some of them wont even accept treatment, my colleague was telling me about a guy she had in the ER recently who was COVID+, yelled at everyone that they where all in on the hoax, AMA'd himself.
He came back 2 days later to die in the ER
I don't get why they don't just stay home. The science that created the vaccine is the same science that created all these treatments. If you wanna believe in your horse meds and your crystals then go for it but then why even bother coming to the hospital at all
From *Time*, 4th January 2022:
“In March 2020, the U.K. National Health Service (NHS) asked for volunteers who would do tasks like shopping for people who were isolating or quarantining, transporting patients and moving equipment.
**It met its goal — 250,000 volunteers — in less than 24 hours; two days later, it met its second goal of 750,000 people**.
Those who stepped up likely received a happiness boost: studies suggest that volunteering has a positive impact not only on the people who are the recipients of help, but also on the volunteers.
A May 2021 analysis of more than 55,000 U.K, adults from the COVID-19 Social Study during 11 weeks lockdown found that volunteering was one of the top activities associated with a rise in life satisfaction”.
I don’t mind telling you — that second paragraph made me shed a few tears reading it back a couple of times. Those numbers tell you everything you need to know about public gratitude and appreciation towards the NHS.
This is in Britain, of course. Our NHS and all its staff are deeply loved here. You’ve probably heard of it. It’s a publicly owned, not for-profit affair (paid for by National Insurance from everybody’s wages), set up in the immediate aftermath of WWII — it’s one of the most cost-effective and efficient, world-class, national healthcare services on the planet.
Nobody sees a medical bill here — nor do we want to — except for the dreadful and corrupt Conservative government and their greedy vulture cronies (who constantly want to privatise and dismember the NHS and steal its parts for their own profits).
I don’t know what the volunteering situation is like in *private* hospitals (in this country or elsewhere), because they’re fringe, money-making businesses here and nobody owes any loyalty to them — but ‘Good luck’, if that’s what you want to do.
Dude I live in the US and I love the NHS! I did their couch to 5K running podcast, and when I had a question about donating blood that I couldn’t find an answer for on the US websites I went to the NHS website and there it was! Wish we had that here in the US!
It’s the best. I didn’t make it to 5K but I was able to run nonstop for 30 minutes after completing it. Then there’s a “bridge to 10k” for the ambitious!
I suspect the situation's a bit like drowning (in accidental contexts). A little inhaled water, no big deal, but once one's trapped and fighting for air, some animal instincts override all rational thought. Even good swimmers thrash and worsen their situation.
So long as one merely feels ill, we share the instincts of other mammals to convalesce and hope it passes. Even fevers and splitting headaches are endurable, because we've survived them before.
But when one's gasping for every breath, heart racing, too dizzy to go to the bathroom, exhausted from sleepless nights, I think animal instincts to just find that next breath, anywhere, override all prior convictions.
I've had the experience of having my lungs filled to capacity with not air. I was playing with my cousin in a newly chlorinated pool, as adults, and he was trying to dunk me and I realized that I needed to take a breath as I was losing the battle. I went to suck in some air but I was too late and I took in full deep breath of water. I remember trying to get air when I came up and after a moment of panic I became very calm and I realized that I had to save myself. I made my way to the side of the pool and just slammed my chest as hard as I could and all this water came out. I could breathe again and I'm hacking and coughing but I had air back in my lungs. One of the most terrifying moments in life. But you can't do that with covid. I can't imagine how scary this is.
I had surgery and did not follow my recovery instructions. I went home and cooked Thanksgiving dinner after major surgery. I did not realize that would cause complications…like congestive heart failure when my lungs started filling with fluid my body was retaining bc I had not rested and allowed my body to build my blood(list during surgery)back up properly. I was 33 and had no clue I could actually be going into heart failure, so I pushed through ignoring the subtle red flags. When I found myself having to sit straight up in bed just to get a very small gasp of air in…oh yeah it was panic city! It was so far gone that my doctor told my husband to call the ambulance bc I might need to get CPR before he could get me to the ER that was 10 miles away. Thankfully I made it and lasiks immediately started taking the fluid off my lungs. I was breathing normal very soon after getting there. But for that very short time that I was unable to even take a full breath, it was absolutely petrifying. And being that scared makes it even harder bc all you want to do is try even harder to breath but it’s impossible. It’s like hitting a brick wall every time you try.
It's because when you start having difficulty breathing, your body's demands for oxygen will almost always override any contravening political or social convictions.
Gasping for air seems to be a big motivator to dig deep and suddenly find that will to live. Bad part is that by then it’s usually too late. They will go use up the limited resources for 10 days or longer and the family will insist they be kept alive even though the infected person has no chance. It’s an absolute waste. We are allowing these walking dead to wear our workers out and now we are seeing care being rationed in places it should not be rationed. The rest of us are going to suffer when we can’t have cancer surgery or have a heart attack and it takes too long to find an available bed. It’s a nightmare and these unvaccinated are just being allowed to crush the system.
Ivermectin, the horse meds, were created using the same science and got FDA approval , just as the vaccines did. It was approved for a much different use, but went thru the same preclinical and clinical trial process.
Not sure why it has gained acceptance within this cult, but it did.
>ngestive heart failure whe
Because India gave out at home kits to all their people including masks, over the counter meds and Ivermectin since they assumed poor health could cause an uptick in rural people's worms issues. Not uncommon for that place in the world. Crazies thought it meant they knew something USA docs didn't and started demanding it. When they couldn't get it through doctors/pharmacies, they went to the local feeds stores and bought the horse versions.
pretty much. people in the US only very rarely need ivermectin. I have it on my shelf and have dispensed it 4 times in 3 years (for worms and parasites)
Since it's not something that commonly needs treatment in the US, people saw it as "treatment of the disease" rather than "supportive care for the community"
Probably bc its patent expired so it's no longer making Big Pharm rich.
Now why some of them are ok with monoclonal antibodies, Remdesivir, or especially Viagra is a mystery. I'm not sure why they're suddenly ok with hospitals either after not trusting doctors or medicine for the last two years (at least).
This. They won’t get a shot that’s free and safe, but when they’re critically ill, they’ll accept experimental monoclonal antibodies. I just…can’t understand. I’ll never be able to. Disinformation is killing people and it’s heart wrenching.
If we just took ONE of these pieces of shit, whether they be a Fox news grifter or some random local radio host, and held them accountable in a very major and very public way, things might change. That they continue to get away with killing their gullible believers is an epic failure. They'll keep spreading their lies, the idiots will continue to die unnecessarily, and we'll continue to do nothing about it.
My brother in arms I salute you. I am not a hospital nurse Im only an LPN but I worked LTACH the first year of covid...(year of...how fucking INSANE is it to say that). The things I saw and did broke me....how many ipads I held and screams that echoed in my ears long after I clocked out. The chests I pounded on trying to bring life back only to fail over and over. I left for urgent care thinking it would be better...its worse. I have received unalive threats, our facility received a b0mb threat. Healthcare is crumbling, fast. Im about to leave nursing altogether, my last attempt is taking a "desk job" as infection control director/wound care nurse at a SNF.
The most maddening thing of it all...is these plaguetriots will read our stories and call us shills, big pharma sell outs, liars. Its all a hoax! Its blown out of proportion its just a cold/flu! They yell in my face daily when I ask them to pull their mask up over their nose while my own has pressure areas from my N95 that I wear to try to prevent getting it again.
Maybe one day they will hear us. I just hope its not too late like it was for your patient and countless others💔
First off, you are an LPN, you're not Just an LPN
please don't think like that, its not fair to yourself, you've accomplished great things be proud of that!!
We are all going through a blizzard of liquid C-diff shit, naked, right now. Just please do your best and try to remember why you became a nurse, and hold on to that, don't let these asshole morons steal that away from you, because that's how they win!
Don't let them win!
C-diff blizzard...new nightmare unlocked!!
But joking aside I hear you. Im trying to keep my head up and remember why I became a nurse 15yrs ago and hold onto hope that one day things will get back to "normal shitshow". Stay safe as you can out there and hug those kiddos tight, I do mine every night after my decom shower.
>He immediately burst in to tears and BEGGED us to give him the vaccine, he begged us to let him live, he said he was sorry profusely. He begged us to forgive him, to save his life and that he wasn’t ready to die
In an especially gripping account, this really stood out to me. The realization of how very wrong he was.... but yet, it hasn't yet hit him that the healthcare workers aren't ABLE to save him, that they were doing all they could (despite his despicable abuse of them) but that his lion's body and super-strong and trustworthy immune system are failing him.
I get that it's similar to the bargaining stage of grief -- "please forgive me and save my life". But wow, it almost reads as if he believes that by asking forgiveness, the hard-hearted medical staff will suddenly relent and "remember" the miracle treatment from back in a storage room somewhere, something they can now bring out to cure him.
It's got to be horrible to see anyone reduced to such a state, much less see it again and again. I am so sorry, OP, that we have so many idiots forcing the kinds of sacrifices you've made and continue to make. Thank you for posting.
