COVID

Back from the brink

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If you come around these parts of the Internet looking for vegan food news but have been finding it all a bit quiet lately, I have a pretty solid excuse.

I have been dealing with COVID… and it has been a massive struggle.

A few weeks back, my husband developed COVID symptoms and I did my my best to look after him and maintain isolation from the outside world. He was ill, but nowhere near the worst I had heard of or seen amongst my friends. I stayed in the other room, delivered him food, and kept the windows open wide for cleansing breezes.

But three days into his COVID, my test came back positive and my symptoms started.

I don’t really want to go into what came next in too much detail because I’m still processing, but I took bad turn. Thankfully my husband recovered quickly, but my health took a nose dive.

After 11 days of at homes symptoms, my oxygen levels were lower than where they should be and I was unwell. Sweating. Couldn’t eat. Couldn’t sleep.

After a few phone calls, an ambulance made its way to my place and spirited me off to the hospital where I stayed for the next 5 days.

I will never forget the care and professionalism with which I was was treated by the NHS staff during my stay. I was scared and in pain, but never for a second did I feel as though I didn’t matter.

Patients on the ward improved. Some deteriorated. I saw oxygen levels plummet in real time before my eyes. I heard people crying. I saw people go from thinking they were about to be released to being taken to ICU.

I have been home again now for two nights and I am slowly recovering.

I know that not only did my double vaccination save my life, it also made the job faced by the NHS workers just a little bit easier.

Workers on my ward told me how they haven’t been able to look on their colleagues’ faces for a year and a half due to critical PPE attire. They have been stressed and overworked and alone.

They talked to me about how upsetting it is when they see members of the public laughing about wearing masks or refusing vaccinations. One young worker said he believes COVID will never go away and we must learn to manage our lives around it.

I feel grateful to be home but I have to be honest and say I am emotionally not OK. Not only am I dealing with the trauma of being hospitalised and seeing fellow patients struggle for life, I have been fundamentally challenged by the relentless conditions foisted upon our NHS workers.

Please get vaccinated and do everything you can to encourage your friends and family to get vaccinated. Wear masks when you can in crowded settings.

Use your voice and privilege to stand up for the NHS. Fight for fair wages and working conditions. Stop voting for politicians who are not focussed on saving our NHS.

FGV is slowly making a comeback, but it is only with the support of healthcare professionals. I am eternally grateful.

A year and a half in the life of FGV

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This past year and a half has been full of dramatic twists and turns, that’s for sure.

I relocated from Mexico City (where I was visiting) to Sheffield back in July 2020. That flight back to the UK during the height of the global pandemic was intense and included a 24-hour stint in Toronto during which I slept on the airport floor and ate out of the vending machine. I had left behind 3 months of almost complete lockdown in Mexico and I was terrified to be so exposed.

The hotel isolation period was excruciatingly expensive and lonely in London. My life had been turned upside down and I was paying handsomely for the privilege.

Once out of isolation, I worked with legendary food company Make No Bones helping them set up Saucy and La Fonda in Sheffield. I did all sorts of jobs for them, including working in frontline hospitality. It was at times exhausting and I didn’t like being customer facing, but we do what we have to do!

My partner Gil traveled to Sheffield to stay with me and while lockdown in the South Yorkshire city during winter was emotionally gruelling, it was a joy to have him by my side. Months and months passed during which the only entertainment we had was to go for a walk through the deserted streets of our neighbourhood. Oh, we also watched a few hundred hours of Drag Race.

I am now back in London, helping vegan fast food pioneers Temple of Seitan with some work and living with Gil. We also got married a few weeks ago and Gil is in the middle of applying for a visa to stay permanently with me in the UK.

The inability to see friends and family has been tough and the financial instability caused by the pandemic has been stressful. I’m working out my tactic for the upcoming discussion I need to have with the tax office. At the moment the best reasoning I have is, “If I don’t have the money, how do you expect me to pay?”.

But I’m not alone in these struggles and I wish everyone love and support as we continue to work to get life back on track.

It’s easy to think that WE MUST be coming out of the pandemic based on the length of time we have endured, but there are still obstacles in front of us. Heck, I’m caring for my husband right now as he has developed mild COVID symptoms and has tested positive using the at-home test from the NHS. We are waiting on further results.

A year and a half into this thing and we are now isolating for the next two weeks. A dear friend of my husband passed away a few days ago in Mexico City following COVID illness. Friends all over the world have lost parents to COVID and have had to grieve on their own.

Prior to this latest isolation stint, Gil and I were starting to access ‘normal’ life again. We are both twice vaccinated and the call of the city is strong. We felt it was time to safely return, in stages. Right up until this latest isolation stint, we both worse masks indoors and avoided a lot of activities that we would normally do.

But the ease with which COVID spreads caught up with him and I’m hoping for a quick and speedy recovery (and that I can somehow dodge it).

I know I usually use these pages to champion vegan eating and lifestyles, but I think it is also important to make emotional connections about this monumental global event and this tough time in history.

For everyone who has lost loved ones, my heart is heavy for you and I send you warmest wishes and kind thoughts. My friends Neil, Fiona, and Carlos are in my thoughts often and I’m deeply saddened by the loss of their parents. For people living with COVID right now (such as my husband), I hope for a speedy recovery. For the many people living with long COVID, I hope the world’s understanding of how to treat the virus keeps expanding and will soon help you.

And finally, thank you to all the people taking up the vaccines as soon as possible. I’m hopeful the vaccine will help protect my husband, while every single person who has been vaccinated has played a role in keeping our communities that little bit more protected.

Vegan store celebrates one year

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Imagine opening a vegan store and then the world economy… well, the entire world itself, goes into shutdown.

Iwtopia in Wales did just that and they are still here to tell the tale.

They are survivors.

Sue from Iwtopia reached out to me from her independent business in Aberystwyth to let me know they are still hanging in there. I was so bowled over, I just had to share with you all.

Iwtopia is a vegan shop and deli, meaning you can stock up on all your essentials AND treat yourself to some gorgeous-looking vegan treats.

Head on over to the Iwtopia Instagram account to see photos of all the fab stuff Sue and the team are serving up.

If Facebook is more your speed, be sure to follow the shop to stay updated and be inspired.

If Aberystwyth is home for you (or nearby), you can even shop online for delivery. Head on over to the Iwtopia website to find out opening times and delivery details.

You can see the exact location of Iwtopia thanks to Google Maps.