A Member Of My Family Just Passed Away From COVID And It’s Not Okay

My husband’s step brother just died this morning of COVID. I can’t even wrap my head around that.

It happened rather quickly. I mean, he was just having a blast at a concert in Oklahoma exactly 1 month ago today.

He was laughing and playing with his kids just last week.

He was so strong, so bright, and full of life — and then he wasn’t.

I am so sick of this virus. I am so tired of losing people around me.

He was not vaccinated — but that was his choice. I don’t want to make this post a diatribe against the anti-vaxxers.

BUT, that being said, please please please go get yourself and your loved ones vaccinated.

I used to be a nurse. I say USED to. Now I’m thanking God that a stroke took me down 5 years ago. I wouldn’t want to work under these conditions.

I still talk to a lot of the people I went to nursing school with, and they all agree on one thing. This virus is awful.

I mean, you hear on the news that ICUs are full, and hospitals are turning people away, but you don’t actually believe it.

This is America. Our healthcare might not be free, but it is top notch quality. Our hospitals wouldn’t be so full that they would turn people away, would they?

This is America. There wouldn’t be people dying on a daily basis because of a stupid virus. We have medicines for that. Our doctors and nurses can save us, right?

Let me just tell you what my nurse friends are saying right now.

I had a patient who was speaking to me just five minutes before, and in the next breath he was in cardiac arrest from lack of oxygen. I totally expected this patient to recover. But, he didn’t. And, this isn’t the first time this has happened. It’s becoming a regular thing, and it’s not okay.

Anonymous ICU Nurse in Washington, D.C.

Your ignorance is showing and it’s maddening. You really have no idea what is going on in our hospitals, and it shows.

Anonymous ICU Nurse in Virginia

In just 9 days, there were 430 patients that we saw for COVID. 430! A lot of them recover, but we are having to deal with (blood) clotting a bunch. This virus is ugly.

Anonymous General Nurse in Texas

This is not okay. We are not okay. Things are not “back-to-normal,” as much as we want to pretend they are.

I don’t even have a good ending for this post. I have no words. I am in shock.

Please. I implore you. I don’t want to lose anyone else. Let’s do what we have to do to kick this virus in the ass.