"It's a Beautiful Life"- Genevieve Galvan Frenes

Day 14 –

I see the posts. Groceries are in stock at some stores, but not at others.

Where do I find the toilet paper? the milk? the baby wipes? Customers question and help each other out on social media in an effort to find the items they need.

Did I mention I haven’t been to the grocery store since this shelter in place began? Since I still have three kids in my home, I keep the pantry and freezer well stocked for the most part. And if I don’t have the one item I need, I can do with out it or substitute something else in its place to make my recipe.

In addition to keeping the pantry stocked and ready, I’m also part of the group who needs to stay indoors the most. Along with fibromyalgia which can affect your immune system at times, I am also asthmatic. And not just asthmatic, but a survivor of the dreaded whooping cough. You know, the illness which attacked the schools years ago. This was before the state mandated students get vaccinated from this dreaded cough. I contracted it from group of students in my class, whose doctors continued to tell these kids that they had bronchitis, then sent them back to school. (By the way, this was no fault of my district–they couldn’t make parents vaccinate their kids at the time).

Once I had the illness, I coughed non stop at school, when I got home from school, and then through the night. Cough medicine, cough drops, antibiotics… nothing stopped this persistent cough which left me exhausted and produced no other symptom such as fever or phlegm. This lasted for at least a month, until I returned back to the doctor. I just felt like I couldn’t breathe.

Once she tested me for whooping cough, I was told to remain home. So after proper antibiotics and rest, I managed to get through this ordeal. However, my lungs have never been the same. Whenever I get a cough, I feel my lungs filling with phlegm and it takes very long to recover. To think that this Corona virus could possibly lead to pneumonia or worse, well, it makes me stay extra safe inside my home.

My dear husband has gone out once per week to get the staples like eggs or milk and of course, toilet paper. He has been fortunate to find what we need. He doesn’t hoard or get more than is required. Somehow, we’ll find a way to manage if don’t have that one item.

Back to the social media posts…

From these posts, I can tell that stores are running out of items, so I decide to try Instacart in an effort to see how long this service actually takes to get my items. Once I log into the website, I shop from Costco, Smart and Final, and Food Co. Some items will not be accessible online like toilet paper or paper towels. However, many other food products are in stock, and I decide to plan ahead in case the stores get backed up or run out of certain items later.

Once I place my order, I get the notification that my items will come within two hours. I’ve only used Instacart one time before, but not under these conditions, so I’m not certain if I’ll have human contact when the groceries arrive.

The groceries actually get here before two hours, and I have to meet the drivers at the door. I appear in my mask and gloves, and I apologize since I must look like a crazy person (but really, I don’t care– better to be safe then sorry).

The drivers are very nice as they come from several stores and are very friendly. Except for a few items that I know must be returned (after they leave I notice a few things wrong with my order), the service is great for getting the groceries I need, or even little treats for the kids that really we don’t need, but are nice to have, such as fruit or chips, etc.

So, I give Instacart a thumbs up for a service needed, especially when a person needs to stay in their home. If you haven’t tried this service, it’s worth the effort. It’s free and with a few minutes to set up the account, you’re set.

Stay blessed everyone…find what works for you in order to get through your days of this shelter in place. Stay home as much as you can and enjoy your loved ones.