My direct admission at covid unit two nights ago came from the woods , no social security number , no medical records , no nothing . A Hispanic man of low 30s , a “ working in a farm “ man , while wife working at the meat plan of same area . My guy was in terrible shape respiratory ways . Placed in high flow and 100%, and still barely delivering a 95% saturation . An x ray and CT reveled what we knew pretty much , swabs done , cardiac monitors , tests / protocols / blah blah blah and etc . My guy does not speak a word of English , and blue phone was in effect along w iPad system where the live interpreter translate both us and him . It took us a good 2 hrs to stabilize everything and obtain everything that needs to be done b4 we can turn the lights down and let him rest . I got back into his room later that night and got my phone in a zip lock bag and turned google translator on . I asked him if I need to speak w wife or his brother , who I understand that he speaks some English ? He refused . Said to tell anyone that might call that he is doing ok . I ask him if he is hungry , said yes . The shit that we have fir this occasions for late snacks , are for the birds , really . A cold turkey swc , and a fruit cup , I ate one 6 yrs ago and I camped in the bathroom for 3 hrs . So we send a wonderful male nurse to wawa at 0200, and he came back w hot Mac and cheese and a Mexican style pizza ♥️
My guy ate few bites , so difficult for him to hold / chew / swallow / breath . I found my self cutting everything in tiny bites and feeding him like a little bird . W every bite , he gave me a smile and a signal that ok and ready for the next bite . I can’t take off my respirator and he can’t see me smiling , so I drew a smile back in the air ea time too . I told him on my phone that I am half italian and half greek , and that my ass did not speak 10 words of English too when I came in usa in 1995 . I took his hand and we stayed there , I told him he is doing good , that I ve seen many many people recovering from this the last 7 weeks . In reality , I know that he has a long way ahead of him and I have no f clue how he will respond to anything we do . Then he told me in English , u are good person . I told him on my phone , no , I am a huge asshole , but I am his mom now and he is wise to call mother “ a good person “. He laughed . That causes us to bump him up at 40 L for a minute , but ok ! I drew more blood out of him later and trwds the morning , enough blood to saturate a wash cloth , not once he complained or bitched . He asked me for nothing , was thankful of everything , and refused morphine . I explained that I want him to have some to ease his breathing and heart rate , he said , no , my mom will kill me , no drugs . I visited again at report time and told him I ll be off for a day but I will return and he better be here waiting for me . Then , at 0730, he asked me ,” m I gonna die from this “?
I told him , u ain’t dying today . How about that ? And u ain’t dying tmrw either , Bcz I ll be back and no kids of mine aloud to die dude . Too lazy to do all this f paperwork if u die . So no . It’s not about u , it’s about me
He laughed . W Mother’s Day just days ago , I am still sitting in bed this afternoon ( f lazy and tired ), typing all this shit for u guys to read , thinking , I am a mother after all . My kids are all type of ages , colors , shapes and attitudes . My kids give me sorrow and wrinkles and anxiety and make me wanna drink dangerous amounts of coffee . But I love them . All of them . Even the drunk rude assholes who try to hit my staff ..I love them too . We are into this shit tghr . The citizens , the illegals , the rich and the poor , all we have it’s ea other and some of us have nobody . I dream of the days and I hope I am alive to see , that all these is behind me , and my lazy ass can sit back at ER and bitch and complain about gun shots and drug deals that went wrong at 0200. I dream that people will be employed again and not worry where the next rent or mortg or food it’s coming from . I have to dream and hope Bcz that’s what I always do and that’s how I keep going . Feed the squirrels guys and who ever the hell u can . Love u all ♥️