moving on up

6th April 2020:

I spoke to our skin cancer nurse specialist today as I've been nominated to manage the skin cancer database for our department as she has been drafted to work in itu this week. Some 20 years she hasn't worked up there she told me. But the mere fact that she has the experience is what is taking her up there now to be one of our heroes. My equally heroic team started their rota on the palliative covid ward today. If only a hand could be held up there, where relatives aren't even allowed to see their dying loved ones.  I know my team will do some (gloved) hand holding, and covid and the rest of their ppe won't work as any more of a barrier to give someone dying the compassion and comfort they deserve.   I wish I could be up there with them too.  The other side of things on the ward they are working on is that it also houses patients who are relatively well and after some assistance with oxygen therapy will be going home.  Discharging patients home is an upside to a ward round on any given day, and in this current clime the best it gets. 

2 days ago my hospital closed its doors for 12 hours due to their depleted oxygen supplies. Yesterday the queen addressed the nation in a rare impromptu tv speech. Today our PM got admitted to hospital as he was still unwell with covid symptoms around a week after contracting the infection. Tonight he has been escalated to ITU. I hope when I wake up in the morning he isn't on a ventilator.

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