The Life of a Health Care Worker

Dear readers

First of all, do you even know what it is that I do at work? If I tell you “orderly” do you know what that is? Nurses and doctors that I talk to at work sometimes aren’t even sure about my job title, or get it plain wrong. Don’t misunderstand, I honestly don’t mind being referred to as “porter” or “wardie” because the latter (wardie is short for wardsperson) is pretty much the same thing and the former is very similar only a more basic role of what I do. A porter in a hospital, such as a big one in Westmead, pushes beds. Transfers patients all around the hospital. There are many porters in Westmead hospital. If I am talking to a more older patient, they may recognise me as a porter, and I don’t bother correcting the term. I may even introduce myself as a porter for sake of simplicity. I am an orderly. An orderly also pushes beds and transfers heavy equipment like a porter, but we also assist nurses with patient washes, patient lifts and turns, patient bed to bed (as in transferring a patient from a hospital bed to a CT scan bed), we also assist in dealing with the deceased including morbid but uncannily not scary trips to the mortuary. The mortuary I’ve been in is nothing like you see in movies or dramas. For me, it’s just part of the job and honestly, unless you’ve done something similar to my line of work, I’ve probably seen a lot more dead bodies than you. Not bragging, just trying to help you picture what role as an orderly looks like.  Anyway. Sorry for my insensitivity. 

A Typical Elevator Experience 

  

As an orderly, I guess I am considered a “frontline” essential worker. Meaning, I need to go to work at the hospital as a necessity to society and also I am most at risk with my close proximity to COVID-19 patients. I have a weird, yet touching experience. 

In the elevator (where everyone keeps social distancing as much as possible— I have told visitors to take another lift if I am already in it with a patient and a nurse) I had an experience with a man who looked like he was on the phone. Only, maybe his call hadn’t connected yet, because he was talking to me! He said “Thank you so much for what you do.”

“Thank you.” I said and smiled.

“I appreciate so much what you do. All of you.” (Refereing to my uniform which differs from a nurses uniform, maybe he identifies me as “porter”). 

“Thank you.” I said again.

“I pray for you! We pray for you and your safety.”

“Thank you.” I said again. 

“God bless you.” 

“Thank you.” I said. “God bless you, too.” 

-Exit Lift- 

And the whole time he was talking to me, looking at me, he had his phone on his ear. 

Which made me consider... was this dude even talking to me? 

I guess I can never be sure. 

Meh.

The Entitlement Syndrome 

And although the world and our beloved Australian nation apparently applauds health care workers on the frontline against COVID-19 ... I cannot but help a tad teeny weeny but guilty for actually having a job during this time. 

While the world and everyone on my social media either lockdowns in self isolation or considers isolation ... my immediate world and habits ... kinda never changed. I’m still working and therefore going out etc. I even head to the shops after work if I need to buy dog food (I don’t do grocery shopping in my family ... it’s an unspoken rule that I don’t do it because everyone knows I’ll buy a whole heap of junk food).

Is it so bad ... that I feel bad for it? 

I feel for YOU. YOU may not have the job security and therefore financial security that I have. 

Literally, my mum being a nurse, my dad being a cop, even my husband being a personal care assistant for a nursing company, ALL have essential work. 

And so this random man praising and praying for me as some kind of hero makes me a little uncomfortable because I had to wonder ... was HIS family doing okay? Was HE out of work?  

If Australia does go into complete quarantine lockdown ... I know that I will be okay. But I want to know if YOU will be okay. Financially, mainly. Financial stress can cause many problems and many anxieties. So I hope, dear reader, that you are doing okay. 

And if you’re not, let me be the one to help you out. Please.

Starting a small business? I’m your number one customer. Writing a blog? I’m your number one fan. Looking for a new job? I’ll send you links as I come across good ones.

Need some groceries? Message me, and I will buy and deliver at your door, no contact required. I don’t even care if you never pay me back. By sharing my kindness, I’m inviting you to pay it forward.

Need someone to talk to you? Have you ever tried messaging me? I promise you, I am probably more socially awkward than you. You can feel at home with me, promise.



