Wow that's quite a comprehensive round up of all those medical appointments! I haven't been inside a doctor's office this year. I have to go every 3 months for a prescription refill which really annoys me - why can't I get a longer refill period. Especially when I have to be in a waiting room with potentially sick, contagious people. I was very glad when the online medical appointments became available, though they're just with random doctors who've signed up to participate. The last doctor was really nice. He gave me a one year prescription to be refilled in 3 month increments - so nice! I definitely think I'll stick with online appointments as much as possible moving forward.

I would find it very stressful to go inside an office right now, though I'd make an exception once a vaccine is available. That would be great if they'd do drive thru when that time comes.

Wow! Yes those are difficult issues dealing with an illness that brings pain and exhaustion. And also fear from an immune system that might not be able to fight Covid-19 if you are infected. So much to go through. My blood work tests high for rheumatoid arthritis but I don't show any symptoms. Doctors had me go through other blood work to rule out other reasons I may be showing a false reading but nothing came back. It's in the back of my mind that I have a dormant autoimmune system and I'm very cautious the times I go out and shop, but mostly I stick to self-isolating.

My parent's son didn't speak for years and he started walking when he was 2. My parents refused to believe anything was wrong. They were pretty weird. They were convinced this was the 2nd coming of Jesus Christ and any suggestions their son was not perfect meant the bearer of that news became an evil enemy. Eventually they did get him going with a speech therapist but he has lifelong speech impediment due to the delay. My mother was furious when he started school and his teacher wouldn't ignore the other 30 kids in the class in order to give him extra attention. Around this time my parents stopped attending religious services. I don't know for sure but I suspect someone in the school, clergy, or maybe their doctor may have set them straight on their weird reincarnation beliefs.

Anyway, hopefully your son will start talking soon. It looks like he's walking pretty good there and getting around. I bet you wished you lived somewhere that it's cloudy or rainy a lot so you can be outside without worrying about the sun, which is also a concern for me. I wear 50SPF and frequently reapply and wear hats and stay in the shade as much as possible. I'm worried about skin cancer.

It must be difficult not knowing what long term effects any of those medicines might have. I take naproxen twice a day for the osteoarthritis in my hands, specifically sore right thumb and pinky and I'm worried about how it might affect my stomach. Sometimes I try different supplements for the pain, so have a new one on the way so I'll be cutting off the naproxen for awhile and see if there's a difference. There are a couple of grocery chains that deliver or you can pick up curbside at their location. The wait is anywhere from 4 or 5 days for pick up and 2 weeks for delivery.. The problem is anything on sale at the time you order, is probably back to regular price by the time the order is being picked. The stores ask people who are able to do so to shop in store and save the online for people in quarantine or can't get to the store. The only time I checked it out, I needed minimum $40 for pick up service and 5 of the 8 items I chose would be back to the regular price in 4 days, the first available slot for pick up. So I just went in the next day!

Wow! Those are a lot of medications! It must be tough dealing with side effects and medicines that might not be happy with another pill that you have to take and cause havoc to your body. Hopefully you'll get to the point one day where you can cut back on some or no longer need to take them. Right now I don't have to take medication for rheumatoid arthritis - I don't have symptoms just really high blood work says I have it - but that's something I'm concerned will be part of my future. Right now you should be glad you can afford to take them. Too many people have to choose between buying medicine or buying groceries. And speaking of groceries, I hope your husband is buying them right now! With a weakened immune system, I'm really cognizant of where I go and what I'm doing if I'm in a store and concerned if I get the virus will my immune system be unable to fight it. But I'm single, so if I want to eat and want my dogs to eat - I have to shop.

Medical costs are crazy. What you were paying a month for premiums - many people don't even make that much money from their job. Due to my low income I'm on premium assistance for medical care, I don't pay a monthly premium, and a lot of medical procedures are covered. This is doctor visits, including emergency room at the hospital, and if a stay at the hospital is needed. It doesn't cover medicine, dentist, eye doctor, or any medical equipment a person might need, say crutches or walking boot. Having benefits at work is huge and I did have them until recently because they cover prescription drugs and some dental and eye visits plus other specialists. Unfortunately that was a contract job and after a year and a half they no longer needed me. New job has no benefits, which is not unusual for most employers, but a job is a job. Many Canadians get their prescription drugs filled in the US to save money, and many of us fly to other countries to get surgery or dental work done. Either can't afford it here or the waitlist times are horrendous. People die while they're waiting for surgery. One of my friends also has lupus and she's been on disability for around 10 years. I don't know how much she makes but it's my guess around $1000/month and her prescription drugs costs thousands a month. She has an insurance carrier and I think it's like $300/month she pays but she needs it to cover her medicine. Many people have to decide between paying the rent or the light bill or their prescription meds. Your post is a real eye opener.

I travel with dogs, so a whole different plan. I have to book pet friendly hotels and then there's this nasty trend over the years to charge $25 per night per dog or whatever nightly fee. It means mainly looking for places like Motel 6 that don't charge or airbnb.

A few years ago when selling my father's RV, a smallish Winnebago, we sold to a couple who were specifically looking for a model that would be good for traveling with their birds.

As for hotels and cleaning solutions, look for green hotels. Delta (now part of Marriot) and Westin come to mind. You can go green which means opting out of housecleaning services and you get rewards like $5 off the bill per day or travel points or chocolates.

Lovely photos - I especially like the ghostly trees.

Yikes. Sounds like an adventure. In many European countries people grocery shop daily and this is out of habit from the days before refrigerators. Perishables lasted only as long as the ice blocks. To this day one of my friends in Wales shops daily for yogurt and milk. In Canada almost every grocery store charges you 5¢ if you need plastic bags so most people bring their own bags. Recycling. Environmentally friendly.