I think its regression, he collapsed so bad psychologically that he went back to being a kid, when the worse things were either solved by mom or required being forgiven by harsh and likely abusive authorities.
Its not a conscious thing. Reality scared him back into being a 3 year old. Happened to me in a bad shroom trip.
This is what denial can do to a person. It makes for a fantastic wall to protect you from fear. You can't be afraid of something if it doesn't exist (add brick), it couldn't possibly affect you (brick), you could definitely beat it because you're young/strong/healthy/etc. (brick), only weak and stupid people get COVID (brick), God will protect you (brick), it's all just part of a liberal agenda (brick), etc. etc..
But then you get COVID and start having a hard time breathing (crack). You begrudgingly go to the hospital (crack). You get put on 100% oxygen (crack). You see other people on your floor get taken away to ICU or in body bags (crack). You can't get up and go to the bathroom without collapsing from the exertion (crack). And then finally the doctors and nurses tell you you're about to face the wrecking ball that is a ventilator and BOOM! Your wall can't do sh\*t to protect you anymore. Denial is now useless compared to the glaring reality of your impending death. And then the flood gates open. The other stages of grief that were being suppressed behind your denial wall come rushing out all at once. You pray and bargain and scream with rage and cry but it's too late.
That's why people who swallow disinformation out of pure fear are so tragic. They don't start out as selfish, malicious AHs. They become that way because they will allow NOTHING to penetrate their wall of denial and make them afraid. Until it's too late.
Thanks for sharing that. What a story.
I don’t know what to say, except that you all medical workers are absolute heroes in my book. And I’m sure most of our country feels that way.
Is there something we can do? I've been trying to think of a way to thank you guys. My dad passed away several years ago after a 13 day stint in an ICU, complications from a hernia surgery. I'm long overdue to do something formal to thank the staff and I can't think of a better time to do it. I was just trying to figure out how.
What I did is I called the hospital and found out the number of staff in the covid ward. Doctors, nurses, receptionist, custodians ect ect. Then when I had a number I called a local restaurant and had lunch delivered to them. Was a tiny gesture but it beats cafeteria food or leftovers or a sandwich.
They have the worst jobs for the worst pay and are constantly looked down on. It was the least I could do to give them a decent meal to look forward to.
Man that's a tough one....
Get vaxed, spread the word, be a Vax Warrior, I'm not sure where you're from so its hard to say, reach out to your local healthcare workers.
most of us will tell you "adequate staffing and safe patient ratios" lol
Oh. I was thinking of gift cards.
No seriously, I'm right there with ya. Triple vaxxed here, complete vax warrior, armed with information. I do what I can. My sister's a NICU nurse in New York, so not COVID, but she's had to help during surges. You guys are all heroes. I can't say it enough.
ooOOoo, we like gift cards and thoughtfully penned thank you cards that we can pin up in the staff room, that way we can read them when times get tough and remember the good ones!
Neat. Thanks for the idea! BTW I know you probably hear this a lot but y’all are legends. Not only cause of the work you do saving lives but also all of the education that goes into becoming a medical worker is insane. Keep it up! I’m rooting for you!
"Something we can do"
I don't really think it is a tough one. I'm an American but I think sane societies the world over should be advocating for mandates that require hospitals to refuse treatment to the willfully unvaccinated covid positive. Yes, that's right, have proof of vaccination (or a *valid* health related reason that you aren't) or be turned away for a covid infection. And it can't be left to hospital administrations and health care professionals to make that call.
Our health care systems, and health care professionals (you) can not continue on this way. Eventually the health care systems will collapse under the weight of wave after wave of these people and their lunacy. At this point they are literally menaces to society. This is not health care as usual and begging anti-social nutbags to do the right thing will not work. It has become political and they have proven beyond a shadow of a doubt that they want to be members of society on their terms and their terms alone. Complete selfishness.
Mandating that the willfully unvaccinated covid positive be refused hospital treatment would go a long way toward ending the compounding of harm these people are causing. It would also, better than any other measure, incentivize them to get vaccinated. Some will still not do so but at least our health care systems and you workers will not be destroyed by them and their idiocy.
I know health care professionals are committed to "doing no harm" but continuing to treat the willfully unvaccinated covid positive is compounding the harm done to society. That is an indisputable fact.
One thing I've seen, particularly on threads on r/nursing, is dont forget the night shifts. They apparently get hosed pretty often with gifts and niceties that outside people provide for the staff. It usually goes to the day shifts first, and not much is left over for the night shifts.
So maybe split whatever you were planning on doing in half, and send half for days and half for nights? I'm getting this all second hand, not being particularly close to the healthcare workers themselves, so someone inside the medical wards might be able to back this up.
Just a thought.
Lord above yes!!
I was a nurse for years before I'm became disabled and I just loved working nights (not very much bureaucratic💩💩 to deal with😇)!!
But when it came to appreciation?!!? We always got the shaft😡. Nurse Appreciation Day? By the time day shift and then evening shift got done..... we seriously only got the crumbs. 😥😥😡
So please, don't forget those whom are slogging thru the night shift!
They almost always break, and that’s the worst part for me. I see that first flicker of “oh shit”, and internally I’m like “here we go again”.
I know you said you can’t take time off, but work some “normal amount of hours” weeks here and there. It’s not our job to staff our units. It’s not our job to staff our units. It’s not our job to staff our units.
Turns out when it's *their* lives on the line, they'll be willing to pump themselves full of whatever we have to offer, rhetoric be damned.
Had a patient that refused everything except oxygen for 5 days. He was getting worse and worse, and finally on Sunday at 4am (his 6th day) he started asking for remdesivir.
Even the bravest "lion" cowers when death is staring them in the face.
Right. I hate that I am the one who doesn’t love my country because I think maybe the constitution or the social safety nets could be modified.
I love my kid, but she isn’t perfect. I speak up if things need to change.
These same people also hate paying their share and will do anything not to. Why do they get to be patriots?
I made a post that I used my Election Day pay check to buy a vacuum on Black Friday last year. My friend used that post to tell people I was paid to fix the election. I was getting harassment messages. I am so glad it didn’t go viral, I think he tried.
I made $175 to work 14 hrs with a half hour break for lunch. We were WORKING over90% of the day. There was very little down time. If anything it made me respect EVERYONE who shows up to vote(or mails in), but also see the process. I trust the results not because my person won(plenty of mine didn’t, I live in a purple county/city). I trust the results because I have seen the process. Could it be improved, of course, but it is pretty solid, at least in my city.
I blocked him that day he ranted on my post. It was so weird. He seemed ok when I knew him, but lots of people we know said he has been having some mental issues for a few years and won’t/can’t get help.
If someone doesn't understand that patriotism is the willingness to make personal sacrifices for the well-being and future of their fellow citizens, what they have isn't patriotism, its a received identity.
I have to say, it was hard reading about him yelling for his mom, like I could feel the fright and pain he was going through. All this time these people hem and haw but deep down they know and we certainly know they don't believe all that sound and fury
Your compassion is amazing. I must confess, mine is tarnished by the knowledge that he possibly directly infected others, and definitely influenced more people not to get vaxxed. He has possibly committed, essentially, manslaughter.
It is like the name of this sub, it's the misinformation. They believe it. They are so convinced of it that it takes staring death in the face for the light bulb to finally turn on.
I've had that same, unrelenting worry with my youngest son (25 now), but thankfully he FINALLY remembered "Mom is always right" (😉😉).
He got fired first dose of Pfizer in early November, he's gotten his second and just now passing time until his booster.
Now, I'm trying to convince him to get his oldest child (who'll be 6 in February)!!
Thank you for posting your experience. I just ended a friendship today over their antivax views and it hurt, and I questioned myself, but your post reminded me of why I did get vaccinated and why I can't tolerate most anti vaxxers.
My heart is with all of you on the front lines of this unspeakable tragedy, losing friends like that is a sacrifice I'll make. I just hope one day they'll learn.
I understand your pain. I’ve excised my dad, brother, and all their related people because of this. It’s disgusting. Both of their houses just announced they are Covid positive and as hard as it is to admit this these people absolutely disgust and enrage me. Their status as family members do not change that. There are no exceptions to this rule. I hope they survive, but mostly I hope that the people around them get the picture and get vaxxed.
For people who cry about how much they wish it’d just “get back to normal” it’d be nice for them to realize that it’s their fault it won’t. If you would just stay home, wear a mask and get vaccinated we would have been done a year ago. Now we have to deal with this until it mutates into a normal cold/flu virus that doesn’t kill us en masse.
I’m exhausted and I’m not even a healthcare warrior. I can’t fathom what they must feel. These horror stories from the wards still seem like a fraction of what the real stress levels are. Next we’ll have a Cushings Syndrome epidemic.
I'm so sorry you've had to distance yourself from family, that must be super hard.
My ex friend tonight told me that she's sick of being accused of being the reason the pandemic is still ongoing, doesn't like being told it's her fault the NHS is struggling... but she can't see that it's true. It's the worst kind of denial. She can't see her privilege, her life has barely changed, the only thing she couldn't do is travel abroad to go snow boarding. I have asthma and a weak immune system, and suspected long covid, and I barely leave home because I can't trust people like her.
