1/
Care in the Time of Corona
Him: “Did my test come back yet?”
Me: “Not yet. But should be soon.”
Him: *twists mouth*
Me: “Kind of a bottleneck, sir." *sigh* "I’m so sorry.”
*awkwardly standing near bed in PPE*
Me: “Um. . how do you feel?”
Him: “My body a little better.”
Care in the Time of Corona
Him: “Did my test come back yet?”
Me: “Not yet. But should be soon.”
Him: *twists mouth*
Me: “Kind of a bottleneck, sir." *sigh* "I’m so sorry.”
*awkwardly standing near bed in PPE*
Me: “Um. . how do you feel?”
Him: “My body a little better.”
2/
Him: “Other than that? I feel lonely.”
Wait. Huh?
Me: “Lonely?”
Him: “Yeah. Take a act of congress for somebody to get in here. Can’t have no visitors. And since I ain’t intensive care sick, nobody need to come in as much, you know?”
Hmm.
I hadn’t thought of that.
Him: “Other than that? I feel lonely.”
Wait. Huh?
Me: “Lonely?”
Him: “Yeah. Take a act of congress for somebody to get in here. Can’t have no visitors. And since I ain’t intensive care sick, nobody need to come in as much, you know?”
Hmm.
I hadn’t thought of that.
3/
Him: “Then when they DO come in and they all business. Stick your finger. Flush your IV. Take your temperature. Then they get the F up out of there.”
Me: *staring at him* “Dang.”
Him: “I be trying to make small talk. Like wait! Don't go!”
He laughed when he said that.
Him: “Then when they DO come in and they all business. Stick your finger. Flush your IV. Take your temperature. Then they get the F up out of there.”
Me: *staring at him* “Dang.”
Him: “I be trying to make small talk. Like wait! Don't go!”
He laughed when he said that.
4/
Him: “Like. . . you ever had a neighbor that talk your head off? Then you grow up and realize they was just lonely?”
Me: *thinking* “Actually? Yeah.”
Him: “Well, that’s me. I be trying to ask or say anything. Like, ‘Heeeey, I like that mask. Where you get it?’”
*laughter*
Him: “Like. . . you ever had a neighbor that talk your head off? Then you grow up and realize they was just lonely?”
Me: *thinking* “Actually? Yeah.”
Him: “Well, that’s me. I be trying to ask or say anything. Like, ‘Heeeey, I like that mask. Where you get it?’”
*laughter*
5/
Me: "That's funny."
Him: "Yeah. Kind of."
Though we both knew it wasn't.
I moved on to examining him. Then I went over the management pieces and asked if he had questions. He shook his head no. I tried not to glance up at the clock but habit overtook me.
I needed to go.
Me: "That's funny."
Him: "Yeah. Kind of."
Though we both knew it wasn't.
I moved on to examining him. Then I went over the management pieces and asked if he had questions. He shook his head no. I tried not to glance up at the clock but habit overtook me.
I needed to go.
6/
I headed toward the door, thinking through all of the proper steps of “doffing” my PPE.
Him: “Hey Dr. Manning? I almost forgot.”
Me: *swinging around* “Sir?”
Him: “I like that blue mask. Where you get that?”
*laughter*
It was funny. But again, it really wasn’t. You know?
I headed toward the door, thinking through all of the proper steps of “doffing” my PPE.
Him: “Hey Dr. Manning? I almost forgot.”
Me: *swinging around* “Sir?”
Him: “I like that blue mask. Where you get that?”
*laughter*
It was funny. But again, it really wasn’t. You know?
7/
I needed to go. I did. But before leaving, I leaned on the door and just shot the breeze with him for a few moments.
Me: “Did you used to watch that show Top Model?”
Him: “Wait—what? With that lady Tyra Banks?”
Me: “Yeah. ‘Member how she used to tell them girls to ‘SMIZE?’”
I needed to go. I did. But before leaving, I leaned on the door and just shot the breeze with him for a few moments.
Me: “Did you used to watch that show Top Model?”
Him: “Wait—what? With that lady Tyra Banks?”
Me: “Yeah. ‘Member how she used to tell them girls to ‘SMIZE?’”
8/
Him: *squinting* "Told them to do what?"
Me: “SMIZE!”
Him: "Say what?"
*laughter*
Me: "Smile with your eyes! Remember? Smiiize."
Him: *shaking head* "I can't believe I'm telling you this but. . .I low key do remember that."
Me: "Haaaa! I knew it!"
*laughter*
Him: *squinting* "Told them to do what?"
Me: “SMIZE!”
Him: "Say what?"
*laughter*
Me: "Smile with your eyes! Remember? Smiiize."
Him: *shaking head* "I can't believe I'm telling you this but. . .I low key do remember that."
Me: "Haaaa! I knew it!"
*laughter*
9/
Me: "I try to do that sometimes. Under the masks and stuff. You know?"
Him: "You look like you squinting, Miss Manning."
Me: "I'm SMIZING, man. You can't tell?"
*laughter*
Him: "Uuuhh. . your SMIZE need some work. But I do like that idea."
Me: *nods* "Me, too."
*silence*
Me: "I try to do that sometimes. Under the masks and stuff. You know?"
Him: "You look like you squinting, Miss Manning."
Me: "I'm SMIZING, man. You can't tell?"
*laughter*
Him: "Uuuhh. . your SMIZE need some work. But I do like that idea."
Me: *nods* "Me, too."
*silence*
10/
Him: “Tell your folks to make sure whenever they come in with all that armor on? That they do that.”
Me: *listening* "Ok."
I prepared to leave.
Him: “Yeah. Tell 'em. Even if they can’t stick around or chop it up? Damn! At least SMIIIIZE at a brother.”
*laughter*
Him: “Tell your folks to make sure whenever they come in with all that armor on? That they do that.”
Me: *listening* "Ok."
I prepared to leave.
Him: “Yeah. Tell 'em. Even if they can’t stick around or chop it up? Damn! At least SMIIIIZE at a brother.”
*laughter*
11/
I left after that.
You know? This patient reminded me that a "PUI" is more than just a “person under investigation.” They’re also a person under isolation from human interaction.
Necessary, yes. But hard, too. You know?
I left after that.
You know? This patient reminded me that a "PUI" is more than just a “person under investigation.” They’re also a person under isolation from human interaction.
Necessary, yes. But hard, too. You know?
12/
Yeah.
So after you properly “don” your personal protective equipment—and before you expertly “doff” it in the red bag? Make a little bit of small talk if you can. And if you’re too busy to do that or your patient is too sick?
At least SMIIIZE at a brother, ok?
#iseeyou
Yeah.
So after you properly “don” your personal protective equipment—and before you expertly “doff” it in the red bag? Make a little bit of small talk if you can. And if you’re too busy to do that or your patient is too sick?
At least SMIIIZE at a brother, ok?
#iseeyou
