The best laid plans
4 days after my last posted post, I started my new job. 3 days after my last posted post, I concluded my time at the hospital. It was an uneventful day and I exited with some of my co-workers not saying goodbye to me. Some did, and there were a few tears, goodbye gifts and a goodbye/good luck dinner afterward (with some adult beverages!) I jumped into my new job the next day. Some suggested I should have taken the week off, but given that there was such a need for my position I jumped right in. I was ready for a change; time to move on. By then there was still talk of the corona virus (covid-19) and some precautions were starting to take place. The term "social distancing" was becoming more prevalent. The following week, EVERYTHING changed.
Closed for walk-in admissions. All appointments with providers either on the phone or tele-health. No more then 10 people in the building at once (staff included). All non-essential businesses closed. Many other essential businesses open but with reduced hours or reduced staffing. Recommended to wear a mask in public. I had to send a pt home 2 days into this new job because they had similar covid symptoms. And then for me, the countdown began. Was I going to get it? Did they have it? I told my roommate to go stay with her boyfriend; I didn't want to put her in harm's way. Things in the office were quite slow, too slow than I was used to and I found myself wondering if I had made a terrible mistake.
April came and us employees had the option to start working from home some of the week to reduce the number of people in the office. I started working from home 1 full day and one half day. We started getting an hourly pay increase to an extra $2/hour for "hazard pay." Masks were now required in public and some grocery stores were denying entrance to customers who did not have one on. All office staff are required to wear them and inpt nurses have to wear KN95 respirators. I celebrated my 30th birthday at home alone and had several "virtual celebrations." One friend called me and caught me up on what was going on at the old workplace. Then my sister called me. Then several friends called me. I was treated with champagne in the fridge when I got home, a delivery of cookies from my roommate's mom and chocolate covered fruits from another friend. That weekend another friend delivered me a social distanced ice cream cake! It was exactly what I wanted; a memorable birthday.
We're now being told restrictions could continue for at least another month. There is talk of the country "re-opening" but it's just talking as of now. We're starting to allow more "walk in appointments" during the week but no more than 3 a day. We're asking our clients to wear masks when they do have to come in (lately they're mostly there for me and their injections). As the Bob Dylan song goes; "the times they are a-changin'." Times have sometimes been challenging. Tensions have been high. I've reached my breaking point a few times in this past month. There's still a lot of fear and anger related to all of this. The number of confirmed cases continue to climb. My roommate and I have decided to cancel our trip we were going to take to Italy later this year. My friend isn't sure her wedding this summer is going to happen. My roommate and I are still living separately just to keep ourselves safe; a tough choice on both ends but one we decided is best for us right now. For now we're just taking things day by day; sometimes minute by minute as we go with the flow of constantly changing policies. But we'll make it. We will beat this. Below is a poem by Hensley that I heard being read on an episode of the Blacklist last night. I posted some of it below.
Closed for walk-in admissions. All appointments with providers either on the phone or tele-health. No more then 10 people in the building at once (staff included). All non-essential businesses closed. Many other essential businesses open but with reduced hours or reduced staffing. Recommended to wear a mask in public. I had to send a pt home 2 days into this new job because they had similar covid symptoms. And then for me, the countdown began. Was I going to get it? Did they have it? I told my roommate to go stay with her boyfriend; I didn't want to put her in harm's way. Things in the office were quite slow, too slow than I was used to and I found myself wondering if I had made a terrible mistake.
April came and us employees had the option to start working from home some of the week to reduce the number of people in the office. I started working from home 1 full day and one half day. We started getting an hourly pay increase to an extra $2/hour for "hazard pay." Masks were now required in public and some grocery stores were denying entrance to customers who did not have one on. All office staff are required to wear them and inpt nurses have to wear KN95 respirators. I celebrated my 30th birthday at home alone and had several "virtual celebrations." One friend called me and caught me up on what was going on at the old workplace. Then my sister called me. Then several friends called me. I was treated with champagne in the fridge when I got home, a delivery of cookies from my roommate's mom and chocolate covered fruits from another friend. That weekend another friend delivered me a social distanced ice cream cake! It was exactly what I wanted; a memorable birthday.
We're now being told restrictions could continue for at least another month. There is talk of the country "re-opening" but it's just talking as of now. We're starting to allow more "walk in appointments" during the week but no more than 3 a day. We're asking our clients to wear masks when they do have to come in (lately they're mostly there for me and their injections). As the Bob Dylan song goes; "the times they are a-changin'." Times have sometimes been challenging. Tensions have been high. I've reached my breaking point a few times in this past month. There's still a lot of fear and anger related to all of this. The number of confirmed cases continue to climb. My roommate and I have decided to cancel our trip we were going to take to Italy later this year. My friend isn't sure her wedding this summer is going to happen. My roommate and I are still living separately just to keep ourselves safe; a tough choice on both ends but one we decided is best for us right now. For now we're just taking things day by day; sometimes minute by minute as we go with the flow of constantly changing policies. But we'll make it. We will beat this. Below is a poem by Hensley that I heard being read on an episode of the Blacklist last night. I posted some of it below.
In the fell clutch of circumstance
I have not winced nor cried aloud.
Under the bludgeonings of chance
My head is bloody, but unbowed.
I have not winced nor cried aloud.
Under the bludgeonings of chance
My head is bloody, but unbowed.
Beyond this place of wrath and tears
Looms but the Horror of the shade,
And yet the menace of the years
Finds and shall find me unafraid.
Looms but the Horror of the shade,
And yet the menace of the years
Finds and shall find me unafraid.
It matters not how strait the gate,
How charged with punishments the scroll,
I am the master of my fate,
I am the captain of my soul.
How charged with punishments the scroll,
I am the master of my fate,
I am the captain of my soul.
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