Healing Reflections: "The Fight" by the Bloomer Radiology Team

Jan 2, 2021 | Hannah Schlotthauer | @schlohan

"The Fight"
Story by: Bloomer Radiology Team | Mayo Clinic Health System

This broke our hearts and was terrible for the patients coming into the ER. They were so sick and were tested for COVID but had to wait for results when we they knew that if they did a chest x-ray or CT scan they would know immediately.

The department felt like they were a key tool for helping diagnosis

Patients were very scared, having a CT can be scary normally but the not knowing about COVID made it worse. Staff were able to help them feel reassured and safe

Staff were scared as well, but they need to hide their own fear to patients

Fear that personal protective equipment {PPE} was not holding up

DON’T TOUCH YOUR FACE

Will the aerating procedure penetrate PPE?

Constant change of parameters with PPE, were they wearing the right things?

The supervisor felt that the workers on site were like a ship ready to jump overboard.

The pneumonia x-rays and CT scans were like nothing that they have ever seen before

X-ray looked like fingers coming in from the lateral sides- normally it would be big and patchy. If you didn’t know COVID, you would think it was a very invasive fungal or cancer

Received a new digital portable x-ray machine in June so could stay in the room with the old one had to leave room which including donning/doffing/cleaning when you were in and out. The new unit allowed providers to see results immediately.

Staff felt that COVID engulfed them

Staff felt early on that what was happening in New York wouldn’t happen here, as this is a small town. We are safe- until it hit here and then, it became REAL, people they knew and loved were sick and vented.

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Artist: Miranda Steinmetz Robey | St. Paul, MN

"I grew up a relatively creative child. Drawing, painting, and manipulating clothes after my grandma taught me how to sew. This inspired me to go to art school where I graduated with a degree in Graphic Design. I have now been in the professional field for the last 6 years where I get to create every day. In my free time, I love hiking with my dog, playing tennis, and attending live music events. "

"I was honored to be able to create something so special and meaningful for such an important team that sacrificed their lives for all of us. I am so very grateful for that. 🙂 I know it feels a little dark, but the line in the story that said, "The workers felt like they were on a ship, ready to jump overboard" was what really stuck with me through the entire creation of this piece. But, ultimately, they just kept fighting to swim. "

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For more information about the Healing Reflections gallery or to get involved with the project, contact Sara Martinek.

To discuss the latest on Post-COVID Syndrome, head over to the Post-COVID Recovery discussion group.