A Busy Man (Jax Takes Phone Calls to Plan His Post-Isolation Social Schedule)

Jax’s pulmonologist has extended lockdown until Mid-April. BoooooHOOOO! It’s only a couple of weeks longer, but it just feels like forever, you know?

Jax is ready to break free. He loves people so, so much and he can’t wait to be able to spend time with all of you. Here’s an hilarious video of Jax planning his social schedule for after lockdown.

My favorite parts of this video? 1) he calls multiple people, 2) he paces, and 3) he pauses to listen to “the answer.”

It’s starting to sink in that lockdown is almost over. Since the day Jax was born, we have kept him safe from germs by keeping him in isolation over the cold and flu season. Even in the summer, when the risk of illness was lower, we were still extremely cautious about where we brought Jax and who we allowed to touch or hold him.

Typically, the recommendation for micropreemies with Chronic Lung Disease is two seasons of strict isolation. Then, depending on the strength and health of their little lungs, a third season of isolation may be recommended. Jax’s pulmonologist is pretty sure that Jax will be strong enough to be FREE next winter!

That means in a few short weeks, this will be all over! 

The prospect of bringing Jax to Target or to a museum is both exciting and scary! In the beginning, it will be kind of an experiment – we will see how Jax does: when he catches a cold, will his lungs be able to handle it?

It’s going to be nervewracking for me! But, at the same time, I’m so excited to see how Jax does in a typical social setting. Will he walk up to other kids and share toys? Or will he punch them in the face?

Or maybe these are the real questions: will I stand by as he touches those germ infested toys? Will I be able to resist drenching every single thing with sanitizer? Am I ready to let him eat dirt and play with bugs and share cups with his buddies? Am I ready to let him be a boy instead of a micropreemie?

Maybe; maybe not.

For the last 19 months, Jax’s early birth has defined him (and me). It’s been something that has affected every single thing we do.

But the prospect of being released from isolation is a reminder that every day we take another step forward.

And that’s a really good thing because I’m running out of ideas for lockdown activities!