What is a positive that has come from the pandemic?

I had a crazy thought.

Each time I walked into a room to see a patient, I would ask them a question that would be more in line with this blog than with the usual “Where does it hurt?” and “What’s wrong with you?” taught in medical school.

Remember that the room I was walking into was often a virtual room (seeing a patient via Zoom) or an audio room for a telephone visit. Occasionally a live human-to-human masked encounter.

Now, all crazy thoughts are best implemented with a co-conspirator. In this case, I enlisted a wonderful medical student Rachel Rose. For her, it was a “wrong place at the wrong time” type of moment. For me, it was all I needed to turn the crazy thought into action.

The question: “What is a positive that has come for you and/or your family from the pandemic?”

Before any talk about labs, blood sugars, or disease, Rachel and I asked our patients this simple question.

Here is what they told us, unedited. A reminder for all of us, especially as the depths of the pandemic fade away, not to lose the precious lessons this last year has offered us.

The responses:

I floss my teeth now. I actually have the time to floss.

Keeping in mind that this too shall pass. This has been a test and a trial, but I am a person of faith, so I believe whatever is unhappy or uncomfortable will be OK. We have been through something really big together. This can be a unifying event if we take it that way and look at it that way.

I have more time to spend with my nephews and great-nephew. One of my nephews lives with me, and he keeps me company. I have a lot of company.

Spending more time with my wife and helping her around the house. It was just her and me around the house. We have been married for years, but I got to know her better and learn more about her. I learned more about what she needs and what she wants, and she learned about me too. You could be married for 30 years but don’t know much about one another until spending 24/7 together.

I get to spend much more time with my daughter than I did before the pandemic.

The pandemic has allowed me to put more time into my home- like gardening.

I have been able to invest time into something I love, building a garage gym. I have also had the time to show my grandparents I truly love and care about them. Delivering groceries is a lot different than simply saying hello over the phone.

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I have realized that I don’t have to be rushing around. We can relax as a family, and things will still get done. This has been a really good change for our family and me.

The pandemic has allowed me to put more time into my home and garden.

I have not let the pandemic slow me down. I still give to others. I pick up food boxes from the food bank and give them out to my neighbors. I know some neighbors now that I didn’t know before the pandemic.