I'm really struggling ATM with the decision about whether or not to go back to work this coming Monday when I'll be allowed. I got together with two friends who are also massage therapists the other day and we are all feeling the same sense of complete confusion. There is no national body that regulates our profession, it's on a state-by-state basis. So, no real guidance, it's up to us to make the decision and, if we do return, formulate safety plans and protocols. So much weight.
I vacillate by the hour. This is the job I love the most since I started working at age 11. However, I can't let my love for the profession cloud my judgment. No idea what to do. Postpone? Find other work? Work as cautiously as possible? Just because our state is now doing fantastic in terms of deaths and infections, I don't want to be part of the reason for a resurgence.
I'm really struggling ATM with the decision about whether or not to go back to work this coming Monday when I'll be allowed. I got together with two friends who are also massage therapists the other day and we are all feeling the same sense of complete confusion. There is no national body that regulates our profession, it's on a state-by-state basis. So, no real guidance, it's up to us to make the decision and, if we do return, formulate safety plans and protocols. So much weight.
I vacillate by the hour. This is the job I love the most since I started working at age 11. However, I can't let my love for the profession cloud my judgment. No idea what to do. Postpone? Find other work? Work as cautiously as possible? Just because our state is now doing fantastic in terms of deaths and infections, I don't want to be part of the reason for a resurgence.
I feel for you. My wife is a small business owner. She was able to convert her entire staff to work from home in mid-March, but made the decision to reopen her four offices (to staff only, no customer traffic) in mid-June. While there has been some general state-level guidance provided for business owners in Ohio (the Lt. Governor has been on point for businesses here), we basically had to make up the plan for my wife's business on our own. It's daunting.
We're still struggling with whether or not to send our son back to college in North Carolina in August.
Maybe see what resources or guidance NY state has available, and then continue to talk with your trusted friends/peers in the same profession. That might be your best path forward to make a decision you are comfortable with. Hang in there, @notkristie .
Last Edit: Jul 1, 2020 16:04:35 GMT 1 by weedyburton79
I'm really struggling ATM with the decision about whether or not to go back to work this coming Monday when I'll be allowed. I got together with two friends who are also massage therapists the other day and we are all feeling the same sense of complete confusion. There is no national body that regulates our profession, it's on a state-by-state basis. So, no real guidance, it's up to us to make the decision and, if we do return, formulate safety plans and protocols. So much weight.
I vacillate by the hour. This is the job I love the most since I started working at age 11. However, I can't let my love for the profession cloud my judgment. No idea what to do. Postpone? Find other work? Work as cautiously as possible? Just because our state is now doing fantastic in terms of deaths and infections, I don't want to be part of the reason for a resurgence.
Do you have contacts in the same business elsewhere in the country/ state? Maybe they have some idea on how to get set back up to be as safe as possible. If not, then you & your friends could set the bench mark for work place safety in your field. You know it better than some pen pushing desk jockey paid to dish out rules & stuff. I would honestly try doing that & I would take my time to make sure it was as safe as I could possibly make it. In theory it should be pretty easy to extrapolate the methods of transmission to a certain working environment & apply them. Especially if it's an environment you know inside out. I hope you do get up & rubbing (see what I did there?) real soon & that you're safe in doing so.
I'm really struggling ATM with the decision about whether or not to go back to work this coming Monday when I'll be allowed. I got together with two friends who are also massage therapists the other day and we are all feeling the same sense of complete confusion. There is no national body that regulates our profession, it's on a state-by-state basis. So, no real guidance, it's up to us to make the decision and, if we do return, formulate safety plans and protocols. So much weight.
I vacillate by the hour. This is the job I love the most since I started working at age 11. However, I can't let my love for the profession cloud my judgment. No idea what to do. Postpone? Find other work? Work as cautiously as possible? Just because our state is now doing fantastic in terms of deaths and infections, I don't want to be part of the reason for a resurgence.
I feel for you. My wife is a small business owner. She was able to convert her entire staff to work from home in mid-March, but made the decision to reopen her four offices (to staff only, no customer traffic) in mid-June. While there has been some general state-level guidance provided for business owners in Ohio (the Lt. Governor has been on point for businesses here), we basically had to make up the plan for my wife's business on our own. It's daunting.
We're still struggling with whether or not to send our son back to college in North Carolina in August.
Maybe see what resources or guidance NY state has available, and then continue to talk with your trusted friends/peers in the same profession. That might be your best path forward to make a decision you are comfortable with. Hang in there, @notkristie .
Have you and your wife (and your son) figured out any specific criteria that you need to see met if he is to go back in the fall? If he doesn't, is there a contingency plan? Each and every college student I've spoken with has *not* loved their virtual, post-COVID classes.
And thanks for sharing the feedback about your wife's experience. It just helps knowing other people are navigating the same challenges. I am rooting for her business and the safety of her and her staff.
I'm really struggling ATM with the decision about whether or not to go back to work this coming Monday when I'll be allowed. I got together with two friends who are also massage therapists the other day and we are all feeling the same sense of complete confusion. There is no national body that regulates our profession, it's on a state-by-state basis. So, no real guidance, it's up to us to make the decision and, if we do return, formulate safety plans and protocols. So much weight.
I vacillate by the hour. This is the job I love the most since I started working at age 11. However, I can't let my love for the profession cloud my judgment. No idea what to do. Postpone? Find other work? Work as cautiously as possible? Just because our state is now doing fantastic in terms of deaths and infections, I don't want to be part of the reason for a resurgence.
Do you have contacts in the same business elsewhere in the country/ state? Maybe they have some idea on how to get set back up to be as safe as possible. If not, then you & your friends could set the bench mark for work place safety in your field. You know it better than some pen pushing desk jockey paid to dish out rules & stuff. I would honestly try doing that & I would take my time to make sure it was as safe as I could possibly make it. In theory it should be pretty easy to extrapolate the methods of transmission to a certain working environment & apply them. Especially if it's an environment you know inside out. I hope you do get up & rubbing (see what I did there?) real soon & that you're safe in doing so.
