Skip to content
  • About
  • Contact
  • Contribute
  • Book
  • Careers
  • Podcast
  • Recommended
  • Speaking
  • All
  • Physician
  • Practice
  • Policy
  • Finance
  • Conditions
  • .edu
  • Patient
  • Meds
  • Tech
  • Social
  • Video
    • All
    • Physician
    • Practice
    • Policy
    • Finance
    • Conditions
    • .edu
    • Patient
    • Meds
    • Tech
    • Social
    • Video
    • About
    • Contact
    • Contribute
    • Book
    • Careers
    • Podcast
    • Recommended
    • Speaking

A patient’s COVID-19 reflections

Michele Luckenbaugh
Patient
October 20, 2020
Share
Tweet
Share

In this age of the coronavirus pandemic, every moment of life takes on new meaning and importance. Decisions must be made based upon facts known, not assumed. Everything requires careful thought and planning, like a trip to the pharmacy for refills of prescriptions or a trip to the local grocery store to pick up needed food supplies. Even a trip to the local park for much-needed exercise requires thought of how many people I might expect to encounter and, of those people, how many might be carriers of COVID-19.

During this perilous and troubling time, the coronavirus seems to be flourishing and gaining momentum all around our country instead of retreating. Unlike the warm summer months when much of my time was spent outdoors tending my flower and vegetable beds or just admiring Mother Nature in all her glory(a needed distraction), I am now facing the colder, dreary months of winter; that means spending much more time inside and because of this I must become more aware of the encounters that place inside my home. I fear I won’t be able to have the traditional Thanksgiving Day family dinner for part of my family who resides outside of my home. Since I am a member of the category who is more susceptible to contracting the virus, my plans for this year must change. It breaks my heart, but hopefully, all will understand. I look forward to next year’s celebrations when all of this turmoil will be behind us, and we can be together. At least, that is my hope.

I will be honest; during most of my waking hours, the thought of contracting the virus is never far away. To a certain extent, maybe that is beneficial because it forces me to be acutely aware of what I should be doing to protect my family and myself.  Spring and summer have seemed to have evaporated into thin air. All the usual activities associated with fair weather days were taken away by guidelines put into place to protect the health of all of us. In my mind, I understand that, but my heart is saddened. My temper is short, and the days are long. I can’t help but look at strangers with an air of distrust instead of with a welcoming smile. Will this feeling ever depart?  Stress and concern are like weights dragging behind me, muting the joys of life.

Recently, I had a check-up appointment at my doctor’s office: yes, in-person, not virtual. It was like no other encounter.  I was met at the entrance with masked health care workers who asked health history questions(did I suspect I was ever infected with COVID) before I was allowed admission into the building. All staff was wearing masks, and there was minimal in-person contact with the patient. Instead of seeing the usual smiles, all that was visible were the eyes of those who were attempting to give care. My physician was clothed in protective gear as if I was someone who was to be feared and rightly so. Our frontline staff puts their lives on the line every day so that they must take all necessary precautions to safeguard their health and the health of patients.  It was an eerie feeling, something like a scene from a sci-fi movie. But it is now a reality, and the times are a-changing. For how long will all of this continue, no one knows, and that is the disheartening part for me. Hope seems, at times, so elusive.

Spending time outdoors this autumn brings me some semblance of joy in these disconcerting times. I look upward to a crystal blue sky on a Sunday afternoon, and I know I am being watched over, and there is a plan for what is happening, and this keeps me going. I look at the awe-inspiring colors of the maples and aspens, and my heart skips a beat. The crispness in the air keeps me moving forward, one foot in front of the other.

To all those in health care: The doctors, nurses, and support staff and to all those essential workers who supply us with all of life’s necessities, I give you my sincerest thanks.  Stay strong, be patient, and above all, stay safe. These times will pass.

Michele Luckenbaugh is a patient. 

Image credit: Shutterstock.com

Prev

How the pandemic affects children and teens with headaches and migraines

October 20, 2020 Kevin 0
…
Next

Can what you eat worsen your ADHD? [PODCAST]

October 20, 2020 Kevin 0
…

Tagged as: COVID, Infectious Disease

Post navigation

< Previous Post
How the pandemic affects children and teens with headaches and migraines
Next Post >
Can what you eat worsen your ADHD? [PODCAST]

ADVERTISEMENT

ADVERTISEMENT

ADVERTISEMENT

More by Michele Luckenbaugh

  • Within the white walls of silence

    Michele Luckenbaugh
  • Why empathy is the missing piece in modern health care

    Michele Luckenbaugh
  • Why is our health care system going down the drain and no one seems to care?