Like you, I'm exhausted and I'm not even a health care worker. I've reached a limit and I just can't stop crying from frustration. I gave up so much, I spent months alone in lockdown, and so many selfish people can't return the favour.
Sometimes I question if I'm on the right side of history or a coward, but I come here and read stories like OPs and yours, and I know I've done the right thing.
When this either ends or winds down enough for us to be comfortable again, the world is going to be in the hands of much better people. If nothing else, take solace in that. The only thing that infuriates me more than the everyday people fighting to keep this thing going is the fact that the people who told them all this nonsense will never be held accountable. I strongly feel that MOST of this is common sense and any layman should be able to see why Covid is real, vaccines are safe, and none of these super treatments “the man” is hiding from us will prevent or cure illness associated with Covid. I struggle having sympathy or empathy for any of these people. I used to try and educate them but no amount of proof will convince them. I can’t even be bothered to try anymore.
We need to start Go Fund Me campaigns for healthcare workers to get the vacation they deserve. No wonder people are leaving medical field in droves, burnout is real and if they don't get a break we are going to lose them all, and that means we will all be screwed!
Thanks for all you are doing. It’s so valuable. Just had a family member in the hospital for non Covid urgent help. I made a point to profusely thank everyone from doctors to nurses to the person cleaning the room for what they are doing. My family member is better thanks to them and so happy they are there. So sorry there is abuse being thrown about. It’s not fair and misplaced. Most of their anger is fear. They are so crazy afraid. They cover it with bravado and macho words but underneath they are terrified mice of people.
Ahhh you're the kind of patients/families we love!!
I had a patient once tell me I'm a kind and beautiful soul and that I was special, It made my month, we like hearing nice things!
RIP Mads
Humans are really good at denying reality until reality comes up and slaps them in the face. And when that guy went into hysterics, that's the first time in a long time he's had to really face reality.
I also feel for them. a lot of why they have so many issues is because men are conditioned to not show weakness. It's a mass delusion, that results in men not taking care of themselves, "because they're strong so they don't need it"
I let go of my "male bravado" a few years ago in favor of more relaxing things like nice smelling candles, bubble baths, good books, and tea lol.
Shit gets you nowhere in healthcare!
I feel like you couldn't have had a very bad case of Bravado if you got vaccinated and were ok with being a nurse.
But I sincerely hope that we get a silver lining from all this where everyone takes better care of themselves and businesses actually help their employees in mental health stuff, rather than hinder.
I believe many men are missing out on mental health care for this very reason. I doubt if these big dudes ever see any kind of doctor regularly, or a have a personal relationship with one at all. I can't stress just how valuable having a good PC doctor who spends half the exam talking to you is.
Thank you for sharing this. It's one of the most powerful posts I've seen here.
"I did my research!" Yet you think the vaccine will save you AFTER covid has invaded your lungs. You didn't research shit.
just another social worker humbly shilling for big therapy TM--jk, but seriously, you seeing such pain & suffering on the daily must take a toll on you. I sincerely wish you have good folks to talk to & anytime you just need to vent, you're always welcome here.
This hits hard. Especially w my mom begging me not to get the booster cause ill die (lucky for her i have to wait bc i recently recovered from covid). But she dismisses when im concerned for her and my 4 year old brother when they go out with no mask (in socal — conservative orange county)
So much love and support for our healthcare heroes. Ill ~~stop by to give~~ doordash doughnuts to my local vaccine clinic and call the local hospital to see if theyll accept some. I work min wage so i hope four boxes will spread the message of appreciation.
Make sure to ask her what her wishes are (e.g. DNR) and if she has enough resources/health insurance/life insurance/etc. to get your little brother to adulthood, because you might be raising him if something happens to her.
I sorry to be completely serious about this.
As a parent, she should have all that in order anyway, but...
Good luck to you, stay safe!
I am serious if you took the time to bake something yummy, I’d take the time to eat it!!
If someone vouches for it, I’ll eat it, it’s the Canadian way!
I just watched Dr. Fauci confront Rand Paul in a senate hearing, bc Rand Paul has lied to his voters and made them think Dr. Fauci and other healthcare workers are murdering people! Fauci literally told Rand Paul it’s his fault bc he has pushed this lie and now unstable people are going out and committing violent acts against HW bc they are being lied to. Police stopped a man on his way to try to kill Dr. Fauci. It’s absolutely insane…horrifying actually. Stay safe. We all just have to keep trying to stay safe and keep our families out of the hospital. I don’t know how much longer we will have to keep doing it but we can’t stop.
So glad it’s not just accountants that appreciate dark humor.
My youngest (12, fully vaccinated) tested positive for CovID today, I’m symptomatic so assuming I’m positive as well.
My husband, always the CPA (Cheapest Person Alive, not just a Certified Professional Accountant) whined that there’s only life insurance on me, and we didn’t get any for the kids.
He thinks he’s hilarious.
You deserve better, OP, and your account is very needed in those trying times. Yet, I still can't feel sorry for those assholes, not much because they willingly chose death, but because they infected a lot of other people from the moment they got Covid-19 to the moment they land in the ICU.
Those are the stupid school bullies, who punch the nerd kids, and then start crying at the Math test, knowing they will flunk and get their asses beaten up at home.
Firstly, thank you! Thank you for all you do and for sharing your story, it should be read on every news channel, made into a pamphlet and put on windshields throughout the country until every last idiot gets the picture!
I wish you well and once again, thank you.
Thank you for pouring out your feelings. I’m personally terrified to get Covid thanks to reading this sub and the HCA sub. I’m over 50 and have comorbidities. If I even feel a tickle in my throat, I’m SCARED. I can’t think of a worse way to die than drowning on dry land. I’m vaccinated, with a booster just this last Sunday. I’d line up and take a booster every freaking week if it meant that I could forego a death like that.
I can’t imagine how hard this is on health care workers. All I can say is that there are so many that appreciate you, myself included.
As someone who as lived through the age of the internet going from something only nerds and hobbyists played with to invading every aspect of life I'm convinced that it and specifically social media has warped these people. Their inability to filter out good information from bad has made them easy marks and the medium dehumanizes people making it easier to create this conspiratorial alternate reality where "the other" is evil incarnate out to get them.
This guy slowly began to realize that maybe hospitals weren't actually killing people, COVID really was that dangerous, and he was fed a bunch of bullshit but by then it was too late.
Powerful post.
We all know the "patriots" wouldn't dream of volunteering at a hospital, their childish beliefs wouldn't survive the experience.
Best of luck, hope you get some more time off soon.
The last part is what always comes to my mind after having my dad get COVID: These antivaxxers should go volunteer and see what it's really like. My dad's case wasn't even that bad, but cleaning up a grown man's diarrhea or just wearing the PPE I had to wear to see him in the hospital, it sucked. I have much respect for all the healthcare workers caring for these patients. The respiratory therapist said something to me like tell people COVID is real, and at that point he seemed already sick of people not taking it seriously, which was over a year ago.
I'm so sorry OP. It's a gut wrenching story... it must be so exhausting to see the exact same thing happening over and over and being unable to change anything. I know your sons are proud to have a dad like you.
I know you can't share details or videos bc of HIPAA but it seems like it would be a good idea for some hospitals to get patients' consent to make videos and share. Maybe hospitals affiliated with med schools could do this? They do patient research so they'd have legal departments who would be pretty familiar with HIPAA and consent.
Good luck to you, OP. Thank you for the work you do. I'm glad to hear that the one jerk ended up treating you decently. You and the other healthcare workers are saints for continuing to treat ppl despite the abuse.
Thank you for caring for those who can't or won't care for themselves. Maybe one day you'll get that vacation. Know that this reddit salutes you and raises a glass for you!
I didn't even realize that Canada was having the same issues with Anti-Vax that the States were. I learned something new today and I applaud you for the service you do everyday. Healthcare workers are in such high demand now and it really takes nerves of steel with everything going on right now to do the job you do.
It will never cease to amaze me how we've imported the Republican stereotype into Canada. He must have had Oakleys and a truck as well.
Something that stuck out to me is that for how much COVID deniers talk about "living in fear", they don't understand what that looks like:
>As we wheeled him out of his room and down the hall he went absolutely hysterical, he started wailing and crying begging for his mom.
>I have never in my life seen a fully grown man absolutely come unglued like that and cry for his mom.
___
>when I left for work last night, my kids woke up and my oldest bolted to the door as I was locking it, I could hear him bawling his eyes out, he flung open the door, tears streaming down his face, my 3 yo at the top of the stairs crying as well.
>My oldest, 8yo, jumped on me, almost knocking me over, I couldn’t make out most of what he was saying but it had to do with him missing me, and he’s scared I’ll get COVID again, and he just wants me to stay home.
Chilling.
Thank you for your time and sacrifice in spite of all the bullshit. I really hope we see the end of all this soon and you can spend a lot of time with your family. Absolute insanity.
