home. Have confidence that God will lead us through troubles until the time we go home.
Trust God and enjoy family time.
May God's will be done in our lives!
.
"Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you."
James 4:7

[bighomer]

We celebrate Thanksgiving day with my son and daughter in law every year, this year he's gonna bring the food to us.
Like yawl we do what we can to stay healthy and pray for all that have it to get well.
Vaccines are looking very good but it's gonna be awhile before we can get it. for all.

[WillyCamaro]

Praying.