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2 minute read
Iceni Columnist Mark King
The Diary of a Norfolk Family By Mark King
July has been a hard month for the family.
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It started off promisingly enough with the first easing of the lock-down measures, and the weather was sunny and warm. Everyone was looking forward to getting back to some type of normality, but then it all went into reverse.
Above: Mark King
The Norfolk and Norwich hospital got in contact to say that certain departments were reopening after the Covid-19 emergency, and as my daughter had been for a MRI scan before the event, we could now go in to get the results. At the consultation, we were told she would need key-whole surgery, and that the operation could be carried out in a matter of weeks!
But just like Mary likes to say in my series of books, there is always a but! The operation could go ahead, but the whole family would have to go into full house quarantine for two weeks until the day of the operation! And it was a full lock-down. No leaving the house to go food shopping, or walks, no one from your bubble of friends or family were allowed to visit. All deliveries had to be left on the door step until the delivery person had left, and then the packaging had to be sanitised before you could handle it.
We had no choice but to go into immediate quarantine like a medieval household that had succumb to the Black Death. I had to reactivate an old online shopping account with one of the big four supermarkets that I had not used for over six years to get vital supplies, plus a stock of alcohol. Then to compound the frustration, the weather decided to turn for the worst. The thought of spending two relaxing weeks in the garden with just my shorts on while the sun beat down on my back as I quaffed my thirst on a cold beer or four soon disappeared; because that is just what the sun did. Two weeks of gale force winds, beating rain, a cold chill that even had the central heating coming on, turned what could have been an enjoyable two week break into two weeks of utter boredom.
But in the end, it was worth it because the operation was a success and my daughter is on the way to making a good recovery, and that I am truly thankful for.