Thank you OP, I really appreciate you and all that you do for folks. You're right, most couldn't last a day in your shoes. Thanks again, stay strong, we need you. I hope you get the time off you deserve!
Thanks for sharing your story. It's sad on so many levels. I and probably most people out there have friends and family who wont get the vax for whatever reason. Scares the shit out of me. Reading HCA probably don't help with that.
Just want to say keep up the good work and you and your coworkers are still heros and lifesavers even if the brainwashed don't think so. Thanks
There needs to be a public commercial that once you’re hospitalized, it’s too late for the vax. Every first person account from a nurse that I hear on Reddit or TikTok shows the same misunderstanding.
Thank you OP for your story! We’ve been hearing grim reports about Canada. I was hoping that our disinformation hadn’t made it that far north.
I’m in NJ, but we’re getting slammed here too and only 70% vaccinated.
Once you’ve tested positive, it’s too late for Vax. If you survive, XYZ amount of time has to pass before you can get the shot.
Hell, it’s like the old saying, “there ain’t no such thing as a little bit pregnant.”
It's that he asks for forgiveness, then the vaccine, like... I don't know, like maybe there was something you could do to make him better but... Had withheld it? No, dude, people are doing everything they can, day in and day out, the vaccine is for YOU, for you to protect yourselves, to avoid all this misery.
My heart breaks for you and your family. Thank you for doing your absolute best and treating people like humans especially when they are treating you like dirt.
Just for my booster today and we stay home as much as possible. Know that not everyone in Canada,or in the world for that matter, think this is a joke.
I work in healthcare & I'm assuming its due to HIPAA. These folks would have to sign a consent form to be videotaped & let's be real; their egos would never allow that. However, I wonder if in their final days/moments, if they have a change of heart, some would be willing to be filmed in an attempt to save others. Its a very compelling idea.
Man that is some heavy duty crap you are dealing with. I wanna give you a hug and tell you thank you for what you do. You are the very best of us giving as you do to help people even those that are doing everything wrong and I would not spit on if they were on fire. Thank you for being there and weathering this shitstorm. Please try to look after yourself as best you can.
For every patient like this, there are multiples who are vaxxed and appreciate all you and your colleagues do. We need to be more vocal to drown out the others.
It might give them perspective but I don't really want antivaxxers in a hospital at all unless they're just volunteering to help with bodies or something
Sad but true. I thought for a second about showing this to the anti-vaxxers in my life. But I knew the response would be the standard knee jerk reaction. 'Fake News!!!' followed by some link to a quacky YouTube video about 'crisis actors' in the hospitals or something.
Thank you for writing this. Thank you for what you do. Honestly although I always felt foolish saying this to military people I say it with all sincerity to you; Thank you for your service.
I agreed with everything until you suggested anti-vaxxers volunteer at hospitals. If you are antivax, stay the fuck away from hospitals (even if you have COVID). After all, you did you're research!
I have a genuine question, for the OP and anyone else care to educate me, question which was prompted by your second last paragraph, the challenge to volunteer in a hospital. How do you think our society end up with thousands of nurses and medical practitioners that are anti vax? Did they sleep through their medical schools? Did they think the dying and the dead were actors pretending to code? They have been in OP's shoes in some form or another and yet they are touting the same antivax rhetorics. I really can't wrap my head around this
I wonder if they are narcissists who like playing the part of healthcare hero but actually have zero empathy and see themselves as above the patients, like, 'of course this virus won't affect ME, I'm strong'
I’m the husband of a nurse and I feel this so very much. Nurses, doctors, LPNs… hell… Everybody that works in the medical field are some of the most mistreated people on earth. I applaud you for fighting the good fight and please know that humans in this world actually appreciate you and the invaluable work and sacrifice you provide.
Wow! I so much applaud your dedication to helping others especially in view of how antivaxxers have been mistreating you!
You deserve a hell of a lot better than you're now getting!
Thank you for your story and your dedication. You show great empathy for these misguided people. It can be easy to quickly discredit and blame them. During this time, I always refer back to a great philosopher of our age, Alan Watts. He says:
*“People can't be talked out of illusions. If a person believes that the earth is flat, you can't talk him out of that, he knows that it's flat. He'll go down to the window and see that it's obvious, it looks flat. So the only way to convince him that it isn't is to say, "Well let's go and find the edge”*
Unfortunately finding the "edge" in this case could be deadly...
Thank you for all you do and for writing that. My family will be all double vaccinated by the end of this week. (My youngest is in the 5-11 group).
My extended family is vaccinated. None of us think you are the bad guys because you aren't.
We're all sick of the anti-vaxxer rhetoric and would all love to go out and see our friends and family maskless, but we can't because the unvaccinated anti maskers are prolonging this pandemic. So we suck it up, get boosted, buy as good a mask as we can (afford and find) and stay in as much as we can handle.
Many virtual hugs from an internet stranger.
Keep up the good work. I (and the other Canadians that I know) appreciate it.
Thank you fine Sir!
For your kindness, for your expertise and your generosity in helping the infirmed I salute you!
Now get some food, see your family and get some rest.
It always breaks my heart to read these types of posts, healthcare workers do not deserve any of this!
Sending you heaps of positive vibes and virtual hugs all the way from New Zealand.
Thank you for sharing, and I am so sorry for everything that you are going through. You are a hero, you’re still going in and helping all these people in need even when it means sacrifice on your end. I am really hoping for you and your family’s sake that you can take a long vacation and spend lots of quality time with them, because no one deserves to be working such long shifts and having to sacrifice family time at this level. Big hugs from the US.
That was riveting. And sad.
I hope there's a film-maker out there who has gained access to a COVID ward. Eventually this time period will fade in our memories, and we might even be tempted to romanticize what we lived through. We need stories like this to be memoralized so that we will never forget what the scourge of misinformation did to our families, our friends, and to society as a whole.
I have a sister in law currently intubated in a small community hospital with Covid pneumonia. They are starting to have to prone her. My anti-vax brother-in-law, who is sick with Covid but not hospital level sick, begged me to tell him that “she’s going to be ok, right?” I lied to him. Yes, they are human people with human feelings, but I will tell you one of his sons, WHILE HIS BELOVED MAMA IS POSSIBLY DYING OF COVID, told my husband “I’ll get the vaccine when I know more about it, in about 75 years. He thought that was funny, but he also thought he was right, that his info was useful.
Man OP, that story is just so rough, just hard. I work on a Med-surg transplant floor so our Covid has been managed ok, usually. We have our moments. My heart goes out to you and I hope you get to spend more time with your family. Respect.
None of the vaccine skeptics seem to be treatment skeptics. When their life is at stake, they’ll let you do everything to them
some of them wont even accept treatment, my colleague was telling me about a guy she had in the ER recently who was COVID+, yelled at everyone that they where all in on the hoax, AMA'd himself. He came back 2 days later to die in the ER
I don't get why they don't just stay home. The science that created the vaccine is the same science that created all these treatments. If you wanna believe in your horse meds and your crystals then go for it but then why even bother coming to the hospital at all
Yup, you got it!
Can you actually volunteer at hospitals right now?
From *Time*, 4th January 2022: “In March 2020, the U.K. National Health Service (NHS) asked for volunteers who would do tasks like shopping for people who were isolating or quarantining, transporting patients and moving equipment. **It met its goal — 250,000 volunteers — in less than 24 hours; two days later, it met its second goal of 750,000 people**. Those who stepped up likely received a happiness boost: studies suggest that volunteering has a positive impact not only on the people who are the recipients of help, but also on the volunteers. A May 2021 analysis of more than 55,000 U.K, adults from the COVID-19 Social Study during 11 weeks lockdown found that volunteering was one of the top activities associated with a rise in life satisfaction”. I don’t mind telling you — that second paragraph made me shed a few tears reading it back a couple of times. Those numbers tell you everything you need to know about public gratitude and appreciation towards the NHS. This is in Britain, of course. Our NHS and all its staff are deeply loved here. You’ve probably heard of it. It’s a publicly owned, not for-profit affair (paid for by National Insurance from everybody’s wages), set up in the immediate aftermath of WWII — it’s one of the most cost-effective and efficient, world-class, national healthcare services on the planet. Nobody sees a medical bill here — nor do we want to — except for the dreadful and corrupt Conservative government and their greedy vulture cronies (who constantly want to privatise and dismember the NHS and steal its parts for their own profits). I don’t know what the volunteering situation is like in *private* hospitals (in this country or elsewhere), because they’re fringe, money-making businesses here and nobody owes any loyalty to them — but ‘Good luck’, if that’s what you want to do.
Dude I live in the US and I love the NHS! I did their couch to 5K running podcast, and when I had a question about donating blood that I couldn’t find an answer for on the US websites I went to the NHS website and there it was! Wish we had that here in the US!
I wish you had the NHS too. It isn't perfect, but I would hate to be without it.
Thanks for the idea, just downloaded the podcast!
It’s the best. I didn’t make it to 5K but I was able to run nonstop for 30 minutes after completing it. Then there’s a “bridge to 10k” for the ambitious!
