It is difficult to celebrate the state of emergency ending today, March 1st, 2022, while a war is going on in the Ukraine. We send our thoughts and prayers for a quick resolution to the war and for everyone affected. It is heartbreaking. And, on the heels of the pandemic, no less. We are all affected.
Our stay-at-home order began March 20th, 2020. For most people this contributed to the loss of self. After all, we are in need of human connections. Perhaps, a sense of isolation and feeling alone seems to have been the worst of it. Hopefully, the people who felt like this reached out to their loved ones who were available to talk. For many of us, we worked through the entire state of emergency beginning March 20th. My husband is a Chiropractor and I was called back to work full-time to run the office and be the receptionist. Personally, we could not face the fact that many of our chronic pain patients were told to stay home unless it was an absolute emergency. It was the worst time of our professional careers to have to screen a patient on the phone and ask ‘Can you still move? Can you prepare dinner? Can you drive? If so, it’s not an emergency.’ We were legally bound by the Government to only treat ‘true emergencies’ affecting the frontline workers ranging from nurses, PSAs, paramedics, police officers, truck drivers, grocery store staff, and more. And this we did compassionately until May 26th when ‘essential businesses’ including our healthcare office were allowed to reopen to the general public. Remember, this was during the time when there was no treatment for Covid-19. So many people, sadly, died in the beginning of the pandemic. May they Forever RIP. From wearing masks, to installing Plexiglas at our reception desk, to practicing social distancing, cleaning the clinic from the door knob to surfaces in the treatment rooms, we committed ourselves to protecting our patients. This is why I have been MIA for the past 2 years. You see, when you observe people face-to-face who are suffering, in the moment of, it’s very difficult to be a ‘creative.’ My heart broke and so did my husband’s.
It has been an unprecedented time in history. It will take years for all of us to process what happened. My husband lost his mother with no way to say goodbye. We lost a beloved uncle and aunt, as many others did, too. It is the worst thing in the world to wake up and have to remind yourself ‘Oh no, they’re gone.’ There is no closure and the loss of community to share it with, those who suffered the same loss, while mourning was devastating. We handled it by ourselves. Then, there was the suffering from not seeing our loved ones. We went 7 months without seeing our son, my coauthor, J.R. Matheson and his fiancee, Kevin. Zoom became an important tool for connecting with them, and our families who live more than 4 hours to 46 + hours away. Our lives were scheduled. Every day we worked off the clock and on our time off we did as well. Finally, we had a week off in August, 2021. And not one since. It’s the most we’ve worked, continuously, in years. And we felt honoured, even lucky, to be able to help people in need. We supported our local food bank, artists, restaurants, and most of all our patients. Any which way they needed help. I found myself online googling things for them only to print it off and hand it to them. The smiles on their faces was my reward. Anything we could do to help find a healthcare product, learn more about a medical condition (I once wore the hat of Medical Librarian) where to order online for needed clothing, grocery stores or pharmacies that were delivering. We did it! It was about so much more in our clinic over the past 2 years. And, it was a full-time labour of love. We are truly grateful for all who trusted us and helped also to support us.
During this time, we felt responsible for helping people to remember to take care of themselves. You’d be surprised how many people felt they should not contact their M.D. because there were patients from Covid in the ICUs, or worse, that were dying. We explained, it is not the time to give up on your health. ‘You matter.’ We provided advice on eating well, thinking well, and moving well. That’s what Chiropractic is all about in our office. Above all, my loving husband’s healing hands are the main reason patients come in to our Clinic. He is highly skilled and has taken many courses on elbows, wrists, hands, knees, shoulders, ankles, and more, above and beyond what the chiropractic colleges teach. I do feel that is why we were so busy through the pandemic. I have the best job helping patients in my own way, and I hear patients praising Dr. Kevin Matheson as they leave the office. It’s just amazing.
We observed people’s priorities changed. It became about ‘Well what can I control / do to help myself? my family?’ We all had to scrutinize our lifestyles. Hopefully many of you realize just how much you matter. It is a community, a village, to make positive changes in the world. My hope is you looked after yourselves, to emerge as a kinder, wiser, compassionate human being ready and able to help others who need it. Ironically, there was plenty of time to talk to a therapist, read inspirational books, find a new hobby, learn something new, work-out even if it was running the stairs in your home, or hallways of your condo, or your backyard. Going forward, as we lick our wounds, and I mean everyone, let’s work on our interpersonal skills, communication, and compassion towards others. It is not the time for excluding others. Let’s pull together and forgive ourselves and our neighbours for the moments we all ‘lost it a little’ during the pandemic. Carry on and move forward shining your light(s).
Remember the good that came out of the pandemic. Walls have been torn down. People paid attention to #blacklivesmatter #metoo Isn’t it about time there’s a call to action? Scientists work together world-wide via Zoom. Medical appointments can be a phone call. TikTok gave a platform for many talented, funny, brave people … social game changers. The lyrics to songs seem to have more depth. Healthcare reform, working from home going forward, the finetuning of cybersecurity. We see the trolls for who they are. No more excusing bad behaviour. Scammers are finding it harder to fool the public. What have you noticed during Covid that is a positive change? Let us shift from the darkness to the light. Let us pray the war will end sooner than later for all involved.
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