Read on Twitter
Need to put this out there. When this is all over it won't be truly over for many folk. The affects will be felt for a very long time. Years. Spoke with a friend who's a carer, last weekend, well on into the night. She couldn't sleep, because of what she'd dealt with that day.
She had spent another day trying to reassure her clients that everything will be all right, tending to their basic needs, trying to help them in any way she could. She helped an elderly man who was half hanging out of his bed when she arrived, who could barely walk a few steps.
She was doing shopping for her clients, fetching the things they needed to get by. Washing them, feeding them, putting them to bed or getting them dressed. Always smiling and trying to cheer them, as so many others are quietly doing day by day. Letting people know they matter.
"How come you're awake?" I said. "Just can't sleep. I get up and go to work, I tell them that everything's going to be fine. Not going to lie, Fritha, I'm scared myself. Scared for them, scared for me, for my family, for everyone I know." We talked and talked.
The more we talked the more she told me about what it was like, every time anyone begins with a cough or starts feeling unusually hot - they're worried. Has it started there? Understandable reaction. We'd feel the same. Then she told me about a couple of nurses she knows...
They work at the local hospital. She saw one of them when she was on her way to another client, they looked shattered. From a safe distance they spoke briefly, nurse telling her what it was like working on a ward where Covid-19 was rabid. "They keep coming. Some won't leave."
She told her how many more were coming in than is being widely reported. How many hadn't made it that night. The nurse told my friend how the staff were running on vapours. Few days earlier she had spoken with another nurse she knew. Similar story, though thankfully...
it hadn't reached their ward - yet. Every one of them giving their all while being scared for everyone else, but putting others before themselves in the midst of *invisible bullets* flying round us all. Spoke with a chap other day whose partner is also a nurse at the hospital.
Mentioned the chat I'd had with my friend. When I commented on it seemingly being underreported, including those who tragically don't make it, he said "Oh God, yes!" Thankfully they seem to have the PPE they need up there at the moment, but...
"There's a constant trail of ambulances bringing new cases in. Our lass doesn't have it on her ward as yet." They have wards with confirmed cases, others with suspected cases. TPTB have told them to get prepped for their ward to take more beds and "change of use."
Spoke on the phoning with my specialist occupational therapist for ME/cfs during the week. We chatted a little about what's going on. "We are anticipating that in the weeks and months ahead we will see a surge in new cases. We're already seeing it."
He told me it'll come from patients who've been lucky enough to survive a big bout of Covid-19, nurses, doctors, carers, teachers and the countless numbers who've kept this country going through this crisis. The key workers. The very people who've got us through this crisis.
We discussed the mental health side of this, the toll this battle will be having on these people as they do all they can to keep us safe, working long hours to get us through this. Some will experience PTSD, due to what they've done and had to see.
As I said, long after we have found our "new normal" those people who are society's rocks right now will, undoubtedly, still be fighting their own battles. Sincerely hope we don't forget them when they always put us first. They will need us to value them more than ever.
That's really all I wanted to say. As for my friend, as daylight broke I asked her what she had planned for her Sunday off. "No time off. I'm back at work in a couple of hours." What? "Yeah, another 10 hour shift. Gotta keep my clients happy. Don't want them to worry."
And that's it, isn't it? People giving selflessly while worrying about those they care for, their own family members, their friends and then themselves last; always putting others first. Let's do the same for them when they need us in the future. Because they really matter, too.
Just to add: it will be all right and we will get through this. Feel we need to remember those who've been there for us when we get out the other side of it. xx