    Michele Luckenbaugh

Related Posts

  • COVID-19 divides and conquers

    Michele Luckenbaugh
  • COVID-19 shows why we need health insurance

    Jingyi Liu, MD
  • How to get patients vaccinated against COVID-19 [PODCAST]

    The Podcast by KevinMD
  • State sanctioned executions in the age of COVID-19

    Kasey Johnson, DO
  • Starting medical school in the midst of COVID-19

    Horacio Romero Castillo
  • The local and global concerns of COVID-19

    Ira Memaj, MPH and Robert Fullilove, EdD

More in Patient

  • AI’s role in streamlining colorectal cancer screening [PODCAST]

    The Podcast by KevinMD
  • There’s no one to drive your patient home

    Denise Reich
  • Dying is a selfish business

    Nancie Wiseman Attwater
  • A story of a good death

    Carol Ewig
  • We are warriors: doctors and patients

    Michele Luckenbaugh
  • Patient care is not a spectator sport

    Jim Sholler
  • Most Popular

  • Past Week

    • The broken health care system doesn’t have to break you

      Jessie Mahoney, MD | Physician
    • How dismantling DEI endangers the future of medical care

      Shashank Madhu and Christian Tallo | Education
    • How scales of justice saved a doctor-patient relationship

      Neil Baum, MD | Physician
    • “Think twice, heal once”: Why medical decision-making needs a second opinion from your slower brain (and AI)

      Harvey Castro, MD, MBA | Tech
    • The hidden cost of delaying back surgery

      Gbolahan Okubadejo, MD | Conditions
    • Rethinking medical education for a technology-driven era in health care [PODCAST]

      The Podcast by KevinMD | Podcast
  • Past 6 Months

    • What’s driving medical students away from primary care?

      ​​Vineeth Amba, MPH, Archita Goyal, and Wayne Altman, MD | Education
    • Internal Medicine 2025: inspiration at the annual meeting

      American College of Physicians | Physician
    • Residency as rehearsal: the new pediatric hospitalist fellowship requirement scam

      Anonymous | Physician
    • A faster path to becoming a doctor is possible—here’s how

      Ankit Jain | Education
    • The hidden bias in how we treat chronic pain

      Richard A. Lawhern, PhD | Meds
    • Are quotas a solution to physician shortages?

      Jacob Murphy | Education
  • Recent Posts

    • Rethinking medical education for a technology-driven era in health care [PODCAST]

      The Podcast by KevinMD | Podcast
    • From basketball to bedside: Finding connection through March Madness

      Caitlin J. McCarthy, MD | Physician
    • In medicine and law, professions that society relies upon for accuracy

      Muhamad Aly Rifai, MD | Tech
    • Diabetes and Alzheimer’s: What your blood sugar might be doing to your brain

      Marc Arginteanu, MD | Conditions
    • How motherhood reshaped my identity as a scientist and teacher

      Kathleen Muldoon, PhD | Conditions
    • Jumpstarting African health care with the beats of innovation

      Princess Benson | Conditions

Subscribe to KevinMD and never miss a story!

Get free updates delivered free to your inbox.


Find jobs at
Careers by KevinMD.com

Search thousands of physician, PA, NP, and CRNA jobs now.

Learn more

Leave a Comment

Founded in 2004 by Kevin Pho, MD, KevinMD.com is the web’s leading platform where physicians, advanced practitioners, nurses, medical students, and patients share their insight and tell their stories.

Social

  • Like on Facebook
  • Follow on Twitter
  • Connect on Linkedin
  • Subscribe on Youtube
  • Instagram

ADVERTISEMENT

ADVERTISEMENT

ADVERTISEMENT

ADVERTISEMENT

  • Most Popular

  • Past Week

    • The broken health care system doesn’t have to break you

      Jessie Mahoney, MD | Physician
    • How dismantling DEI endangers the future of medical care

      Shashank Madhu and Christian Tallo | Education
    • How scales of justice saved a doctor-patient relationship

      Neil Baum, MD | Physician
    • “Think twice, heal once”: Why medical decision-making needs a second opinion from your slower brain (and AI)

      Harvey Castro, MD, MBA | Tech
    • The hidden cost of delaying back surgery

      Gbolahan Okubadejo, MD | Conditions
    • Rethinking medical education for a technology-driven era in health care [PODCAST]

      The Podcast by KevinMD | Podcast
  • Past 6 Months

    • What’s driving medical students away from primary care?

      ​​Vineeth Amba, MPH, Archita Goyal, and Wayne Altman, MD | Education
    • Internal Medicine 2025: inspiration at the annual meeting

      American College of Physicians | Physician
    • Residency as rehearsal: the new pediatric hospitalist fellowship requirement scam

      Anonymous | Physician
    • A faster path to becoming a doctor is possible—here’s how

      Ankit Jain | Education
    • The hidden bias in how we treat chronic pain

      Richard A. Lawhern, PhD | Meds
    • Are quotas a solution to physician shortages?

      Jacob Murphy | Education
  • Recent Posts

    • Rethinking medical education for a technology-driven era in health care [PODCAST]

      The Podcast by KevinMD | Podcast
    • From basketball to bedside: Finding connection through March Madness

      Caitlin J. McCarthy, MD | Physician
    • In medicine and law, professions that society relies upon for accuracy

      Muhamad Aly Rifai, MD | Tech
    • Diabetes and Alzheimer’s: What your blood sugar might be doing to your brain

      Marc Arginteanu, MD | Conditions
    • How motherhood reshaped my identity as a scientist and teacher

      Kathleen Muldoon, PhD | Conditions
    • Jumpstarting African health care with the beats of innovation

      Princess Benson | Conditions

MedPage Today Professional

An Everyday Health Property Medpage Today
  • Terms of Use | Disclaimer
  • Privacy Policy
  • DMCA Policy
All Content © KevinMD, LLC
Site by Outthink Group

Leave a Comment

Comments are moderated before they are published. Please read the comment policy.

Loading Comments...