"Just got moved off of the COVID19 floor to a regular room where staff aren't wearing space suits! I can eat with silverware, real dishes & see the faces of the people caring for me! Hospital's aren't fun for anyone but the absolute worst part of the small quarantine floor I was on was hearing the screams of real COVID19 patients. The nurses were tense, sad & clearly stressed by the number of things going on. I hated to ask for things because others needed them more. I heard at least 3 code blue calls, saw nurses comfort each other & saw chaos from staff running to other rooms, from the little window in my room where a nurse sat & watched 2 patients for 12 hours. She'd come out of one room & changed gear, disinfected her helmet, hands, etc. Then suit back up to enter my room. I asked my last quarantine nurse if they were having a lot of new people this morning, as she was frantically getting me ready for the room transfer...she apologized for rushing me & said "you have no idea"....I felt so bad for her, she couldn't even wipe her own tears through the spacesuit helmet she was wearing. I have a serious new respect for all our healthcare heroes. They should wear capes, have time to eat, have bathroom breaks & definitely make more money. But for now every one I see, is 'wearing a cape', because they are the real Super Heroes of this pandemic."
Detailed further..."...EVERY LOSS IS PERSONAL...""I was brought in by ambulance to a special entrance specifically for probable COVID19 patients. Nurses in full protective gear met the ambulance & paramedics to transfer me to triage. I had to stay in triage for several hours before a room in the COVID19 unit freed up. Never thought to ask why it freed up...
But anyway, they put me in that part of the hospital where the rooms were set up with 1 nurse in a spacesuit & helmet, watched 2 rooms on either side of a split window. I was too sick when I went in to notice how many rooms where on the floor but when I left, there appeared to be about 5 stations on each side of the central nursing desk. That would be around 20 patients with 10 nurses, sitting outside the rooms. This was in tower 4. I was told each tower had a COVID19 unit. I got meds through a double sided closet door/window. Techs put it in outside & my nurse would take it out on my side of the room to give me. Techs were walking around helping but they only wore black plastic "trash bag" looking gowns & masks. I did ask one of them if they were really medical grade gowns or if the hospital was improvising. She laughed & said they were actually medical gowns.
I had to wear a mask whenever any staff entered my room too. The doctors had the most protective gear. Full spacesuits, helmet's, masks, gloves & shoe coverings. Nurses had the second best level of protection & techs had the least. All my meals were delivered through the double-sided door. Everything was in disposable Styrofoam. Once I asked if they would re-microwave my coffee. They said that once something had entered a contaminated room, it couldn't leave except as trash.
Even though I couldn't see any other patients, I could hear them. Lots of PA announcements, codes, (code blue), coughing, crying & staff running down the hallways. Sometimes I'd see nurses appear to be breaking down, from exhaustion or sadness...I don't know which, but they were clearly stressed.
This morning, very suddenly, all heck broke loose & a tech & nurse started getting me ready to transfer. It was confusing but I'd guessed more patients were needing a bed in the unit. The nurse apologized for rushing me. I asked if everything was okay & she said "No!" I asked what was happening & she started crying & said "You'd never understand". She couldn't hide her tears under the space helmet.
I was only quarantined for 4 days & had 3 COVID19 tests before being sent to a less restrictive area. So I'm on a regular floor now. No one should doubt that this is a very serious infection or that people aren't dying from it. I'm very grateful to merely have septicemia which is easily treated with antibiotics. I've got only prayers for those still left in the quarantined areas.They are completely alone when they need their families the most. The staff was great but they aren't family. (Although you can see it in their eyes, that every loss is personal.) Yes, there are lots of very sick people who are quarantined here at this hospital. Please pray they get to go home & that you are well enough to stay in yours! I know I will."
I got to tell you she's probably the prettiest girl I ever dated!
1 comment:
Every Loss is Personal! So true. Great post Steve.
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