LESSONS FROM THE ISLE OF ISOLATION
I’m so glad you are here for the second part, so sit back while I make some clarifications.
I went on isolation. It was supposed to be for 10 days as I’d worked 4 days already before I was asked to go on isolation.
I resumed work after the 10 days of course without symptoms and the lessons gleaned, I shared already in the previous post(Link up here)
Then I received the next bombshell while at work just 5 days after resuming.
“Am I on with Dr Awolehin?
“You’re now a primary contact as those you previously had contact with tested positive.
“You need to have a test done and after that you should go on isolation till the test result is out”.
I didn’t think I’d heard well.
My Boss was already informed and immediately He called to discharge me from duty to go home immediately.I was so worked up, my thighs were hitting each other on my way home as different things ran through my mind.
“Gloria what’s wrong?” My flatmate asked as I got into the apartment. My countenance gave it away.
“Those I had contact with came out positive”, I blurted out as I headed to my room without waiting for a response.
My eyes were filled with tears as I was trying hard not to let it out as I replayed the videos of positive cases I had seen on the internet.
Just then I remembered, so I knelt down close to my bed, I cried and I told God my fears. I slept like a newborn baby right after, only to be woken up by a call to come for the test.
So, another cycle of isolation started.
The next day seemed like I was feverish and I had sore throat somewhat( If you’ve had malaria or upper respiratory tract infection and you were thinking it was COVID let us know in the comments😉😉😉) I became so scared again but every time my fears heightened, somehow a ray of faith came through and I got strengthened to speak to God.
You can see what made me add weight while in isolation😉😉😉
While in the second isolation course, these lessons came through again:
6)How much do we invest in Spiritual PPE?
I was on the house officers page on this day and I saw the protest about PPE being unavailable and I just kept wondering about how much effort we’ve invested into being physically safe without really investing much in being spiritually safe. Do we wear the weapons of warfare? Ephesians 6:10-18
Loins girt about with truth
Breastplate of righteousness
Shield of faith
Feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace
Helmet of salvation
Sword of the spirit
7)Everyone is Important
While I was attending to a patient, I overhead a nurse’s comment on how unreasonable the decision to let the portals(line of duty include wheeling patients for investigations, collecting blood bag from the lab for transfusion etc..) stay home was, and then I thought to myself: Who will go get blood when you need to transfuse a patient? Who will take the patients for investigations that will help solidify your diagnosis.? The stress, if you’re left to do it yourself for your patient, will be so overwhelming. Then I realised everybody in the healthcare system plays an invaluable role. Same goes for the general society, the transport workers, the waste management, so please lets learn to treat everybody with respect.
8)True Fulfillment
If my fulfilment had been tied to, for instance, singing in the choir, does that mean since the lockdown started I’d been unfulfilled? If I couldn’t go to my place of work or plan programmes because these are on hold, would I still be fulfilled? Do we now see that fulfilment isn’t primarily about what we do but who we’re with God, our relationship with Him? This is why we should trust God to help us build a viable personal relationship with him and not just activities here and there.
9)God is love. God is equally a consuming fire
If a tiny virus can put the whole world at standstill, what will it take God to destroy this world? This pandemic is an affirmation that God’s mercy has been the one keeping us. It tells us it doesn’t take God anything to destroy this world where sin is multiplying daily. With flood he destroyed the first world, Sodom and Gomorroh, by fire and remember a virus or a bacteria can also be a weapon of destruction.
” Ohhh is isolation over?”, my flatmate asked curiously one of the days.
“Noooo” I replied surprisingly.
“Haha why do you look so dressed then like you’re going out?”
“Haba but this cloth shouldn’t go outside this building now”
“Haha see you on powder and lipgloss”
“Yes now”
“You even used perfume, that’s good.”
Yeah, do you know most times we try to look good for others which shouldn’t be?
