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1/
#NarrativeintheTimeofCOVID
“We’ve got someone,” the charge nurse said.
I turned and raised a brow.
The morning had been quiet.
I had a patient now.
We’d moved to telemedicine
for nearly every person
But, now and then, some must come in
so problems will not worsen.
#NarrativeintheTimeofCOVID
“We’ve got someone,” the charge nurse said.
I turned and raised a brow.
The morning had been quiet.
I had a patient now.
We’d moved to telemedicine
for nearly every person
But, now and then, some must come in
so problems will not worsen.
2/
“She cleared the screens,” the nurse went on,
“She’s not a PUI. She got her meds filled just last week.”
A head shake, then a sigh.
I clicked her name, went in the chart
and tried my best to glean
some insights on this patient
who’d come in to be seen.
“She cleared the screens,” the nurse went on,
“She’s not a PUI. She got her meds filled just last week.”
A head shake, then a sigh.
I clicked her name, went in the chart
and tried my best to glean
some insights on this patient
who’d come in to be seen.
3/
Her chart was filled with years of notes—all from primary care
“A Grady Baby” one note said--a fact we often share.
A special designation
for those born within these walls
and some of whom recall the segregation
of these halls
Her chart was filled with years of notes—all from primary care
“A Grady Baby” one note said--a fact we often share.
A special designation
for those born within these walls
and some of whom recall the segregation
of these halls
4/
But beyond this? She’d been quite well
and had been for some time
Her lab work? Great. Her screenings? Straight.
(Her weight better than mine.)
No interval encounters or ER notes in sight
No subtle indications that something wasn’t right
But beyond this? She’d been quite well
and had been for some time
Her lab work? Great. Her screenings? Straight.
(Her weight better than mine.)
No interval encounters or ER notes in sight
No subtle indications that something wasn’t right
5/
She’d cleared the #COVID screening.
Her vital signs were fine.
She didn’t have a chief complaint--
at least not at that time.
I shrugged and said, “Let’s see what’s up.
I hope that she’s okay.”
The charge nurse gave a quick thumbs up—
there wasn’t more to say.
She’d cleared the #COVID screening.
Her vital signs were fine.
She didn’t have a chief complaint--
at least not at that time.
I shrugged and said, “Let’s see what’s up.
I hope that she’s okay.”
The charge nurse gave a quick thumbs up—
there wasn’t more to say.
6/
The patient reached our clinic
and walked up to the desk
Her grey hair coiffed near perfect
and clothes, her Sunday best.
She leaned upon her walker,
her face behind a mask
Her eyebrows furrowed worriedly,
she'd come here for a task.
The patient reached our clinic
and walked up to the desk
Her grey hair coiffed near perfect
and clothes, her Sunday best.
She leaned upon her walker,
her face behind a mask
Her eyebrows furrowed worriedly,
she'd come here for a task.
7/
“I been WORRIED ‘bout this virus!
The news gives me a scare!
But ‘specially for my Grady folks
and how you all would fare.
So I had to come on up here—
I know it wasn’t wise
But I had to know y’all was alright
and see you with my eyes!”
“I been WORRIED ‘bout this virus!
The news gives me a scare!
But ‘specially for my Grady folks
and how you all would fare.
So I had to come on up here—
I know it wasn’t wise
But I had to know y’all was alright
and see you with my eyes!”
8/
“Ms. J—you shouldn’t be here.
We don’t want you to get ill.”
But from the glisten in her eyes,
I knew her fear was real.
“We’re holding up just fine,“ I said,
“Appreciate you checking.”
“I wasn’t sure, Miss Manning. So I told myself I reckon. . .
“Ms. J—you shouldn’t be here.
We don’t want you to get ill.”
But from the glisten in her eyes,
I knew her fear was real.
“We’re holding up just fine,“ I said,
“Appreciate you checking.”
“I wasn’t sure, Miss Manning. So I told myself I reckon. . .
