And we're back.
We're still here, still living and adapting to the simple life which brings me to Part 4 of the lockdown series - Sammy.
Sammy is the kinda gal who lights up a room when she walks in.
I just love that having a baby brought her into my life. We met about 2.5 years ago when our girls were just new in our local mother's group.
Sammy has twins and I thought it was hard to occupy one - she kills it with creativity and new adventures with them on the daily! She is also a nurse so I was interested to hear her perspective and to maybe learn a thing or two...and learn I did.
How have you adapted your lifestyle to the ongoing lockdowns?
The first thing I felt was disappointment for us to be in another lockdown (this is number 6). I don’t mind being in lockdowns but I guess what I dislike most about lockdowns is the instability. Changing your lifestyle back and forward. We finally get in a groove of having freedom and knowing what to do with ourselves when free and then we go back into another lockdown and we need to figure out again how to spend our time when in lockdown. We do get into the swing of things and I do see lockdowns to be beneficial for the growth and development of my girls. Instead of being rushed and being in a fast pace world, I am slow and present with my girls. I have time to have conversations with them instead of being too distracted or in a hurry to be somewhere.
What mantra/intention are you focusing on during lockdown? Or what do you do to stay positive?
I like to practice gratitude daily and be present with my family. I focus my energy on my children, loved ones and am grateful for the things I have. I am very grateful that I live with lots of people, continue to work, I have my health, and my children aren’t affected. If ever I have negative thoughts I meditate, I try looking up at the sky, I practice self-love and I use my senses to be present and still and concentrate on the things we can do.
Being present with my children really helps too. My girls are at a good age to enjoy lots of family time, nature walks and they love having more time with Daddy who is able to work from home during lockdown. They also enjoy their Aunties who stopped working and live with us. They really get a sense of family, community and eating dinner all together at the table which wouldn’t have happened otherwise.
Another mantra I like to follow is to love all people. I think it’s important that we stay kind to each other and connected also. It’s impossible to know what someone else is truly going through or where their mental health is at. We are all learning and from the learning we make mistakes. We should understand each other in these difficult times. Humans need human contact we are social beings so lockdowns aren’t natural for us although important. I really feel for the groups of people who are living by themselves or the groups of people in apartment living. I also feel for the groups of people who aren’t getting the help they need financially from the government as they may not “meet certain criteria’s” and I can’t even imagine what our small businesses are going through, it would be very tough. I feel for the people who have lost loved ones and can’t grieve properly as they can’t go to the funeral. I can understand if someone is having a very tough time and needs to meet a friend in the park for a chat or a hug who knows, maybe they have lost a loved one and are grieving. So I try to always love all no matter their choices as I don’t always know what everyone is going through.
Q. What has it been like as a nurse and front line worker during the pandemic and seeing the impact of covid? Is there anything else we should know?
During the first wave, I was really worried about the health of our community and the backlash that would happen when people stop coming in for medical care due to the hospitals being full of covid-19 patients. We did see a huge influx of patients post lockdown who didn’t seek medical advice. On our ward particularly we would see people who didn’t present to a doctor with an infected wound as they were too worried about going to the doctors for medical care. These sorts of patients had huge negative impacts whether it was losing their limbs due to gangrene or ended up with sepsis or multi-organ failure as they left it too late. These negative outcomes could have been prevented if they had received care earlier.
Another concern for me would be if there are no beds at the hospital for patients with other health conditions who are unable to get treatment due to the hospital being full from covid-19 patients. This could lead to death from something that is usually preventable and treatable.
The hospital I work for is very vigilant and has strict policies in place so I personally feel safe. On the ward I work on it is what you might call a low-risk covid ward as most of our patients are screened before coming through. When covid-19 first came to Australia though we didn’t have policies in place to protect the community as we didn’t know what it was or how it was transmitted. This caused many health workers and people I know to contract the virus in the workplace. One work colleague ended up in ICU for a long time on ventilation as he gave CPR to a covid patient. We learned a lot from these scenarios during the first wave. We do it a little differently now and know how to protect staff and patients. We now put full PPE on before commencing the first compression. You may think it will delay CPR, but it really doesn’t. As the medical professional calls for help by pushing a button this will alert nurses to come and put on full PPE outside the room. The nurse in the room is getting the patient in a flat position (ready for compressions) and oxygen ready for the first nurse on the scene to start compressions. It can go against instinct a little but it’s for the protection of everyone in the hospital.
The other impact I’ve seen on our ward is the impact it’s had on our mental health patients. Having face-to-face visits from family members makes their hospital stay a little easier and families are usually better at knowing triggers or things that are therapeutic for them. Without them, it can make care a bit more challenging. Being in hospital can be very tough not only trying to heal and recover but it’s also so isolating. Not being able to have loved ones by your side is even tougher. This is where I can appreciate technology!
Q. Any fun new hobbies discovered with all the time at home?
Every lockdown has bought me different things. The first lockdown was really about growing my own veggies, fruits, herbs and spices. Seasons changed and I found myself in the kitchen baking and cooking but this final lockdown has found me more meditating and doing mindful walks and looking up at the sky and appreciating nature. I also did my first craft yesterday that turned out bad, but I really enjoyed it. This could all change by the next lockdown too. I still really enjoy cooking so I cook healthy meals for the girls daily and bake healthy snacks for them too. I don’t know anyone who can get bored in a kitchen. Life is just a little simpler.
Sammy, you are a trooper, your heart is big and I am glad to know you. Thank you for sharing your thoughts and stories with me xo
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