Do you know how much our personal health affects our mental health? I replied as I continued explaining
10) Personal health is priority
So much attention has been placed on public health but we should also know that our personal health in no time will overflow to the public health if maintained.
Why would we decide not to have our bath at all or intentionally delay till evening because we’re indoors?
Why should our clothes on the outside be well ironed, pimp and proper but our undies ooze out the killer fragrance?
Do you know that sometimes you can get some relief when stressed by fixing your room? And this lesson is so personal for me that I’ve come to realize I can’t give what I don’t have else I live in hypocricy.
And on this morning I was woken up by a call. It was an unknown number
And I picked while waiting for the caller to come up before I say anything as I would usually do.
” Hello, this is Dr Yusuf.”
It was the chief resident of the department where I was rotating at the time, surgery.
” Good morning Sir, I’m sorry I didn’t know it was you.”
“Your COVID 19 test result is out..”
The next few seconds seemed like eternity. I could literally feel palpitations…
“It came out negative” He replied after a long pause.
“Oh okay sir”, I muttered heaving a sigh of relief
“Pele” he added as it was apparent I was so anxious
“Thank you Jesus, Ha ha ha” I knelt down and started singing as I ran out of words.
In all, it wasn’t positive and I was in personal isolation in my room for 19 days and not in an isolation centre.
You can be sure I added some skin which I’m still fighting hard to shed off.
And truly the Pandemic in years to come will be remembered by all and sundry as it surely should have changed us in a way or the other. If you have lessons you’d like to share with us, please do not hesitate to do so in the comments. Thank you.
Gloria Awolehin is a Christian writer and blogger, drama minister and a medical doctor. She is currently having her Housemanship at The University of Ilorin Teaching Hospital. She believes in practical Christian living and she is deeply interested in youths and the female gender.
Thanks for sharing your experience with us,we love you.
Thank you Dr,❤❤❤
beautiful write up. truly, this pandemic has made us realise God is really merciful.such a tiny microscopic virus has shut down the whole world for months.
you are a strong woman, keep doing great things.the sky is your limit dear
Concise but heavily loaded. Thank God for everything.
Oh yesss all thanks to God for His faithfulness.
Thank you sir for engaging.
Thank God for everything 🙏🏾
May the Almighty God continue to see us through during this pandemic 🙌🏾🙌🏾
Amen and Amen, thank you Dr❤
Oh yes, nothing but God’s mercies Dr.
Amen, thank you so much for engaging.
Hallelujah oh 💃🏼, thank God oh🔥. Love you Sis. G💕
Oh yesss, all thanks to God.Awwww, love you darling 😗😗😗
Thanks, this is so relatable for me.
😉😉😉This should come alive to any health worker. Thank you for engaging Dr.
Wow, thank God the result came out negative. Though I knew it can’t be positive (like I’m very sure).
Thanks for the beautiful message, I was blessed
😉😉😉 In all, God is faithful!
Thank you for engaging ma’am.
Wow!
Thank God for this great testimony.
This period has also afforded the opportunity to pay attention to my spiritual life and relationship with my family members.
It seemed like the greatest testimony ever for me and truly this pandemic has fostered closer relationships. Thank you for engaging ma’am. Please do not hesitate to share with some others. Thank you.
Thank you for sharing. I read this just when I needed it.
Well written dear. Some NSU memories included. Thanks for sharing ❤️.
Thank you Dr❤
Wow…..thanks a lot for sharing ur experience miss Gloria
It’s alright ma’am. Thanks for engaging
Great testimony Doc. We thank the good Lord for keeping you safe. Your faith in Him also helped a lot. To Him be all the glory
Great write up!
Fixing your room can help relieve you of some stress. I experience that a lot personally it’s very true
Oh yes all to the glory of God.Thanknyou for engaging ma’am.
I’m BLESSED. GLORY TO GOD. GOD BLESS YOU MA. AMEN IN JESUS NAME.
Thank you so much Ma’am for engaging.
Thank you so much for sharing ma. I was blessed.