Coronavirus Stories. Post yours here. Support and encourage each other

[Morg's Lily]

Hey Atlantic Crossroads, I'm so sorry you're struggling.
I'm forever torn between watching the news and not these days. For one I'm hoping for good news every day, but it also takes me down. Although an escape is not really possible anyway.
But I wanna believe that changes in the better direction are just as possible as changes in the worse direction were in the last months.
But yes...waiting until next year makes me break a sweat and anxious to no end. I'm tired of waiting after we were so close. 😔

We can just take day by day, Atlantic Corssroads.
You're engaged, you're bond is strong. Let's try to have faith in the Universe. It didn't point us in the direction of our SOs to make us miserable. It didn't send us Corona because we're in a long distance relationship. It's nothing personal. Let's get through today. You're not alone.

[OhioJim]

Many times my SO has told me that she does not like living in the Philippines. She wants to be here in the USA, and the only reason she is there is because of her mother having major surgery twice last year.

After reading news reports from the Philippines I can see why.

Police beating a mentally handicap person for not complying with the quarantine?

SO is staying at her mother's house. No job. Running low on cash. But because her mother's house is "too nice" she can't get any assistance.

National government makes a policy and local governments do something different?

And the latest thing....

I read on GMA news that all passenger flights in and out of the Philippines have been suspended, with only 8 hours notice. I tried to find more information on it, looking for an official announcement. It is not even on the official Philippines government web page. Eventually, I found another report on MSN news. The suspension is only until May 8, and another news report said it was for incoming flights only. Why leave out those important items? Why no official bulletin?

It is all a moot point anyway. My SO can't travel locally because the entire Metro Manila area is under strict quarantine until at least May 15, so the hospital won't release her mother.

I guess we should cancel our spaghetti dinner date for her birthday this coming Tuesday..

[Morg's Lily]

This is again a really big chunk of bad news to get over, OhioJim! And I was wondering about you and your SO because I read about the closed airports on the Philippines.

I'm worried about violence increasing in the world, for examples for things you posted. Here I found that the longer the restrictions are ongoing the more the people lose common sense. People start being aggressive and depressed.
They're taking away our human rights and I wondering how long it will work out until people had enough.

Our news said it's starting in the US already with armed protests.

Is there anything else you can think of how to do something nice instead for your SO? Can you send something per mail there? Maybe a letter or a little something. I wrote to my SO today about all the things I love about him since I was crying so much the last days and wanted to show him that it's not about us but the situation which is taking me down.

[OhioJim]

Morg's Lily, they finally did release an official statement on the NAIA (Manila airport) Facebook page. The suspended flights are for incoming only, and they are doing it because they are overwhelmed trying to process 2000 people a day, as they all have to be quarantined. It is only until May 9.

As for sending my SO something in the mail, unless they extend the quarantine again, she would probably be leaving before it got there! I certainly don't want to send her anything nice, as I have read stories about mail being stolen, and customs officials demanding more fees than they should.

If all goes according to plans (as if Real Life cares about our plans!!) my SO should be able to get back sometime in June, I guess. At least that is our hope and prayer.

[Atlantic Crossroads]

I know it's not personal, but it does feel it lately. Both of us struggle with our mental health, which adds another burden to the pile.
Anytime I mention our future he freaks out, which hurts. I know he is scared about everything changing, but avoiding thinking about it doesn't help either. I just feel like I can't do anything right around him. Anything I want to talk about, he doesn't because it stresses him out. I don't think he realises how much it helps me to think about our future. I'm scared about it too, but I'm still thinking about it.
We did have a timeline for closing the distance, but now it's all up in the air. I was doing weekly group therapy, which I was due to complete in September. Now, I'll have to stay here longer until I can complete it.

[Morg's Lily]

I feel you, Atlantic Crossroads. I understand that it does feel personal. Maybe you can communicate to him in a careful manner that it's important to you to talk about the future? I'm a little bit like your SO. I'm having a hard time thinking about the future or daydream about it because I'm so scared that it won't happen and then I'm even more disappointed. I wanna daydream but I don't dare. 😞
This is such hard times we're going through. And I guess the only thing to do is live day by day as best as we can.
Or maybe talk about the future to a journal? I know it's not the same as your SO, but maybe it helps a little.

[Morg's Lily]

My fingers are crossed for your SO getting back in June, OhioJim. This would mean some hope for all of us too to see international traveling.

The news today were slightly better here so I'm a little bit more optimistic today. It can change in a minute so I'm trying to savour that feeling right now.

I'm also glad to see upcoming voices in politics about the massive restrictions in human rights.

[Atlantic Crossroads]

I feel you, Atlantic Crossroads. I understand that it does feel personal. Maybe you can communicate to him in a careful manner that it's important to you to talk about the future? I'm a little bit like your SO. I'm having a hard time thinking about the future or daydream about it because I'm so scared that it won't happen and then I'm even more disappointed. I wanna daydream but I don't dare. ��
This is such hard times we're going through. And I guess the only thing to do is live day by day as best as we can.
Or maybe talk about the future to a journal? I know it's not the same as your SO, but maybe it helps a little.

That actually makes a lot of sense. He's said before about the whole visa process being a long, stressful, expensive, spit and a prayer style scenario. He knows people who have done visas before, so that's what he's basing it on. I'll have to check whether any were British visas. I suspect not.
It doesn't help that he's not been to England yet either. But I can't wave a wand to change that right now anyway.

[OhioJim]

Just to clarify something....

My SO has dual USA/Philippines citizenship, with a USA passport, so she can go back and forth any time she wants. She was born in USA and her mother is Filipina.

