Saturday 8^th August – Appendicitis Begins

Coronavirus Lockdown Day 139

1,088 cases: 0 new (11 active). QLD borders now closed to NSW, ACT and Victoria as cases in NSW continue to increase and the situation in Victoria fails to improve. Returning QLDers to pay 14 days quarantine in a hotel.

Afternoon

Bronwen and I drove down to the shops to do our grocery shopping. After that I updated the firmware on Wallace the Drone (and his batteries—it would seem they have their own firmware), and Bronwen set up the DJI Fly software on her phone so she could fly him.

Pain in my side

I’m not sure when, but at some time—I think in the afternoon—I began to have a sore spot in my right lower abdomen. I googled and it seemed to fit the location where one would experience appendicitis pain.

It seemed to get rapidly worse, though I wasn’t sure if it was just because I was now concentrating on it.

Bronwen and I had dinner and watched some TV while I tried not to think about it, and then went to bed.

After showering and everything, I got to bed at a quarter past midnight—still thinking that my pain probably hurt more now than before, but not significantly enough that I could be certain about it.

Night

I remember waking up a couple of time at night. I don’t think I was feverish, but I did have some rather weird dreams.

Sunday 9^th August – Halim’s Indian Taj

Coronavirus Lockdown Day 140

1,088 cases: 0 new (11 active).

Pain

I got up in the morning, not in any pain, but almost immediately after walking I could feel the pain again—though it didn’t seem to be any worse than yesterday.

Breakfast

Bronwen rode her mountain bike over to her parents’ place to test that it’s still working ok, and I drove over shortly after. We spent the morning there and had a cooked breakfast.

Afternoon

Bronwen and I drove over to Maz’s place after leaving Bronwen’s parents’ place, where I very slowly copied a stack of files from my phone to Maz’s computer. For some annoying reason SMB transfers from Android phones seem to be exceptionally slow.

Halim’s Indian Taj

Maz, Tess, Bronwen and I had an early—but delicious—dinner at Halim’s.

My sore side slowly hurt more as the day went on, and by the time I drove home, it was uncomfortable to use the steering wheel with my right arm.

Monday 10^th August – Hospital

Coronavirus Lockdown Day 141

1,089 cases: 1 new (acquired overseas), 11 active. Restrictions at aged care facilities lifted.

Doctor

I had a 9 AM doctor’s appointment because I’d decided I had appendicitis. The doctor wasn’t so sure though—apparently the pain was too high—but sent me off to the hospital for some scans to be sure.

Bronwen and I drove to the QEII Jubilee Hospital’s emergency department, where I was triaged fairly quickly, but then waited a long time for a CT scan, and then another long time for the results, before eventually being told they didn’t know what was wrong with me, but that it wasn’t appendicitis and my organs were “unremarkable”.

Having spent all morning waiting at hospital, we drove home and I had a quiet afternoon not moving much.

Tuesday 11^th August – Less Painful

Coronavirus Lockdown Day 142

1,089 cases: 0 new (11 active).

Home

I relaxed at home. My pain began to get better.

Wednesday 12^th August – Even Less Painful

Coronavirus Lockdown Day 143

1,089 cases: 0 new (11 active). After 102 days of being covid-free, NZ reports 4 new cases and reintroduces restrictions.

Home

I relaxed at home. My pain got mostly better.

Thursday 13^th August – Back to Normal

Coronavirus Lockdown Day 144

1,089 cases: 0 new (9 active).

Home

I worked from home.

Friday 14^th August – Home

Coronavirus Lockdown Day 145

1,091 cases: 2 new (a returned traveller from Sydney and a person on a cargo ship), 8 active.

Home

I worked from home.

Saturday 15^th August – Home

Coronavirus Lockdown Day 146

1,091 cases: 0 new (9 active). This time last year Queensland had already recorded 36,874 flu cases. As of August 10 this year, we’ve only recorded 5,918 – a massive 84% drop.

Home

Bronwen and I spent the day at home.

Sunday 16^th August – Home

Coronavirus Lockdown Day 147

1,091 cases: 0 new (9 active).

Home

Bronwen and I spent the day at home.

Monday 17^th August – Shopping

Coronavirus Lockdown Day 148

1,091 cases: 0 new (8 active). There’s been no community transmission in Queensland for almost a month.

Shopping

Bronwen and I went grocery shopping.

Tuesday 18^th August – Home

Coronavirus Lockdown Day 149

1,091 cases: 0 new (7 active).

Home

Just another day at home, avoiding the coronavirus.

Wednesday 19^th August – Pizza

Coronavirus Lockdown Day 150

1,092 cases: 1 new (overseas acquired and now in hotel quarantine), 6 active.

Pizza

Bronwen and I had pizza for dinner—using a Pizza Hut voucher Bronwen had for a free pizza.