Written with love,

Eliza

A Day of Revelation

Dear readers

Today is the day that revelations are coming true. Today is the day that prophetic revelations are happening. It’s actually been happening every day since April 1820 with Joseph Smith. 

Our modern day prophet is President Russell M. Nelson. A world renowned heart surgeon in his own right, and the leading prophet and God’s mouthpiece on this earth. 

I had the greatest pleasure to hear him speak in person, and to also shake his hand in the year 2016 whilst he visited missionaries of my Church in the Philippines. What an astounding moment that was for me. 

I heard him speak again in person when he came to Sydney, Australia to speak to members of The Church in my hometown. Again, I felt an overwhelming and unmistakeable impression that this is more than a man of God. He is God’s very own mouthpiece on earth.

And although no one knew COVID-19 would be coming, God knew. And he told his servants the prophets to warn us. To prepare us.

More than telling us to eat our vitamins though, our church leaders in a recent (12th March 2020) revelatory worldwide message has announced that all public church meetings are to be immediately discontinued. This includes my church’s practice of two hours of Sunday worship, one hour of partaking of the sacrament to renew our covenants with God, and another hour of learning in some form of Sunday School classes. 

Instead of risking the spread of commutable diseases worldwide, the members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints are commanded to hold their Sunday worshipping practices within the safety of our own homes. Those who hold the priesthood, under the direction and instruction of local church leaders, are to administer the sacrament at home to their families, and visit those families who do not have a priesthood holder. 

Yet Two Years Ago the prophets, the same leading prophet of The Church, introduced a home-based scripture study, family friendly, program called Come, Follow Me. For two years, we have been commanded not to rely upon the teachings of our Sunday School teachers for our weekly dose of spiritual nourishment, rather we have been commanded to follow the Come Follow Me program on a daily and weekly basis as individuals and families. 

These days of revelation have prepared us for COVID-19 and whatever other ailments this life on earth may bring us.

We are so blessed to live during the day of revelation. I am so grateful for it and I know for a certainty that we have a living prophet who is the mouthpiece of a living God who loves us.

As we studied in today’s/this weeks Come Follow Me program, the gospel is beautiful and simple, why look beyond the mark to find answers that have nothing to do with our faith in God? Why deconstruct and criticise and question a perfect plan, a perfect book, even the Book of Mormon? 

I had a wonderful experience today of being Gods mouthpiece during our in-home sacrament program. 

My grandmother’s native language I guess is Tagalog (Filipino). We sang the opening hymn in Tagalog and after an opening prayer my Dad invited me to bear my testimony. I began speaking in Tagalog. I haven’t borne my testimony in my mission language, in my parents native tongue for perhaps almost 4 years. And what I said I gave no prior thought to. I only said whatever the Spirit prompted me to say. And as I bore testimony of modern day prophets, of the safety we are given and gratitude I have for the gospel, my Lola visibly began to cry. I also said that because of Jesus Christ and His gospel, I know that our family will be together forever. 

And I realised only after my Grandmother said the closing prayer to end our Sacrament meeting, that she had been so worried about her 5 children and 14 grandchildren, not even about her 79year old self. She was worried for those who aren’t with her and who are in the Philippines. But she also felt comfort to know that her Heavenly Father prepared a way for her for be with her family for eternity. 

So in a roundabout way, in home Sunday worship as a family brought this opportunity for the Spirit to particularly reach my beloved Lola, whom we are all very worried about.

For anyone out there who may need an extra hand, I hope that providence rains on you and you get every needful thing organised. Let’s all be kind to one another. 

And remember, today is the age of revelations. How will you Hear Him? 

Behold, great and marvellous are the works of the Lord. How unsearchable are the depths of the mysteries of him; and it is impossible that man should find out all his ways. And no man knows that of his ways save it be revealed unto him; wherefore, brethren, despise not the revelations of God.

