Easter weekend is here, and it has been great to be reminded and to reflect on the life of Jesus and His willingness to give His life for mine, and for me to be able to live life to the fullest. Thinking of Jesus being in the tomb and being wrapped in linen and prepared for burial and death, and then to find 3 days later, the grave clothes are laid aside and he is walking and talking and eating with his disciples and friends - how joyous that must have been.
As I was thinking of that, I also thought of our patients in the Respiratory Isolation Ward (RIW) with Coronavirus. While they aren't in a tomb, and they aren't wrapped in grave clothes, there has been a lot of fear by patients and their families as to what the diagnosis of Covid means for them. I have read too many stories, this year, of someone dropping off their loved one at the hospital and never getting to see them again. They aren't allowed in the hospital with them, aren't really sure what is happening or how they are doing, and often their goodbyes are through a phone.
Our hospital isn't quite set up that way, we still need family to drop off food and help in caring for the patients, so our RIW patients aren't totally isolated from everyone else, but they are isolated from the other patients. They have their own green space, their own clothes line separate from other patients. The nurses and doctors caring for them show up with masks, face shield, gowns, and gloves. We do what we need to to care for them, but we don't spend hours with them, we then go back to a "safe" area where we can chart and oversee them, without having to be in our PPE all the time. I am sure for some of our patients this is scary, wondering why we are dressed like this, and they may wonder what is happening or will happen to me.
I don't know what is going through their minds, but I have seen the tears of some of our patients when we send them home, the thanks, the appreciation, and the knowledge that they have been recalled to life. I am thankful that many of our patients with Covid are walking out of here and getting to be reunited with their families. I am thankful to be able to be here and care and serve our patients at this time who need us, who are scared and need not only physical healing, but need to know of the love showed them over 2000 years ago on the Cross.