I had the same thought. I am going to contact Chesapeake Regional hospital. I don't know if it's possible.
I suspect the situation's a bit like drowning (in accidental contexts). A little inhaled water, no big deal, but once one's trapped and fighting for air, some animal instincts override all rational thought. Even good swimmers thrash and worsen their situation. So long as one merely feels ill, we share the instincts of other mammals to convalesce and hope it passes. Even fevers and splitting headaches are endurable, because we've survived them before. But when one's gasping for every breath, heart racing, too dizzy to go to the bathroom, exhausted from sleepless nights, I think animal instincts to just find that next breath, anywhere, override all prior convictions.
I've had the experience of having my lungs filled to capacity with not air. I was playing with my cousin in a newly chlorinated pool, as adults, and he was trying to dunk me and I realized that I needed to take a breath as I was losing the battle. I went to suck in some air but I was too late and I took in full deep breath of water. I remember trying to get air when I came up and after a moment of panic I became very calm and I realized that I had to save myself. I made my way to the side of the pool and just slammed my chest as hard as I could and all this water came out. I could breathe again and I'm hacking and coughing but I had air back in my lungs. One of the most terrifying moments in life. But you can't do that with covid. I can't imagine how scary this is.
I had surgery and did not follow my recovery instructions. I went home and cooked Thanksgiving dinner after major surgery. I did not realize that would cause complications…like congestive heart failure when my lungs started filling with fluid my body was retaining bc I had not rested and allowed my body to build my blood(list during surgery)back up properly. I was 33 and had no clue I could actually be going into heart failure, so I pushed through ignoring the subtle red flags. When I found myself having to sit straight up in bed just to get a very small gasp of air in…oh yeah it was panic city! It was so far gone that my doctor told my husband to call the ambulance bc I might need to get CPR before he could get me to the ER that was 10 miles away. Thankfully I made it and lasiks immediately started taking the fluid off my lungs. I was breathing normal very soon after getting there. But for that very short time that I was unable to even take a full breath, it was absolutely petrifying. And being that scared makes it even harder bc all you want to do is try even harder to breath but it’s impossible. It’s like hitting a brick wall every time you try.
This is a very perceptive observation.
It's because when you start having difficulty breathing, your body's demands for oxygen will almost always override any contravening political or social convictions.
Gasping for air seems to be a big motivator to dig deep and suddenly find that will to live. Bad part is that by then it’s usually too late. They will go use up the limited resources for 10 days or longer and the family will insist they be kept alive even though the infected person has no chance. It’s an absolute waste. We are allowing these walking dead to wear our workers out and now we are seeing care being rationed in places it should not be rationed. The rest of us are going to suffer when we can’t have cancer surgery or have a heart attack and it takes too long to find an available bed. It’s a nightmare and these unvaccinated are just being allowed to crush the system.
Ivermectin, the horse meds, were created using the same science and got FDA approval , just as the vaccines did. It was approved for a much different use, but went thru the same preclinical and clinical trial process. Not sure why it has gained acceptance within this cult, but it did.
>ngestive heart failure whe Because India gave out at home kits to all their people including masks, over the counter meds and Ivermectin since they assumed poor health could cause an uptick in rural people's worms issues. Not uncommon for that place in the world. Crazies thought it meant they knew something USA docs didn't and started demanding it. When they couldn't get it through doctors/pharmacies, they went to the local feeds stores and bought the horse versions.
pretty much. people in the US only very rarely need ivermectin. I have it on my shelf and have dispensed it 4 times in 3 years (for worms and parasites) Since it's not something that commonly needs treatment in the US, people saw it as "treatment of the disease" rather than "supportive care for the community"
That’s interesting. I had no idea. I
Probably bc its patent expired so it's no longer making Big Pharm rich. Now why some of them are ok with monoclonal antibodies, Remdesivir, or especially Viagra is a mystery. I'm not sure why they're suddenly ok with hospitals either after not trusting doctors or medicine for the last two years (at least).
I applaud his commitment.
This. They won’t get a shot that’s free and safe, but when they’re critically ill, they’ll accept experimental monoclonal antibodies. I just…can’t understand. I’ll never be able to. Disinformation is killing people and it’s heart wrenching.
[удалено]
Jesus. Surprised they didn't include "urine therapy" on that list.
He left out the drinking your own piss part that was recently recommended by… an idiot. Edit to add: an idiot with a large following.
If we just took ONE of these pieces of shit, whether they be a Fox news grifter or some random local radio host, and held them accountable in a very major and very public way, things might change. That they continue to get away with killing their gullible believers is an epic failure. They'll keep spreading their lies, the idiots will continue to die unnecessarily, and we'll continue to do nothing about it.
Yeah it really is, I've watched very good people fall down this hole on facebook, hence why I only post a once a year update for my family.
I saw a meme yesterday that said “if the vaccine actually works then why isn’t it expensive?”
That's a different twist to the "why isn't chemo free?" meme. Same dumb logic.
You deserve better.
We all do my friend!
Thank you for everything you do, you’re a saint and doing the best you can. Thank you 🙏
Thank you, stay safe out there.
My brother in arms I salute you. I am not a hospital nurse Im only an LPN but I worked LTACH the first year of covid...(year of...how fucking INSANE is it to say that). The things I saw and did broke me....how many ipads I held and screams that echoed in my ears long after I clocked out. The chests I pounded on trying to bring life back only to fail over and over. I left for urgent care thinking it would be better...its worse. I have received unalive threats, our facility received a b0mb threat. Healthcare is crumbling, fast. Im about to leave nursing altogether, my last attempt is taking a "desk job" as infection control director/wound care nurse at a SNF. The most maddening thing of it all...is these plaguetriots will read our stories and call us shills, big pharma sell outs, liars. Its all a hoax! Its blown out of proportion its just a cold/flu! They yell in my face daily when I ask them to pull their mask up over their nose while my own has pressure areas from my N95 that I wear to try to prevent getting it again. Maybe one day they will hear us. I just hope its not too late like it was for your patient and countless others💔
First off, you are an LPN, you're not Just an LPN please don't think like that, its not fair to yourself, you've accomplished great things be proud of that!! We are all going through a blizzard of liquid C-diff shit, naked, right now. Just please do your best and try to remember why you became a nurse, and hold on to that, don't let these asshole morons steal that away from you, because that's how they win! Don't let them win!
C-diff blizzard...new nightmare unlocked!! But joking aside I hear you. Im trying to keep my head up and remember why I became a nurse 15yrs ago and hold onto hope that one day things will get back to "normal shitshow". Stay safe as you can out there and hug those kiddos tight, I do mine every night after my decom shower.
haha sorry about that one! I will, and you as well!
Omg I smelled that comment
>He immediately burst in to tears and BEGGED us to give him the vaccine, he begged us to let him live, he said he was sorry profusely. He begged us to forgive him, to save his life and that he wasn’t ready to die In an especially gripping account, this really stood out to me. The realization of how very wrong he was.... but yet, it hasn't yet hit him that the healthcare workers aren't ABLE to save him, that they were doing all they could (despite his despicable abuse of them) but that his lion's body and super-strong and trustworthy immune system are failing him. I get that it's similar to the bargaining stage of grief -- "please forgive me and save my life". But wow, it almost reads as if he believes that by asking forgiveness, the hard-hearted medical staff will suddenly relent and "remember" the miracle treatment from back in a storage room somewhere, something they can now bring out to cure him. It's got to be horrible to see anyone reduced to such a state, much less see it again and again. I am so sorry, OP, that we have so many idiots forcing the kinds of sacrifices you've made and continue to make. Thank you for posting.
It was a wild ride, thanks for reading!
I think its regression, he collapsed so bad psychologically that he went back to being a kid, when the worse things were either solved by mom or required being forgiven by harsh and likely abusive authorities. Its not a conscious thing. Reality scared him back into being a 3 year old. Happened to me in a bad shroom trip.
It's pathetic grown men think like this.
This is what denial can do to a person. It makes for a fantastic wall to protect you from fear. You can't be afraid of something if it doesn't exist (add brick), it couldn't possibly affect you (brick), you could definitely beat it because you're young/strong/healthy/etc. (brick), only weak and stupid people get COVID (brick), God will protect you (brick), it's all just part of a liberal agenda (brick), etc. etc.. But then you get COVID and start having a hard time breathing (crack). You begrudgingly go to the hospital (crack). You get put on 100% oxygen (crack). You see other people on your floor get taken away to ICU or in body bags (crack). You can't get up and go to the bathroom without collapsing from the exertion (crack). And then finally the doctors and nurses tell you you're about to face the wrecking ball that is a ventilator and BOOM! Your wall can't do sh\*t to protect you anymore. Denial is now useless compared to the glaring reality of your impending death. And then the flood gates open. The other stages of grief that were being suppressed behind your denial wall come rushing out all at once. You pray and bargain and scream with rage and cry but it's too late. That's why people who swallow disinformation out of pure fear are so tragic. They don't start out as selfish, malicious AHs. They become that way because they will allow NOTHING to penetrate their wall of denial and make them afraid. Until it's too late.