At least that is one problem we don't have to worry about. No Visa paperwork.

[Atlantic Crossroads]

Just to clarify something....

My SO has dual USA/Philippines citizenship, with a USA passport, so she can go back and forth any time she wants. She was born in USA and her mother is Filipina.

At least that is one problem we don't have to worry about. No Visa paperwork.

That is a definite bonus for you both.
My man has British relations, but too far back to be of any use unfortunately.

[Morg's Lily]

Good to hear that at least you don't have to worry about Visa stuff, OhioJim. Awesome! 👍👍

[OhioJim]

The Philippines government had extended the quarantine of Metro Manila for another 2 weeks!

[Enric]

I've been "relatively lucky" during the pandemics. My whole life is a disaster and I had a bunch of problems. Yet at least now I'm working and living with my parents and this makes me feel somewhat privileged. Yet my SO has been suffering a lot.

He lives in a boarding house in Quezon City (next to Manila, Philippines) since a few months ago. He's far away from everyone (family, friends and me). He has suffered a lot during his mother birthday because he couldn't be next to her, he isn't allowed to leave the city. He was fired when the quarantine started, and he has not received any sort of unemployment benefit or government aid. He spent two months locked inside a room where he only has a bed and his phone. His little savings didn't last for too long his diet became worse and finally he decided to stop eating, he lost Internet, and he's only capable of talking to me thanks to a sort of "Free Facebook" that exists in some poor countries. I tried to send some money, but he rejects it... at least he accepted some money from his sister, and he is now working again (12 hours per day, 7 days per week) but the situation isn't much better.

Now we cannot talk like we used to, he barely has any free time. He has to give almost all his pay check to the boardinghouse owner and his diet remains very poor. He's extremely exhausted all the time despite he sleeps a lot (nine hours per day) and he doesn't want to cook. I can't help but feel concerned about his health. I believe he is malnourished and this may have a long-lasting impact. To make it worse today there's a typhoon hitting his city.

I just feel terrible for him.

[Atlantic Crossroads]

I've been "relatively lucky" during the pandemics. My whole life is a disaster and I had a bunch of problems. Yet at least now I'm working and living with my parents and this makes me feel somewhat privileged. Yet my SO has been suffering a lot.

He lives in a boarding house in Quezon City (next to Manila, Philippines) since a few months ago. He's far away from everyone (family, friends and me). He has suffered a lot during his mother birthday because he couldn't be next to her, he isn't allowed to leave the city. He was fired when the quarantine started, and he has not received any sort of unemployment benefit or government aid. He spent two months locked inside a room where he only has a bed and his phone. His little savings didn't last for too long his diet became worse and finally he decided to stop eating, he lost Internet, and he's only capable of talking to me thanks to a sort of "Free Facebook" that exists in some poor countries. I tried to send some money, but he rejects it... at least he accepted some money from his sister, and he is now working again (12 hours per day, 7 days per week) but the situation isn't much better.

Now we cannot talk like we used to, he barely has any free time. He has to give almost all his pay check to the boardinghouse owner and his diet remains very poor. He's extremely exhausted all the time despite he sleeps a lot (nine hours per day) and he doesn't want to cook. I can't help but feel concerned about his health. I believe he is malnourished and this may have a long-lasting impact. To make it worse today there's a typhoon hitting his city.

I just feel terrible for him.

This reminds me slightly of my fiance. He's endured a long time living alone with no nearby neighbours. His work is casual, so never guaranteed. He gets no welfare, as they cut him off. He often has little to no money, and last summer he was surviving on apples from a tree, as he had no other money or food. I couldn't help him then either, as my own finances weren't stable and I had no account or card.
It's bad enough knowing that he suffers mentally, without him close to starvation as well.
He is in a better place now, but he's still far from comfortable.

[Emmy_Mac]

Hi all, first post here. I joined this forum as I've just been feeling so overwhelmed with being in a long distance relationship during this period, and I don't have anyone I can talk to around me who understands. Anyway here's a little bit about my situation:

We met online around 2 years ago, and only decided to try a LDR towards the end of 2019. I made plans to fly over and meet him in person for the first time in April 2020 (we've been voice chatting since 2018, and video calling since end 2019) but after waiting 5 months, finally just a month before the trip, I had to cancel it because of restrictions. My country has banned all travel and has been placed in lockdown, with no news on when travel restrictions will ease. So now I can't fly out and he can't fly in for the foreseeable future. This is my first long distance relationship and overall I just really don't know how to handle all these emotions, the uncertainty, the heartache at being so close to meeting but having to postpone it indefinitely, and also the stress of losing my income while having to pay rent and bills (I'm a freelancer and have not been able to work for the past 2 months while on lockdown, likely for the coming few too) and having to rebuild my business from scratch once my government allows my sector to go back to work. The people who I usually talk to, people I thought were my friends, are now busy worrying about when they can next go out for dinner or go to the movies. Most people I try to talk to tell me "you can just video call him, it's good enough" but then they literally go crazy when they can't hang out with their friends in the same country during the lockdown. Then when I suggest video calling those friends from home they tell me "it's not the same". Uhhhhh double standards much??? Perhaps I need new friends lol.

Anyway just looking for someone to talk to, it's been really lonely having to deal with all this by myself. I could identify with so many of the other posts here, which is what prompted me to create an account and maybe post something. I feel like people who have never been in a LDR will never truly be able to understand our pain especially with the current situation now. Anyone else want an online buddy to rant to, feel free to hit me up as well yeah