So, during the pandemic I had a young angry man who chose not to be vaccinated. He was convinced that his youth and vigour along with some questionable supplements would keep him healthy. He took no precautions and actually attended a COVID party.
When he showed up with blue lips and an oxygen saturation barely compatible with life he still had enough vitriol to call us butchers and take swings at the nurses. But we knew he was sick and we gave him the benefit of the doubt.
When he finally crashed, our team resuscitated him. Ventilated him. Dialyzed him. Rehabbed him.
I remember his dad being admitted to unit far sicker than him. He had caught it from him. But I understood how hard it was to be separated from family so I gave him the benefit of the doubt.
He was in our unit for a month. He was hard to control. Every response from him was to strike out. To be able to ventilate him we had to sedate him. I knew how critical illness can make people delirious so I gave him the benefit of the doubt.
When we were finally able to get him off the ventilator so that he could talk, I had to disclose to him that his father had died from COVID. He called as butchers and swore and threatened my staff to the point of needing security to come in. I have seen grief this violent before.
So I gave him the benefit of the doubt.
As I watch the horrors of that time fade, and governments rewrite history in favour of those who were cruel and selfish while dismantling the systems that kept innocents safe, I’m seeing less and less benefit of the doubt.
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