Healing Reflections: "Reflections of Hope" by Anna Meier

"Reflections of Hope"
Story & Art by: Anna Meier | Mayo Clinic Health System

I began working as a Laboratory Assistant at Mayo in September of 2019. It was my first full-time job in the medical field out of college. I was eager to not only learn about the medical field firsthand but also be a part of a health care team. By the end of my first six months, I was feeling very confident in my new role. Then COVID hit. The following year would a yield a whirlwind of challenges, emotions, and lessons.

As COVID entered the area, departments closed, coworkers left, protocols changed, and hospital census rapidly increased. We all did our best to keep up. As positive cases increased, so did the chaos. Constant stress became the accepted norm. On top of an all-consuming pandemic, whose effects reached every corner of life, everyone was navigating a turbulent political climate, a battle for social justice reform, increasingly frequent natural disasters, as well as their own personal struggles. The world was walking on eggshells. This underlying tension manifested itself in every facet of life, including work and finding joy became difficult.

In my role as a lab assistant, I draw blood throughout the hospital. Given the nature of my work, I draw dozens of patients a day, spending only about five to ten minutes with each. Even in these small interactions, patients give me a glimpse into their lives, their health, and their struggles. I become invested in their stories but unlike some other medical staff, I am unable to follow their stories or care. I love my job, but these limitations can be frustrating.

As COVID surged, these frustrations swelled. I saw more and more patients a day and listened as they shared their pain and their stories with me. I listened to people fears about the unknowns surrounding COVID, knowing I didn’t have the answers. I watched as staff worked endlessly around the clock, knowing I lacked the qualification to lighten the workload. I watched as rooms filled with COVID patients, knowing it would continue to trend upward according to data, especially as the public pushed back against masking and social distancing. In wake of the pandemic and bleak social climate, I couldn’t help but feeling powerless and languished.

On a particularly difficult day, I came to work at 4 am in the dark and the cold, knowing the day ahead would be draining. I was numbly going through the motions of my job. As I walked from one side of the hospital to the other, I was lucky enough to catch a glimpse of a beautiful sunrise over the downtown skyline. Moments of hope like this came in many forms. One of the most significant was through the support of my colleagues, some the most kind yet resilient people.

Within the lab we have tight knit community. We relied on each other as the workload increased for assistance and emotional support on hard days. It wasn’t just the lab that struggled with the demands of COVID, but all staff struggled. This unanimous struggle, while wearisome, I believe unified the hospital. In the midst this high stress environment, the hospital, from secondary to primary staff went out of their way to acknowledge and assist with the difficulties of those they worked with. Whether through reassuring acts of kindness or reassuring words, I experienced the Mayo community go above and beyond for one another and their patients.

A year later we have made large strides. We are still in the depths of the pandemic and impassioned social and political climate. There is so much progress to be made and we continue to navigate these challenges. I haven’t completely sorted through the emotion and experiences of the past year. However, I do know this year has reaffirmed the importance and impact of unified effort. If we do our best to make our interactions, however insignificant they seem, positive ones; if we seek to understand and address the challenges of those around us; if we act, I am confident that we can make positive change.

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Check out the Healing Reflections tab on the Post-COVID Recovery blog for more information or to find a specific piece from the gallery.

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