I Have No Problems

[j44ke]

Great series of photos accompanying article here. Core level humane response to the question, "If we don't do it, who will?" I've traveled in Africa and as a result of those experiences, I am not surprised by the courage. But it is good to be reminded of it. Whatever problems I have, they dwindle in comparison.

Workers and Survivors in Liberia

Also the reporters and photographers covering this epidemic get major respect.

[dgaddis]

Thanks for sharing that. Brave folks for sure.

My wife is an NP, but spent several years doing floor nursing as an RN on a cardiac unit, post open-heart care for the most part.

I didn't even see these patients, just heard about them, and that's enough to change my attitude and perspective. Like you, I don't have problems. I have "problems".

Your average person doesn't understand what good ol' everyday "nothing special" nurses see and do right here at home on a daily basis. Most people don't know how hard they work, or much they care about their patients. My wife's cried with family members when someone passed away. She's cried on my shoulder. She's lost (many) full nights sleep worrying about patients. It takes a special person to do that kind of work. And she is not unique, she's pretty typical of most nurses.

[bking]

my father passed away a few years ago this next month. whenever he ran across something like this, this kind of suffering, he would often remark, "you don't have problems until you have those kind of problems". Simple, obvious, yes. but hearing him say it, i still do, put's my "problems" in perspective for me...i don't have any.

[Too Tall]

My wife and her colleagues are dealing with this as we speak. It is encouraging to see that almost to a man all the senior scientists, docs, bureaucrats all want to travel and work on the frontlines. Nobody blinked, these are very special people. Say what you will about humanity, crisis tends to reveal what we are really made of and it's no so bad.