In this installment, I spoke to Dr. S, a 35-year-old endocrinologist based in Brooklyn.
SELF: When did you start to think you might have to change your job a little bit?
Dr. S:It all started happening around March 11, 12.
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I thought wed get stranded out of the country, and I thought what was happening atthatpoint was bad.
The NBA got suspended, Tom Hanks got infected.
Thats when everything started to get taken more seriously.
But that seems like it was six months ago.
I cant believe I went on vacation like three weeks agoit makes no sense.
It feels like a lifetime ago.
About a week later you started training to work in the ICU.
What was that like?
So they started to train us to cover ICU shifts.
But it wasnt just [things related to coronavirus patients].
What was it like to have to go through the training so quickly?
Obviously, that was very overwhelming, and I was super anxious because it’s not my field.
You cant teach medicine that quick.
Medicine is four years of training for a reason.
You go through residencies for a reason.
On top of that, at that point, it was trainingin addition towhat we were already doing.
When you go home, you already have a bunch of things to do.
I have two small kids.
So to go home and be expected to study these things that are thrown at youits a lot.
It was stressful, very stressful.
What are some of the biggest differences between what you were doing before and what youre doing now?
Youre managing coronavirus patients.
So it encompasses a lot more of medicine.
Does what youre doing now feel more urgent?
Theres definitely a sense of urgency in the air.
But in this situation, you just want them to get better on their own at home.
Has there been anything that really shocked or surprised you about the situation?
Yeah, it literally looks like a scene out of a movie.
It looks like a movie set.
And when you get in there, everyone is in the same thing.
They can deteriorate on you so quickly, so its scary.
Everyone around you is so sick and…I cant explain it.
It doesnt feel real.
What do you wish more people knew about what youre seeing?
People are super sick and they have zero family contact.
A lot of these patients are elderly and they dont know what FaceTime even means.
So they might not have the benefit of having FaceTime and seeing their family.
Thats just the nature of illness.
And this is a state of time where that is literally not allowed.
How are you handling these changes at home?
Its not like theyre teens and theyre excited to leave meI was heartbroken.
On days like this, you go home to them for their sillinessit just brings joy to your life.
And so its been tremendously life-changing at home.
I miss them a ton.
But Ive never left my kids ever before, so it was tough for us.
But we knew it was the best decision.
How are you coping right now?
Is there anything thats bringing you joy or a glimmer of positivity?
Theres ones that just dont get better.
And my husband, obviously.
Just having him at home, knowing that someone is rooting for me and supporting me.
I FaceTime my kids.
And my doormen know Im a doctor and they literally shout out to my window, Thank you!
Those five minutes are so rewarding; it brings me so much joy.
Its definitely the best five minutes of my day.
Is there anything else you wanted to get out there?
People need to stay home.
Obviously they know that, but it cant be reinforced enough.
Small things like that go a long way for people who are doing this.
If youre at home and bored, stop complaining.
Life could be way worse.
Were out there really trying to get a hold of this.
We obviously want to do the best for these people, but were losing enough of them.
So really, everything thats being said on the media in terms of staying homejust listen.