For behold, by the power of his word man came upon the face of the earth, which earth was created by the power of his word. Wherefore, if God being able to speak and the world was, and to speak and man was created, O then, why not able to command the earth, or the workmanship of his hands upon the face of it, according to his will and pleasure?

God is powerful and all knowing. Instead of trying to find a philosophical reasonable explanation on this, this is the time to have faith, be calm, rise above and succeed this test, and remember that if God wills it so and speaks it so, He is bound to his word, and according to his word if it be his word, we will be safe. 

Take care friends.

Written with love,

Eliza.

A Return to Reality

Dear readers

I do love a good book. I do love a good binge-worthy T.V. show. Lately I watched Anne with an E, and now I am rewatching it and have two episodes left. As always, when I finish a good T.V. series, I always wonder ... 

Whatever will I watch next? 

(In the case of Anne with an E, the answer to this specific question was to watch it for a second time.)

Accurate visual representation of how I think this stage of my life is going.
A walking klutz attempting to hide my issues with a pretty bow.
No offence to Anne. Poor Anne.
(Psst. Gilbert still loves you, Anne)

That's the sad reality of the average modern person, I imagine. We are all so very very good at escaping our realities that we enjoy watching alternate realities of fictional people and staged episodes--after all that editing and producing and re-runs, is not absolutely everything on T.V. and the media platform fictional? Unattainable? Unrealistic? 

Arguable, I admit. 

Here's a call to a return to reality. 

I think it is completely okay to just admit it when we're having an off day and to rest and binge on something wholesome that won't break the word of wisdom. I think it should be okay to admit doing this without any stigma. I love it when I ask other staff members what they do when they're not at work ... young people generally say they sleep. Yeah, you do that, and you do it proudly. 

But let's call back reality. I just want to get back onto the path of progression. My daily planner helps with that but I have stopped using it for a week, maybe two now (I actually don't know without my planner to tell me, oh the irony) and I have felt the consequence due to the absence of my usual organisation. Where is the consistency, without my planner? 

If my life and progression were mapped into a line graph; it would show a squiggly line waving up and down yet slowly but surely going in the upwards direction.

Me right now is therefore: progressively forward and up, but kinda on the downward spectrum. 

Tomorrow, or next week, I may be flying up, up and away. 

And then the week after that, I may be on my knees again, utterly humbled and hopeless at life. 

And during all of these crazy ups and downs (what am I even complaining about? I'm not really sure, but let's not compare lives) there is always one constant for all of us. 

He's there, if we believe it. If we choose to embrace it. 

Just like a friend who'll listen and quietly lend a calm presence while I cry, I know God never leaves me alone, any of us. 

God is our constant. 

And yet again ... it is 4:00am in the morning and this poor blog writer can't sleep on another Saturday night which is now Sunday morning... 

And yet again ... she finds the answer to her life's question in the Book of Mormon. 

I'll have you know that I read this book quite often. But sometimes, I need to reread passages days a part and realise that Heavenly Father had the answer in store for me before I even asked the question. And tonight, He comforts me by telling me that yes, I have this anxiety problem, and yes, it's kinda bad lately, but things do get better. Because He is a God of miracles and that will never change. 

For behold, I am God;--An indisputable declaration of reality,-- and I am a God of miracles;--I do wonder what miracles I need?-- and I will show unto the world that I am the same yesterday, today, and forever;--Show me, what should I do to have you work miracles in my life?-- and I work not among the children of men save it be according to their faith. 

Hm. I really love how Heavenly Father declares he will only show us his miracles--the proof of His existence--if we prove that we don't need proof to believe in Him, ie have faith.

Knowing this makes me wanna go and wake up Lawrence for some reason. Maybe argue about proving our love to each other and whatnot. But I shall resist. Sigh. On both accounts. 

So here's to a return to reality. And by that, I mean I need to stop binge watching and binge reading and really live my life to the fullest. Maybe write that novel I've been wanting to write. Maybe finish that online certificate I'm supposed to studying. Maybe go out more with my little sister and be there for her. All of the above.

And now here's me hopefully returning to bed until sunrise. 

Written with love,

Eliza.