Posts Tagged ‘volunteering’

I barely feel like an Actress or an ER Volunteer…

Remember how they said ER Volunteers could come back to my hospital last month? Well, we’re still not back.

Waiting for my COMEBACK!

Charlayne, my supervisor, had us take a brush-up written test. Did that. Aced it. Then a health check-up. Did that. Then we had to get a flu shot. Did that.

Then she sent an email about a mandatory Booster. Have that.

Then she added a Zoom meeting to go over all over the new Covid rules. Sat in on that.

We learned how we must now enter the hospital through a tent, then wait in line for a temp check, then pick-up two hospital masks (to be worn at the same time) and then get a daily badge to wear in addition to our regular badge. Haven’t done any of that yet, because Charlayne’s now supposed to tell us one-by-one when we can go back.

This is starting to feel like waiting for a callback…

To make things worse… haven’t heard from Dr. A in forever...

Or my Agent!

I’m SO OVER IT!

Oh, and I can’t take my homemade goodies to the doctors and nurses anymore because now the staff isn’t allowed to eat in the hospital!) But, it seems like the hospital isn’t the only organization that keeps changing its mind because the CDC is continually Covid-confused too.

On the good side…

Since I’m not doing anything I haven’t made any MISTAKES lately. haha.

And since I’m on auto-Purelling as a way of life after working in the ER for so long, I haven’t gotten Delta, Omacron or any kind of Covid yet. Fingers crossed.

Oh, and I’ve been going on okay-during-Covid-WALKS with a really cute boy in my neighborhood whose name I’m keeping private at the moment;) Not exactly romantic, but at least we don’t have to wear masks and he can see my smile:)

Hang in there Evie, haha …

It’s so hard to get back to —

• Love Connections
• Work Connections
• Friend Connections

It’s as if we’ve been on another planet for what feels like almost two years now that we’re rounding around the holiday bend.

Everything and Everywhere feels DISORGANIZED

I just got back from Austin where a friend had a film premiering at the Austin Film Festival. He was so hopeful about premiering there, but sadly the fest was short-staffed, overwhelmed and underprepared. Some of the panels were really interesting, but the festival “directors” gave  a lot of mixed messages without the proper prep and support. It looked like crowds were light. It was my first time in a movie theater, so I’m sure others were a little scared to go to a film festival after being so careful. I talked to a producer who said it’s been like that for all of the fests recently. She said “SXSW” was a disaster. Guess you can blame it on Covid.

Luckily productions are picking up, so I’m hoping-wishing-praying that some acting gigs are in my future. But the tragic news about Halyna Hutchins puts chills through anyone who’s ever been or will be going on a film set. Sloppiness about protocols, an overwhelmed and underprepared cast and crew… a tragedy that could’ve been avoided…  If only there were more people paying attention. I want to go back, but I want to be sure people are paying attention.

Who knows how long it’ll be before we recover from all of the effects of Covid — not just health-wise but people-wise.

Just got an email from the hospital where I volunteer asking if we want to come back, if we’ve been vaccinated, blah, blah, blah. We’ve been furloughed for-covid-ever, but it looks like we’ll be going back sometime in the near future. Yay! At least I can help people-wise at the hospital and do some good. I need to get back to some sense of normal.

Can’t wait to connect with friends in places other than on screens. Enough with the Instagram, Zoom reality!

I don’t know if I’ll ever feel a sense of normal again. Get me to the hospital STAT! I need a dose of Dr. A to find out, haha!

help is here!

Great news! Volunteers at my hospital get to be in line for vaccinations. Yay!

I just filled out a “Covid-19 Vaccine Interest Questionnaire” answering questions like :

“Do you come in contact with patients where you’re less than 6 feet apart? YES.

“Do you work in areas where there are known active Covid-19 cases? YES.

Not sure how long the list is, but it’s exciting to be on it. Dr. A and Anthony Chan got the vaccine yesterday and feel great.

Hope it’s like the flu vaccine where it helps to relax your arm when you’re getting it to avoid later aches. Will do my best.

I told Charlayne I’m ready and excited to come back and help! It’s a weird feeling to want to come back, but I do. I really do. Read the rest of this entry »

At my hospital ER Volunteers are still on “Pause” for Covid, but this week we all got emails saying it’s time to come in for Flu Shots. It’s a mandatory situation for anyone working in our hospital, so we always get them.

Gotta be honest, going back to the hospital after 6 months forced leave felt a little eerie, like walking into a black-and-white Twilight Zone episode where things seem normal but not. Fewer, quieter people walked through the lobby. Hardly anyone was sitting. No Volunteers behind the Information Desk. Just a guard.