This is helpful feedback, steve. And you're right about the fact professionals know more about the practical aspects of their careers than do bureaucrats. BTW, your PM is so incredibly helpful.
I was talking with my hair stylist this morning (I was her first client back) about how uncertain I feel and we got on the subject of COVID testing. She is required to have a test every two weeks, as is suggested in my profession, and she described the process. So, on my way home I stopped off at a clinic I know to be in my insurance network to get a test. It was kind of a fascinating process.
When I called my insurance company, first I was told I would need, "a doctor's orders" to get a test. When I asked for clarification, I was then told that no, it didn't have to be a doctor. FWIW, the term "order" is not really meaningful, as it isn't the same word as "prescription." I wasn't actually told *who* could give this "order", just that it wouldn't be covered without it. Could a plumber or dentist give me the "order?" How about if I order it myself since I'm a medical professional?
Once in the clinic, they were nice enough to speak to my insurance company. A different agent told them that the "doctor's order" was just for antibody testing, which they hadn't clarified before. So, all the bs in the media in the U.S. about, "anyone can easily get a test" is not true. It's not easy. As per usual with our healthcare "system", you get a confusing answer and must jump through multiple hoops. If I had taken the first answer, I would have not gotten the test for fear of receiving a giant bill.
The test itself was uncomfortable, but not bad. Each nostril is swabbed so far back it goes down your throat. All those years of using a neti pot has helped with my gag reflex, I guess, because I got high marks from the doctor who administered is for being calm. I think if a person can funnel beer, they can take the test, no problem.
I feel for you. My wife is a small business owner. She was able to convert her entire staff to work from home in mid-March, but made the decision to reopen her four offices (to staff only, no customer traffic) in mid-June. While there has been some general state-level guidance provided for business owners in Ohio (the Lt. Governor has been on point for businesses here), we basically had to make up the plan for my wife's business on our own. It's daunting.
We're still struggling with whether or not to send our son back to college in North Carolina in August.
Maybe see what resources or guidance NY state has available, and then continue to talk with your trusted friends/peers in the same profession. That might be your best path forward to make a decision you are comfortable with. Hang in there, @notkristie .
Have you and your wife (and your son) figured out any specific criteria that you need to see met if he is to go back in the fall? If he doesn't, is there a contingency plan? Each and every college student I've spoken with has *not* loved their virtual, post-COVID classes.
And thanks for sharing the feedback about your wife's experience. It just helps knowing other people are navigating the same challenges. I am rooting for her business and the safety of her and her staff.
Thanks for the kind words regarding my wife's business.
There aren’t specific criteria the school needs to meet for us. I think we know all we’re going to know at this point with regards to the virus itself and what the school is doing (I mentioned in a previous post what the school is doing to mitigate risk. And today they launched a Health Hub website with a Returning to Campus guide, Life on Campus changes, Health and Safety Measures, and parent-specific information.). I don’t see either of those factors changing much over the next four to six weeks. The determining factor will be how comfortable we are as a family sending him back to North Carolina. Outside of whether cases are still going up or have plateaued in North Carolina in a month, it’s all going to come down to our gut feelings.
He’s a music (percussion) and media production (camera, VFX, lighting, etc.) double-major, so remote classes were definitely NOT ideal. His classes are all music performances, ensembles, and lessons, and checking out camera equipment and working with them and staging shots. They just don’t easily lend themselves to an online class approach. And honestly, the distance learning model is designed for adults. Up to this point, kids haven’t been wired for that type of approach.
As far as contingency plans, if the decision is to forego the semester in North Carolina, we have confirmed he can skip a semester and not lose his scholarships and fellowships at that school, and there are two nearby state schools he could easily take online gen ed classes from here in Ohio.
At any given moment, on any given day, if you asked any of the three of us, you’d get a different answer. But, I would guess we’re probably 75% in favor of him going back to campus. It’s a very small school. In addition to the previous info about/from the school, our son has just one roommate, and they have a bedroom, living room, kitchen, and bathroom to themselves. I think it’s probably the best possible situation to consider him returning to campus. We understand we can’t control the other kids and their stupidity, but we trust our kid. He’s not really a partier and has a small, close-knit circle of friends. The one thing that is giving me pause is totally selfish… it’s a 6-7 hour drive each way, meaning we’ll have to stay at a hotel for move-in. If he was going to an in-state school (considering how good Ohio has done dealing with the virus) or at least at a school that wasn’t an overnighter, we’d probably be even more confident sending him back to campus.
Bottom line, we recognize there really is no “right” answer, and we’re just going to have to do what we feel is best for our family. (And, I think that probably applies to whatever decision you make regarding your practice. You got this. I have faith you'll take into account everything you need to and make your decision based on what is best for you, your family, and your clients. )
Probably more than you wanted to know, but thanks for asking, @notkristie ! Nice to be forced to collect my thoughts. While I hope to not be judged too harshly for whatever decision we make, if anyone has a constructive take on what’s in front of us I’d love to hear it!
Last Edit: Jul 1, 2020 22:23:16 GMT 1 by weedyburton79
Here is a NYT op ed about the proposed "plan" for NYC public schools this fall, which seems to indicate students will attend school one out of every three weeks. FWIW, we haven't received this information, but if it's true, shame on our public officials. That's not a "plan."
I hope they publish my comment in which I call on women to rise up and say, "hell no, we're not absorbing this." I have a feeling if men were expected to end their careers and absorb all the extra duties related to having no school for your children to attend, a workable solution would be found much more quickly.