Delayed

Word of the Pandemic

I had a moment (there have been a few) Of standing inside the doorway, paralyzed by indecision: Do I wash my hands before or after putting away the groceries? Before or after I wipe down the doorknob? Before I touch my hair, or the sink handle, or the refrigerator! As a result, I wash my hands 95 times from the time I get home to the time I sit down. Will we ever be clean again? Will we ever be safe again?

Normally- We think of delays in diagnosis, in subways, in flights But now It’s our life That is on pause.

Birthdays, funerals, college graduations Exams, buying a house, starting a career All stopped in their tracks (The only thing this virus hasn’t held back is birth — the babies continue to come)

What I worry about now (a new thing every day) Are the delays in healthcare after this pandemic There’s one guy who has extremely high blood pressure but he won’t go to the doctor (and there’s nowhere to go where he won’t be exposed) Another woman who is sure she has a UTI (asking for antibiotics without being examined) All my patients who have cancer or people who cancelled their screening colonoscopies In a few months, they’ll come in with perforated or obstructed Tumors

Because we’re holding off what used to be the norm In favor of this new normal.

-c.f.fong

For more content, visit my Medium profile; or my LinkTree for scholarly work, or Subscribe to my monthly newsletter, Flying Penguins, which is a digest of my best work every month as well as completely new pieces written just for the newsletter, delivered directly to your Inbox!