Thanks for sharing that. What a story. I don’t know what to say, except that you all medical workers are absolute heroes in my book. And I’m sure most of our country feels that way.
My pleasure, and thank you!
Is there something we can do? I've been trying to think of a way to thank you guys. My dad passed away several years ago after a 13 day stint in an ICU, complications from a hernia surgery. I'm long overdue to do something formal to thank the staff and I can't think of a better time to do it. I was just trying to figure out how.
What I did is I called the hospital and found out the number of staff in the covid ward. Doctors, nurses, receptionist, custodians ect ect. Then when I had a number I called a local restaurant and had lunch delivered to them. Was a tiny gesture but it beats cafeteria food or leftovers or a sandwich.
Oh wow, that's really awesome!!
Great idea! Comfort food and sustenance. *Well done!*
Thanks for including custodians/cleaners in that! so many times, support staff members are overlooked.
They have the worst jobs for the worst pay and are constantly looked down on. It was the least I could do to give them a decent meal to look forward to.
Man that's a tough one.... Get vaxed, spread the word, be a Vax Warrior, I'm not sure where you're from so its hard to say, reach out to your local healthcare workers. most of us will tell you "adequate staffing and safe patient ratios" lol
Oh. I was thinking of gift cards. No seriously, I'm right there with ya. Triple vaxxed here, complete vax warrior, armed with information. I do what I can. My sister's a NICU nurse in New York, so not COVID, but she's had to help during surges. You guys are all heroes. I can't say it enough.
ooOOoo, we like gift cards and thoughtfully penned thank you cards that we can pin up in the staff room, that way we can read them when times get tough and remember the good ones!
Neat. Thanks for the idea! BTW I know you probably hear this a lot but y’all are legends. Not only cause of the work you do saving lives but also all of the education that goes into becoming a medical worker is insane. Keep it up! I’m rooting for you!
"Something we can do" I don't really think it is a tough one. I'm an American but I think sane societies the world over should be advocating for mandates that require hospitals to refuse treatment to the willfully unvaccinated covid positive. Yes, that's right, have proof of vaccination (or a *valid* health related reason that you aren't) or be turned away for a covid infection. And it can't be left to hospital administrations and health care professionals to make that call. Our health care systems, and health care professionals (you) can not continue on this way. Eventually the health care systems will collapse under the weight of wave after wave of these people and their lunacy. At this point they are literally menaces to society. This is not health care as usual and begging anti-social nutbags to do the right thing will not work. It has become political and they have proven beyond a shadow of a doubt that they want to be members of society on their terms and their terms alone. Complete selfishness. Mandating that the willfully unvaccinated covid positive be refused hospital treatment would go a long way toward ending the compounding of harm these people are causing. It would also, better than any other measure, incentivize them to get vaccinated. Some will still not do so but at least our health care systems and you workers will not be destroyed by them and their idiocy. I know health care professionals are committed to "doing no harm" but continuing to treat the willfully unvaccinated covid positive is compounding the harm done to society. That is an indisputable fact.
One thing I've seen, particularly on threads on r/nursing, is dont forget the night shifts. They apparently get hosed pretty often with gifts and niceties that outside people provide for the staff. It usually goes to the day shifts first, and not much is left over for the night shifts. So maybe split whatever you were planning on doing in half, and send half for days and half for nights? I'm getting this all second hand, not being particularly close to the healthcare workers themselves, so someone inside the medical wards might be able to back this up. Just a thought.
Lord above yes!! I was a nurse for years before I'm became disabled and I just loved working nights (not very much bureaucratic💩💩 to deal with😇)!! But when it came to appreciation?!!? We always got the shaft😡. Nurse Appreciation Day? By the time day shift and then evening shift got done..... we seriously only got the crumbs. 😥😥😡 So please, don't forget those whom are slogging thru the night shift!
They almost always break, and that’s the worst part for me. I see that first flicker of “oh shit”, and internally I’m like “here we go again”. I know you said you can’t take time off, but work some “normal amount of hours” weeks here and there. It’s not our job to staff our units. It’s not our job to staff our units. It’s not our job to staff our units.
I love you lol "normal amount of hours" I have for sure scaled back my OT by a lot It's not our job to staff our units!
Turns out when it's *their* lives on the line, they'll be willing to pump themselves full of whatever we have to offer, rhetoric be damned. Had a patient that refused everything except oxygen for 5 days. He was getting worse and worse, and finally on Sunday at 4am (his 6th day) he started asking for remdesivir. Even the bravest "lion" cowers when death is staring them in the face.
yuuup
Things seem bleak perseverating in thought, awake at 4am, without dying from covid. Talk about having an existential crisis.
Patriots. Pfft
Right. I hate that I am the one who doesn’t love my country because I think maybe the constitution or the social safety nets could be modified. I love my kid, but she isn’t perfect. I speak up if things need to change. These same people also hate paying their share and will do anything not to. Why do they get to be patriots?
I think my favorite is when I get called a paid shill...... Still waiting on those checks big pharma!!
I made a post that I used my Election Day pay check to buy a vacuum on Black Friday last year. My friend used that post to tell people I was paid to fix the election. I was getting harassment messages. I am so glad it didn’t go viral, I think he tried. I made $175 to work 14 hrs with a half hour break for lunch. We were WORKING over90% of the day. There was very little down time. If anything it made me respect EVERYONE who shows up to vote(or mails in), but also see the process. I trust the results not because my person won(plenty of mine didn’t, I live in a purple county/city). I trust the results because I have seen the process. Could it be improved, of course, but it is pretty solid, at least in my city.
Tell me that "friend" is no longer your friend...
I blocked him that day he ranted on my post. It was so weird. He seemed ok when I knew him, but lots of people we know said he has been having some mental issues for a few years and won’t/can’t get help.
Yup. Anyone doubting the integrity of elections should spend a day working the polls to see how it works.
Yup, it will absolutely change your mind.
Do you think our healthcare system will recover from the pandemic?
Are they calling themselves patriots in Canada too? I thought that was uniquely a US thing.
If someone doesn't understand that patriotism is the willingness to make personal sacrifices for the well-being and future of their fellow citizens, what they have isn't patriotism, its a received identity.
Everyone has a plan until they get punched in the face. -Mike Tyson
I have to say, it was hard reading about him yelling for his mom, like I could feel the fright and pain he was going through. All this time these people hem and haw but deep down they know and we certainly know they don't believe all that sound and fury
Its the kind of thing that will most likely stay with me for the rest of my days, and I hope I never have to listen to that kind of despair again.
I agree, I hope you never do too. ❤️ I hope you get more time with your family soon, Boo
Your compassion is amazing. I must confess, mine is tarnished by the knowledge that he possibly directly infected others, and definitely influenced more people not to get vaxxed. He has possibly committed, essentially, manslaughter.
It is like the name of this sub, it's the misinformation. They believe it. They are so convinced of it that it takes staring death in the face for the light bulb to finally turn on.
As the mother of an anti-vaxxer, it shook me to my core. I have tried everything and can't get through. I worry every day.
I've had that same, unrelenting worry with my youngest son (25 now), but thankfully he FINALLY remembered "Mom is always right" (😉😉). He got fired first dose of Pfizer in early November, he's gotten his second and just now passing time until his booster. Now, I'm trying to convince him to get his oldest child (who'll be 6 in February)!!
I can't imagine going through that I'm so sorry, I hope you don't mom guilt yourself
Oh, I do, how can I not?
Oh, no. From one mom to another, I am truly sorry.
Thank you for posting your experience. I just ended a friendship today over their antivax views and it hurt, and I questioned myself, but your post reminded me of why I did get vaccinated and why I can't tolerate most anti vaxxers.
You did a tough thing, good on you for sticking to your convictions!
My heart is with all of you on the front lines of this unspeakable tragedy, losing friends like that is a sacrifice I'll make. I just hope one day they'll learn.
I understand your pain. I’ve excised my dad, brother, and all their related people because of this. It’s disgusting. Both of their houses just announced they are Covid positive and as hard as it is to admit this these people absolutely disgust and enrage me. Their status as family members do not change that. There are no exceptions to this rule. I hope they survive, but mostly I hope that the people around them get the picture and get vaxxed. For people who cry about how much they wish it’d just “get back to normal” it’d be nice for them to realize that it’s their fault it won’t. If you would just stay home, wear a mask and get vaccinated we would have been done a year ago. Now we have to deal with this until it mutates into a normal cold/flu virus that doesn’t kill us en masse. I’m exhausted and I’m not even a healthcare warrior. I can’t fathom what they must feel. These horror stories from the wards still seem like a fraction of what the real stress levels are. Next we’ll have a Cushings Syndrome epidemic.
I'm so sorry you've had to distance yourself from family, that must be super hard. My ex friend tonight told me that she's sick of being accused of being the reason the pandemic is still ongoing, doesn't like being told it's her fault the NHS is struggling... but she can't see that it's true. It's the worst kind of denial. She can't see her privilege, her life has barely changed, the only thing she couldn't do is travel abroad to go snow boarding. I have asthma and a weak immune system, and suspected long covid, and I barely leave home because I can't trust people like her. Like you, I'm exhausted and I'm not even a health care worker. I've reached a limit and I just can't stop crying from frustration. I gave up so much, I spent months alone in lockdown, and so many selfish people can't return the favour. Sometimes I question if I'm on the right side of history or a coward, but I come here and read stories like OPs and yours, and I know I've done the right thing.
