Life at work has never been as stressful as it is since the pandemic started. It has been seventeen months and we are still scrambling to get over this pandemic. I am apolitical. I don’t care which side you are at. I just know that the virus exist. It is not a hoax nor is it a political propaganda. People are dying yet some still insist that it is non-existent. If not, they downplay what this virus is capable of.
We all have families. The people who work in healthcare like me also have families. We sacrifice ourselves and the safety of our families to serve our community. We are getting exhausted. A lot of us are burnt out. A lot of us already quit. When will others start caring for the community? I could only wish I know the answer. Witnessing how lives are taken by this virus in a blink of an eye is more than just taxing.
Yes, healthcare workers may have seen death hundreds of times before the pandemic but we haven’t experienced seeing more young adults fight for their lives. It is heartbreaking. The emotional trauma that we in healthcare are enduring affect not just us but our families too. Women like me who need to care for our young children at home after work are hit hard especially at this point when we are seeing kids getting sick.
I used to say that I am able to balance my work life and my family life very well. I don’t know how but I was sure that I did. Unfortunately, I could not say the same now. Each time I step out of my house to be at work, I immediately feel the stress. Everything is uncertain. I don’t know how my day will go. I don’t know what I am going to witness. It is tough!
I wish people can set aside pride and political views. I wish more people will think of the good deeds they can do for the community in the midst of a public health crisis instead of thinking that they are being stripped off their basic rights and freedom. I know I can only wish because the truth is there are a lot who can never think beyond themselves. Reality hurts but it is what it is.
She is a pulmonologist.
She has a 6-year old daughter and a 2-year old son.
She is hurting because she has seen the worst of this pandemic through her patients but she has to stay strong to continue serving the community.
MIXED KNOT 