Safety First

I have been fortunate to be able to do telemedicine from home the last three days.  I had a patient admitted to the hospital with heart problems tonight but the on call doctor will be seeing him tomorrow.  Much of my days have been helping the elderly figure out how to activate a brand new Zoom account. I never considered that part of my job would be teaching my patients how to do a video chat.  I would much rather be seeing everyone in the office.

I was able to see both of my patients who had been admitted with COVID pneumonia last week.  They both are doing well and on the road to recovery.  Several more of my patients have developed coughs and we don’t know if it is a regular type of virus or the Corona Virus.  Most of them still can’t get testing so  they have been advised to self-quarantine.

I have pretty much taken over the basement now.  In the bedroom, I have set up a table with my laptop where I do my calls and charting.  Next to the bed I have a mat to do some stretches, pushups and sit ups.  There is another bedroom that we have been working on to make into a “grandchildren room.”  My wife found an idea to do perpendicular bunk beds, which we have been making from scratch.  Overall, they are coming along well but I cut the base board too short by 1 1/2 inches so now we’ll have to do that part over again.  Between that, doing puzzles and starting on a new wood carving, I am trying to keep my mind occupied to keep the worries away.

 

I have my own bathroom down here and once I start working shifts in the hospital, I will stop going upstairs and use the basement entrance.  I was emailed a link of how to protect my family from myself. We are doing most things but need to determine how best to deal with dirty clothes. I also need to stop wearing my watch at the hospital.

A friend offered their RV to park in my driveway.  They had seen where others had done that for physicians. Thankfully, my set up is pretty nice. I am touched by their generosity.  I have never felt more appreciated. It means so much to hear from person after person, “I have been praying for you.”  I actually feel a bit guilty as I have not really been in harms way much at all.  I am sure the exposure will grow as we will be needed more and more.  Being physically apart from my family has been hard but is for the best for now.

I am confident that there will be a way out of this but it won’t be easy.  The God of Heaven, the Father of us all will not leave us forsaken.  He yearns for us to come home. Our separation from Him has not been easy either.  He has given us his son who is the path, the way back to Him.  It is faith in Jesus Christ that will show us how to manage. We are blessed to have men on the earth who are literally his apostles as in olden days and a prophet to guide us. They will speak to the world starting tomorrow. Check them out at www.churchofjesuschrist.org.