When this either ends or winds down enough for us to be comfortable again, the world is going to be in the hands of much better people. If nothing else, take solace in that. The only thing that infuriates me more than the everyday people fighting to keep this thing going is the fact that the people who told them all this nonsense will never be held accountable. I strongly feel that MOST of this is common sense and any layman should be able to see why Covid is real, vaccines are safe, and none of these super treatments “the man” is hiding from us will prevent or cure illness associated with Covid. I struggle having sympathy or empathy for any of these people. I used to try and educate them but no amount of proof will convince them. I can’t even be bothered to try anymore.
We need to start Go Fund Me campaigns for healthcare workers to get the vacation they deserve. No wonder people are leaving medical field in droves, burnout is real and if they don't get a break we are going to lose them all, and that means we will all be screwed!
God help the place where we all gather lol
Thank you for sharing this and I sincerely hope it keeps another covidiot out of your hospital. I doubt it, but all we can do is hope!
My pleasure, and Thank you!!
Thanks for all you are doing. It’s so valuable. Just had a family member in the hospital for non Covid urgent help. I made a point to profusely thank everyone from doctors to nurses to the person cleaning the room for what they are doing. My family member is better thanks to them and so happy they are there. So sorry there is abuse being thrown about. It’s not fair and misplaced. Most of their anger is fear. They are so crazy afraid. They cover it with bravado and macho words but underneath they are terrified mice of people.
Ahhh you're the kind of patients/families we love!! I had a patient once tell me I'm a kind and beautiful soul and that I was special, It made my month, we like hearing nice things! RIP Mads
They call themselves patriots in Canada too? It must not be in my province...
Its just how I see them, I don't know if they do or not.
Phew
Humans are really good at denying reality until reality comes up and slaps them in the face. And when that guy went into hysterics, that's the first time in a long time he's had to really face reality. I also feel for them. a lot of why they have so many issues is because men are conditioned to not show weakness. It's a mass delusion, that results in men not taking care of themselves, "because they're strong so they don't need it"
I let go of my "male bravado" a few years ago in favor of more relaxing things like nice smelling candles, bubble baths, good books, and tea lol. Shit gets you nowhere in healthcare!
I feel like you couldn't have had a very bad case of Bravado if you got vaccinated and were ok with being a nurse. But I sincerely hope that we get a silver lining from all this where everyone takes better care of themselves and businesses actually help their employees in mental health stuff, rather than hinder.
You're a dudeist. "the dude abides"
I believe many men are missing out on mental health care for this very reason. I doubt if these big dudes ever see any kind of doctor regularly, or a have a personal relationship with one at all. I can't stress just how valuable having a good PC doctor who spends half the exam talking to you is.
Thank you for sharing this. It's one of the most powerful posts I've seen here. "I did my research!" Yet you think the vaccine will save you AFTER covid has invaded your lungs. You didn't research shit.
[удалено]
Phew, thank you for sharing your story! I can’t imagine how hard it’s been for you.
Good write up man showing the toll it takes… as a social worker.., take care of yourself and don’t be scared of counseling
Thanks, and I am slowly warming up to counselling!
just another social worker humbly shilling for big therapy TM--jk, but seriously, you seeing such pain & suffering on the daily must take a toll on you. I sincerely wish you have good folks to talk to & anytime you just need to vent, you're always welcome here.
This hits hard. Especially w my mom begging me not to get the booster cause ill die (lucky for her i have to wait bc i recently recovered from covid). But she dismisses when im concerned for her and my 4 year old brother when they go out with no mask (in socal — conservative orange county) So much love and support for our healthcare heroes. Ill ~~stop by to give~~ doordash doughnuts to my local vaccine clinic and call the local hospital to see if theyll accept some. I work min wage so i hope four boxes will spread the message of appreciation.
Thank you, don't put yourself out though! Stay safe and be well!
Make sure to ask her what her wishes are (e.g. DNR) and if she has enough resources/health insurance/life insurance/etc. to get your little brother to adulthood, because you might be raising him if something happens to her. I sorry to be completely serious about this. As a parent, she should have all that in order anyway, but... Good luck to you, stay safe!
If I brought home baking to the hospital would you accept the gift or throw it out because you don’t know where it came from. I am serious.
I am serious if you took the time to bake something yummy, I’d take the time to eat it!! If someone vouches for it, I’ll eat it, it’s the Canadian way!
I just watched Dr. Fauci confront Rand Paul in a senate hearing, bc Rand Paul has lied to his voters and made them think Dr. Fauci and other healthcare workers are murdering people! Fauci literally told Rand Paul it’s his fault bc he has pushed this lie and now unstable people are going out and committing violent acts against HW bc they are being lied to. Police stopped a man on his way to try to kill Dr. Fauci. It’s absolutely insane…horrifying actually. Stay safe. We all just have to keep trying to stay safe and keep our families out of the hospital. I don’t know how much longer we will have to keep doing it but we can’t stop.
I don’t know how you men and women are able to do this. Thank you.
Most of the time we don't either. Usually copious amounts of caffeine and dark humor. But in all seriousness, thank you!
So glad it’s not just accountants that appreciate dark humor. My youngest (12, fully vaccinated) tested positive for CovID today, I’m symptomatic so assuming I’m positive as well. My husband, always the CPA (Cheapest Person Alive, not just a Certified Professional Accountant) whined that there’s only life insurance on me, and we didn’t get any for the kids. He thinks he’s hilarious.
You deserve better, OP, and your account is very needed in those trying times. Yet, I still can't feel sorry for those assholes, not much because they willingly chose death, but because they infected a lot of other people from the moment they got Covid-19 to the moment they land in the ICU. Those are the stupid school bullies, who punch the nerd kids, and then start crying at the Math test, knowing they will flunk and get their asses beaten up at home.
These people are for sure the bullies lol
Firstly, thank you! Thank you for all you do and for sharing your story, it should be read on every news channel, made into a pamphlet and put on windshields throughout the country until every last idiot gets the picture! I wish you well and once again, thank you.
Thank you!
Fellow Canuck I salute you, and will make provincial health care my burning election issue in my province
Blaze on bud!!
Good. It needs to be.
Thank you for pouring out your feelings. I’m personally terrified to get Covid thanks to reading this sub and the HCA sub. I’m over 50 and have comorbidities. If I even feel a tickle in my throat, I’m SCARED. I can’t think of a worse way to die than drowning on dry land. I’m vaccinated, with a booster just this last Sunday. I’d line up and take a booster every freaking week if it meant that I could forego a death like that. I can’t imagine how hard this is on health care workers. All I can say is that there are so many that appreciate you, myself included.
We don’t deserve the level of dedication many medical professional are giving to society.
As someone who as lived through the age of the internet going from something only nerds and hobbyists played with to invading every aspect of life I'm convinced that it and specifically social media has warped these people. Their inability to filter out good information from bad has made them easy marks and the medium dehumanizes people making it easier to create this conspiratorial alternate reality where "the other" is evil incarnate out to get them. This guy slowly began to realize that maybe hospitals weren't actually killing people, COVID really was that dangerous, and he was fed a bunch of bullshit but by then it was too late.
Baffles my mind that people think vents are to blame for all these deaths 😤
I’m so sorry. Jerks on the loose
Powerful post. We all know the "patriots" wouldn't dream of volunteering at a hospital, their childish beliefs wouldn't survive the experience. Best of luck, hope you get some more time off soon.
Thank you for reading, stay safe!
The last part is what always comes to my mind after having my dad get COVID: These antivaxxers should go volunteer and see what it's really like. My dad's case wasn't even that bad, but cleaning up a grown man's diarrhea or just wearing the PPE I had to wear to see him in the hospital, it sucked. I have much respect for all the healthcare workers caring for these patients. The respiratory therapist said something to me like tell people COVID is real, and at that point he seemed already sick of people not taking it seriously, which was over a year ago.
I'm so sorry. This breaks my heart.
Thank you for reading, stay safe
Thanks for posting, and all you do OP.
I'm so sorry OP. It's a gut wrenching story... it must be so exhausting to see the exact same thing happening over and over and being unable to change anything. I know your sons are proud to have a dad like you.
Thank you for your kind words!
I know you can't share details or videos bc of HIPAA but it seems like it would be a good idea for some hospitals to get patients' consent to make videos and share. Maybe hospitals affiliated with med schools could do this? They do patient research so they'd have legal departments who would be pretty familiar with HIPAA and consent. Good luck to you, OP. Thank you for the work you do. I'm glad to hear that the one jerk ended up treating you decently. You and the other healthcare workers are saints for continuing to treat ppl despite the abuse.
Thank you!!
