Central PA Medicine Summer 2021 - 19

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Solitude vs Loneliness
IN THE TIME OF COVID-19
By VIRGINIA E. HALL, MD, FACOG, FACP
T
he pandemic of COVID-19 (official name SARS-CoV-2)
has kept more people at home if they are not regarded
as essential workers. More closets, basements, and attics
have been cleaned out and/or reorganized physically, but
what about our mental closets, basements, and attics? How
are they doing? How are we doing? We have been asked to
care for people with a deadly virus before we understood its
origin, course of illness, treatment, and recovery - if people
were fortunate enough to survive. Inside all the protective
gear (if and when we could get it), we were alone, as were
our patients.
Without hugs and handshakes, many of us feel alone and
isolated. We are lonely. We feel forgotten. We are frightened
because we may doubt much of the information because so
many of the pundits without scientific background are loudly
proclaiming their misinformation. What many pundits do
not understand is that science is a study of facts; information
may change the scientific interpretation, but the earlier statements
may change based on new research and data obtained.
That does not mean the initial statements were intended to
mislead; the scientific community gives information based on
best data at the time. This may lead to physicians and other
health care practitioners doubting themselves and their ability
to give the best and most current information.
What is important is that we as health care practitioners
realize that a change in advice does not make us less adequate
practitioners, but people are giving their best information
at the time. A personal story underlines what I am saying.
My cousin died from measles encephalitis the year MMR
vaccine became available. My aunt discussed vaccine with
her family practitioner who told her it was usually a mild
disease and that the next year the vaccine could be given
when it was more widely used. This advice was based on the
fact that some polio vaccines were contaminated with the
wild virus and so the vaccine that was intended to prevent
disease actually gave the vaccinees the disease. This was a
joint and informed decision that unfortunately did not end
well as my cousin succumbed to the disease which is usually
mild - but not for him or his family or physician.
As physicians, we take our profession seriously. Unfortunately,
not all patients and families have good or desired
outcomes. Most physicians remember the patient who didn't
get better or may have died but do not remember all those
individuals we were able to restore to health be it by surgery,
medication, advice, or just listening with compassion.
The healers need care, too. COVID has forced us into a
more solitary existence, but loneliness is optional. Reaching
out to colleagues, family, friends and/or clergy are options.
The Physicians Health Program (PHP) of the Foundation
of the Pennsylvania Medical Society is there for you. It is
completely confidential. Although I am Foundation Board
chair, I do not know - nor do I need to know - participants.
The only way I know is when someone chooses to tell me,
and I keep that confidential as well. The PHP is able to assess
and refer health professionals for impairing conditions such
as substance use disorder, mental illness, physical ailments,
or litigation stress.
When a patient does not do well or dies, we question
why we didn't do better or what we could have done to
prevent the bad outcome. We don't like ourselves very
much at those times. We need to be resilient like a little boy
I will call Johnny. The pastor of his church came to call on
the family. When he answered the door, the pastor asked
Johnny if his mother was available. Johnny replied, " She's
taking a nap. " " Where is your sister? " " She's taking a nap,
too. " Aren't you lonely here all by yourself? " " No, " Johnny
replied, " I like me and that is all I need right now. " Johnny
understood solitude without loneliness. Would that we all
could be Johnnys or at least turn to a confidential team that
can help us get back to liking ourselves and our profession.
Some of us are fortunate enough to have trusted colleagues
or others who are able to listen and give constructive feedback.
For those of us who are not in such a situation, tthe PHP
numbers are (717) 558-7819 or (866) 747-2255 Monday
through Friday, 7:30 AM to 5 PM. It is your choice - solitude
and self-care versus loneliness and isolation.
Central PA Medicine Summer 2021 19
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Central PA Medicine Summer 2021

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