Thursday 20^th August – Coronavirus Test

Coronavirus Lockdown Day 151

1,093 cases: 1 new (a lady in her 70’s who worked at the Brisbane Youth Detention Centre), 8 active.

Coronavirus Test

Bronwen went to the doctor in the morning to get a referral, and then we drove out to the Rocklea Showgrounds where there was a QML drive-through coronavirus testing clinic, and Bronwen got tested for coronavirus.

Friday 21^st August – Home

Coronavirus Lockdown Day 152

1,094 cases: 0 new (6 active).

Home

Bronwen and I worked from home. Bronwen got her coronavirus test results (negative) via SMS in the morning—just a little under 24 hours after the test. I dropped Bronwen off at Milton in the evening, where she met her parents for dinner and stayed the night with them, in preparation for an early morning departure for a bike ride out west.

Saturday 22^nd August – Home

Coronavirus Lockdown Day 153

1,103 cases: 9 new (6 linked to the Brisbane Youth Detention Centre, 3 from cargo ships), 15 active. In Brisbane, Ipswich, Logan City, Scenic Rim, Somerset, Lockyer Valley, Moreton Bay, and Redlands, gatherings in people’s homes and outdoors will be limited to 10 people. Everywhere else, gatherings in people’s homes and outdoors will be limited to 30 people. Hospitals and aged care facilities to limit visitors. Venues and events following COVID Safe plans can continue operating.

Home

I spent a quiet day at home while Bronwen was off with her parents and some others, riding bikes along an old train line out west.

Sunday 23^rd August – Bronwen’s Parents’ Place

Coronavirus Lockdown Day 154

1,105 cases: 2 new (16 active).

Home

I spent a quiet day at home, driving over to Bronwen’s parents’ place at night to pick up Bronwen, who had spent the weekend riding bikes out west.

Monday 24^th August – Shopping

Coronavirus Lockdown Day 155

1,106 cases: 1 new (a relative of a known case that works at the Brisbane Youth Detention Centre), 18 active.

Shopping

Bronwen and I went grocery shopping.

Tuesday 25^th August – Walking

Coronavirus Lockdown Day 156

1,106 cases: 0 new (18 active).

Mt Gravatt

Bronwen and I went for a walk up Mt Gravatt. They’re still closing the lookout after dark for coronavirus it seems.

Wednesday 26^th August – Walking

Coronavirus Lockdown Day 157

1,108 cases: 1 new (a close contact of a known case), 16 active. QLD hits a new record—20,856 coronavirus tests performed in one day.

Mt Gravatt

Bronwen and I went for a walk up Mt Gravatt. They’re still closing the lookout after dark for coronavirus it seems.

Thursday 27^th August – Home

Coronavirus Lockdown Day 158

1,110 cases: 2 new (one returning traveller from overseas in hotel quarantine, one a trainer at the Wacol Correctional Services Academy), 17 active.

Home

A quiet day at home.

Friday 28^th August – Shopping

Coronavirus Lockdown Day 159

1,113 cases: 3 new (all linked to the Wacol Correctional Services Academy), 20 active. Schoolies events are cancelled.

Shopping

Bronwen and I had a quiet day at home, apart from a trip to ALDI, Woolworths and Coles to do some shopping.

Saturday 29^th August – Home

Coronavirus Lockdown Day 160

1,117 cases: 4 new (all close contacts of previous cases), 24 active. Restrictions are extended to the Gold Coast (gatherings limited to 10 people).

Home

Bronwen and I spent a quiet day at home.

Sunday 30^th August – Home Repairs

Coronavirus Lockdown Day 161

1,121 cases: 4 new (all close contacts of cases linked to Wacol Correctional Training Academy), 28 active.

Bunnings

Bronwen and I drove to Bunnings to look for parts to fix the leaking toilet, and remove the insinkerator from the kitchen sink.

Monday 31^st August – Walking

Coronavirus Lockdown Day 162

1,122 cases: 1 new (close contact of a Wacol Correctional Training Academy case), 27 active. Restrictions are extended to the Darling Downs (gatherings limited to 10 people).

Home

I worked from home.

Mt Gravatt

Bronwen and I went for a walk up Mt Gravatt.

Tuesday 1^st September – Home

Coronavirus Lockdown Day 163

1,124 cases: 2 new (a nurse from Ipswich Hospital and a student from Staines Memorial College), 28 active.

Home

I worked from home.

Wednesday 2^nd September – Home

Coronavirus Lockdown Day 164

1,126 cases: 2 new (28 active).

Home

I worked from home.

Thursday 3^rd September – Bunnings

Coronavirus Lockdown Day 165

1,128 cases: 2 new (both linked to Brisbane Youth Detention Centre), 30 active.

Bunnings

Bronwen and I drove to Bunnings to buy parts to fix the leaking toilet, but they didn’t have anything that would fit.