9/
“I’ll see about my people
who always see ‘bout me
And have from now
since I was born in 1943.”
“But—tell us, ma’am—are YOU okay?”
The nurse wanted to know.
“Ain’t nothing wrong,” Ms. J. replied
and shook her head hard no.
“I’ll see about my people
who always see ‘bout me
And have from now
since I was born in 1943.”
“But—tell us, ma’am—are YOU okay?”
The nurse wanted to know.
“Ain’t nothing wrong,” Ms. J. replied
and shook her head hard no.
10/
“So you just came . . .to check on us?
You sure that you're okay?"
“Been right at home,” Ms. J. replied,
“I mean, ‘cept for today.”
Her grandson gets her groceries.
A neighbor mows her lawn.
Her medications come by mail,
so none of them are gone.
“So you just came . . .to check on us?
You sure that you're okay?"
“Been right at home,” Ms. J. replied,
“I mean, ‘cept for today.”
Her grandson gets her groceries.
A neighbor mows her lawn.
Her medications come by mail,
so none of them are gone.
11/
“I know I shouldn’t be here.”
Our staff all exchanged glances.
But even though she knew the risk,
Ms. J’d taken her chances.
“My heart so GLAD y’all doing fine.
I seen now I believe.”
Her hand raised to the heavens.
She then prepared to leave.
“I know I shouldn’t be here.”
Our staff all exchanged glances.
But even though she knew the risk,
Ms. J’d taken her chances.
“My heart so GLAD y’all doing fine.
I seen now I believe.”
Her hand raised to the heavens.
She then prepared to leave.
12/
“Thank you, hear?” the nurse called out,
gloved palm upon her chest
The one who out of all of us
had known this patient best.
Ms. J’s eyes then grew serious.
She had some more to say:
“I hope y’all know your patients
pray for ALL y'all every day.”
“Thank you, hear?” the nurse called out,
gloved palm upon her chest
The one who out of all of us
had known this patient best.
Ms. J’s eyes then grew serious.
She had some more to say:
“I hope y’all know your patients
pray for ALL y'all every day.”
13/
“We pray ‘bout your protection.
That y’all got what you need.
That the folk you help get better,
that stubborn folks might heed.
That your families don’t get sick, too--
and ‘specially none of y’all.
That somebody can see ‘bout YOU
and catch YOU if you fall.”
“We pray ‘bout your protection.
That y’all got what you need.
That the folk you help get better,
that stubborn folks might heed.
That your families don’t get sick, too--
and ‘specially none of y’all.
That somebody can see ‘bout YOU
and catch YOU if you fall.”
14/
Before we could respond to her
or admonish her once more
She leaned into her walker
and rolled it out the door.
And though this didn’t happen
in meter or in rhyme
And though her interruption
took just a moment's time . . . .
Before we could respond to her
or admonish her once more
She leaned into her walker
and rolled it out the door.
And though this didn’t happen
in meter or in rhyme
And though her interruption
took just a moment's time . . . .
15/
This moment is completely true
and just happened last week
(and HIPAA y’all—okay she wasn’t born in ’43)
But . . . .
Know many of your worries
about how patients will do
are counter-felt and boomeranged
back from your patients, too.
This moment is completely true
and just happened last week
(and HIPAA y’all—okay she wasn’t born in ’43)
But . . . .
Know many of your worries
about how patients will do
are counter-felt and boomeranged
back from your patients, too.
16/
So now when making phonecalls
to ask folks, “How are you?”
I recognize they want to hear
how we are doing, too.
OH. . .
(Ms. J got back home safe & sound
the driver an old friend
who promised us he wouldn’t drive her
“just to check” again.)
Thank you, Ms. J.
So now when making phonecalls
to ask folks, “How are you?”
I recognize they want to hear
how we are doing, too.
OH. . .
(Ms. J got back home safe & sound
the driver an old friend
who promised us he wouldn’t drive her
“just to check” again.)
Thank you, Ms. J.