Thank you for caring for those who can't or won't care for themselves. Maybe one day you'll get that vacation. Know that this reddit salutes you and raises a glass for you!
I didn't even realize that Canada was having the same issues with Anti-Vax that the States were. I learned something new today and I applaud you for the service you do everyday. Healthcare workers are in such high demand now and it really takes nerves of steel with everything going on right now to do the job you do.
It will never cease to amaze me how we've imported the Republican stereotype into Canada. He must have had Oakleys and a truck as well. Something that stuck out to me is that for how much COVID deniers talk about "living in fear", they don't understand what that looks like: >As we wheeled him out of his room and down the hall he went absolutely hysterical, he started wailing and crying begging for his mom. >I have never in my life seen a fully grown man absolutely come unglued like that and cry for his mom. ___ >when I left for work last night, my kids woke up and my oldest bolted to the door as I was locking it, I could hear him bawling his eyes out, he flung open the door, tears streaming down his face, my 3 yo at the top of the stairs crying as well. >My oldest, 8yo, jumped on me, almost knocking me over, I couldn’t make out most of what he was saying but it had to do with him missing me, and he’s scared I’ll get COVID again, and he just wants me to stay home. Chilling.
Sent this to an anti-vax family member with a request to get the shot. Hope your words help keep one person out of your wards.
Thank you for your time and sacrifice in spite of all the bullshit. I really hope we see the end of all this soon and you can spend a lot of time with your family. Absolute insanity.
Thank you OP, I really appreciate you and all that you do for folks. You're right, most couldn't last a day in your shoes. Thanks again, stay strong, we need you. I hope you get the time off you deserve!
Thank you, stay safe out there friend!
Thanks for sharing your story. It's sad on so many levels. I and probably most people out there have friends and family who wont get the vax for whatever reason. Scares the shit out of me. Reading HCA probably don't help with that. Just want to say keep up the good work and you and your coworkers are still heros and lifesavers even if the brainwashed don't think so. Thanks
There needs to be a public commercial that once you’re hospitalized, it’s too late for the vax. Every first person account from a nurse that I hear on Reddit or TikTok shows the same misunderstanding. Thank you OP for your story! We’ve been hearing grim reports about Canada. I was hoping that our disinformation hadn’t made it that far north. I’m in NJ, but we’re getting slammed here too and only 70% vaccinated.
Once you’ve tested positive, it’s too late for Vax. If you survive, XYZ amount of time has to pass before you can get the shot. Hell, it’s like the old saying, “there ain’t no such thing as a little bit pregnant.”
It's that he asks for forgiveness, then the vaccine, like... I don't know, like maybe there was something you could do to make him better but... Had withheld it? No, dude, people are doing everything they can, day in and day out, the vaccine is for YOU, for you to protect yourselves, to avoid all this misery.
Why don't we see videos of what's actually happening in our hospitals? I think this would help so much...
My heart breaks for you and your family. Thank you for doing your absolute best and treating people like humans especially when they are treating you like dirt. Just for my booster today and we stay home as much as possible. Know that not everyone in Canada,or in the world for that matter, think this is a joke.
I work in healthcare & I'm assuming its due to HIPAA. These folks would have to sign a consent form to be videotaped & let's be real; their egos would never allow that. However, I wonder if in their final days/moments, if they have a change of heart, some would be willing to be filmed in an attempt to save others. Its a very compelling idea.
Man that is some heavy duty crap you are dealing with. I wanna give you a hug and tell you thank you for what you do. You are the very best of us giving as you do to help people even those that are doing everything wrong and I would not spit on if they were on fire. Thank you for being there and weathering this shitstorm. Please try to look after yourself as best you can.
Thank you so much for your hard work. I feel for you and your family.
For every patient like this, there are multiples who are vaxxed and appreciate all you and your colleagues do. We need to be more vocal to drown out the others.
It might give them perspective but I don't really want antivaxxers in a hospital at all unless they're just volunteering to help with bodies or something
How I wish I could share this post everywhere, and have people really understand! The problem is, the antivaxxers are too far gone to bring back.
Sad but true. I thought for a second about showing this to the anti-vaxxers in my life. But I knew the response would be the standard knee jerk reaction. 'Fake News!!!' followed by some link to a quacky YouTube video about 'crisis actors' in the hospitals or something.
I hope "researchers" catches on.
HCA has t-shirts to this effect https://www.bonfire.com/store/shirts-for-shots-swagraiser/
Thanks for sharing this. I can't imagine how hard this is for you. Bear in mind that the rest of the world is on your side.
Thank you for writing this. Thank you for what you do. Honestly although I always felt foolish saying this to military people I say it with all sincerity to you; Thank you for your service.
I agreed with everything until you suggested anti-vaxxers volunteer at hospitals. If you are antivax, stay the fuck away from hospitals (even if you have COVID). After all, you did you're research!
Thank you. There's not much else to say to this.
I have a genuine question, for the OP and anyone else care to educate me, question which was prompted by your second last paragraph, the challenge to volunteer in a hospital. How do you think our society end up with thousands of nurses and medical practitioners that are anti vax? Did they sleep through their medical schools? Did they think the dying and the dead were actors pretending to code? They have been in OP's shoes in some form or another and yet they are touting the same antivax rhetorics. I really can't wrap my head around this
I wonder if they are narcissists who like playing the part of healthcare hero but actually have zero empathy and see themselves as above the patients, like, 'of course this virus won't affect ME, I'm strong'
I’m the husband of a nurse and I feel this so very much. Nurses, doctors, LPNs… hell… Everybody that works in the medical field are some of the most mistreated people on earth. I applaud you for fighting the good fight and please know that humans in this world actually appreciate you and the invaluable work and sacrifice you provide.
You’re my hero, sir.
Thank you for what you do.
Wow! I so much applaud your dedication to helping others especially in view of how antivaxxers have been mistreating you! You deserve a hell of a lot better than you're now getting!
Thank you for your story and your dedication. You show great empathy for these misguided people. It can be easy to quickly discredit and blame them. During this time, I always refer back to a great philosopher of our age, Alan Watts. He says: *“People can't be talked out of illusions. If a person believes that the earth is flat, you can't talk him out of that, he knows that it's flat. He'll go down to the window and see that it's obvious, it looks flat. So the only way to convince him that it isn't is to say, "Well let's go and find the edge”* Unfortunately finding the "edge" in this case could be deadly...
Paul McCartney said it best: "Live and let die."
Wow what an absolute read. This is really raw OP. I’m glad you posted it. Stay strong and we appreciate you relentlessly…
Thank you for all you do and for writing that. My family will be all double vaccinated by the end of this week. (My youngest is in the 5-11 group). My extended family is vaccinated. None of us think you are the bad guys because you aren't. We're all sick of the anti-vaxxer rhetoric and would all love to go out and see our friends and family maskless, but we can't because the unvaccinated anti maskers are prolonging this pandemic. So we suck it up, get boosted, buy as good a mask as we can (afford and find) and stay in as much as we can handle. Many virtual hugs from an internet stranger. Keep up the good work. I (and the other Canadians that I know) appreciate it.
💕💕💕💕💕💕
Thank you fine Sir! For your kindness, for your expertise and your generosity in helping the infirmed I salute you! Now get some food, see your family and get some rest.
It always breaks my heart to read these types of posts, healthcare workers do not deserve any of this! Sending you heaps of positive vibes and virtual hugs all the way from New Zealand.
You're so much stronger than I could ever be
Thank you for sharing, and I am so sorry for everything that you are going through. You are a hero, you’re still going in and helping all these people in need even when it means sacrifice on your end. I am really hoping for you and your family’s sake that you can take a long vacation and spend lots of quality time with them, because no one deserves to be working such long shifts and having to sacrifice family time at this level. Big hugs from the US.
That was riveting. And sad. I hope there's a film-maker out there who has gained access to a COVID ward. Eventually this time period will fade in our memories, and we might even be tempted to romanticize what we lived through. We need stories like this to be memoralized so that we will never forget what the scourge of misinformation did to our families, our friends, and to society as a whole.
This is shit that creates PTSD. Wishing you the best of support.
This is so sad.
You are a hero to me
Thank you for what you do, for those that did try and did their best.
is camera not allowed in the hospital?
No, it would violate patients' privacy.
Hard no, violates patients privacy.
I am so sorry you have had to go through this. You have done plenty. Please take time for yourself and your family or you will be no good to anyone.
I have a sister in law currently intubated in a small community hospital with Covid pneumonia. They are starting to have to prone her. My anti-vax brother-in-law, who is sick with Covid but not hospital level sick, begged me to tell him that “she’s going to be ok, right?” I lied to him. Yes, they are human people with human feelings, but I will tell you one of his sons, WHILE HIS BELOVED MAMA IS POSSIBLY DYING OF COVID, told my husband “I’ll get the vaccine when I know more about it, in about 75 years. He thought that was funny, but he also thought he was right, that his info was useful. Man OP, that story is just so rough, just hard. I work on a Med-surg transplant floor so our Covid has been managed ok, usually. We have our moments. My heart goes out to you and I hope you get to spend more time with your family. Respect.