Peter’s story

Peter writes about his experience as someone with vasculitis during lockdown, and how it’s impacted on his mental health. If you’re feeling in need of support, please get in touch with us and we can arrange either someone to talk to or counselling.

How life has changed for us over the last six months! I’m sure that all of you have been the same as me and been self-isolating. Most people have said that I must be finding it hard being stuck at home, but I’m the complete opposite. The local doctor calls regularly, the chemist delivers all my medication, the food gets delivered every Monday and I get everything else through Amazon or my wife goes to the shops suitably “masked-up”.

I’ve kept myself busy and motivated but become too used to being at home and now I’m finding it hard being back out. I find it awkward being near to strangers and crowds and am happy to get back home again. I’m sure most of you will understand how I feel.

Things have been further complicated by the lack of facilities at the hospitals. All my clinics have been shut down and most have been impossible to contact by phone or email. Last week my physiotherapist made my first virtual appointment. I was having a bad day but the thought of getting some help was keeping me going. Along came my video call and it was a disaster. I’m not going into any detail, but it’s just no good for someone you have never met to give you good advice when they can only see you on the phone. Unfortunately, when I came off the phone I broke down. I was at a low point and that tipped me over the edge. I ended up feeling awful and was in my bed giving my wife even more worry than normal. But being like this has been a strain on our family so I’ve had to “man-up” and try to get back to what is now semi-normal.