Masks are mandatory in the hospital, even on outside bridges. I avoided elevators, wore rubber gloves to open doors and skipped using the restroom.

A nurse whisked me through the vaccination process – I barely had time to fill out my form. Probably was there eight minutes tops, and that included a short, socially-distanced wait in line.

Thinking about everyone in the ER…

I took the outside stairs down to the ER and hung out by the automatic glass doors just long enough to wave to Anthony Chan, wearing a face shield over his mask, triaging a patient.  It didn’t feel right to walk in, yet…

Dr. A’s car was the parking lot, so I left him a cute note on his windshield. I wonder when he’ll find it…

I miss all my friends/co-workers — Dr. A, Anthony Chan, Mira, Tyrell, Miguel — even Charlayne.  I miss the patients and their families, the EVS workers, the paramedics, the doctors, the nurses. I miss helping. I miss giving hugs. I miss being in on the action. I even miss the bad coffee in the employee lounge. I especially miss the non-paranoid, non-mask-wearing me.

Who knows about Covid, but at least I won’t get the flu…

I’m glad I got my flu shot at the hospital because I’ve definitely built up a lot of anxiety about the place. It felt less scary than I’d anticipated. But not going-back-to-work comfortable yet.

So strange, these times. Fears get magnified. The known feels unknown. Normal feels like an unattainable dream…

Frontline Workers will be among the first to get the Covid vaccine. Is an ER Volunteer a Frontline Worker? Google doesn’t have the answer. If Google doesn’t have the answer, what’s the world coming to?

I sometimes wonder… a lot actually…

(I wonder how he liked the note…)

VOLUNTEERING in the ER is sometimes the BEST, sometimes the WORST. Sometimes it gives me a lump in my throat.  Experiences unexpectedly stay with me, depending…

Life-and-death, happy-sad, love-hate: I’m emotionally all over the map.

VOLUNTEERING PUTS PROBLEMS INTO PERSPECTIVE

I always flashback to Orientation when my supervisor Charlayne scolded: “If y’all can’t focus on the patients, get your poor-me selves outta my department”

THE ER IS THE UNIVERSAL EQUALIZER

Patients with chest pains, symptoms of strokes, or difficulty breathing are all treated exactly the same in the ER. It doesn’t matter if you’ve donated a gazillion dollars to the hospital, or if you’re super famous, or homeless and can’t afford to pay your bill. Life-threatening symptoms get priority. Period.

INCLUSIVENESS IS PART OF THE MAKE-UP

The Hospital is the one place where diversity is a given: staff-wise, patient-wise and family-wise. Everyone is there to help or be helped. Tolerance is the normal state. If only the world would follow suit.

IT’S NOT ALWAYS A HAPPY ENDING

When someone dies and the family hasn’t been told yet, holding back the tears is a major challenge, even for an Actress.

I’M CHALLENGED BY LUMP IN MY THROAT MOMENTS

When a mommy and child come in, memories flood. I have to step away to compose myself because I identify so closely. In some ways it’s good because I can be compassionate. In other ways, not so much, because I’m on the verge of behaving like a basket-case.

THE SIGHTS, THE SMELLS, THE SOUNDS ARE DISGUSTING

Gotta be honest, the ER can get pretty gross fast. That’s when we page “Environmental to Triage, STAT!” I don’t know how they do it (but thank God they do!)

True story. A couple of weeks ago…

I’m in Santa Monica, parked on Wilshire Blvd near 3^rd Street Promenade on the far-far right by the curb, facing the Ocean.  The sun is super bright, blinding me.  So I lean over the steering wheel to block out the sun and read/answer an email. Okay, yeah, I admit, it’s a long email.

SUDDENLY I hear a slow siren, then a Man’s DEEP VOICE over a LOUDSPEAKER.  My head pops up. Whaa?!

OMG! An enormous FIRE TRUCK is heading directly toward me! In my parking lane! On the wrong side of the street! Y I K E S!

My eyes dart from side-to-side. Where’s the fire?!

The bellowing VOICE:

Is everything all right?

What did I do wrong? Read the rest of this entry »

I’ve got this love/hate situation going with the two jobs in my life: Volunteering and Acting.  They sorta counter-balance each other and fill up different parts of me. I got into acting by accident, and forced into volunteering — but I can’t seem to give either of them up.

What I LOVE about VOLUNTEERING IN THE ER

• The Rush
• Helping Patients in need
• Working with dedicated Staff
• Making patients LAUGH
• Feeling Appreciated
• Giving Back
• Hanging-out with my Hot Doc
• Witnessing miracles
• Halloween in the ER
• Being called an “Angel”
• Finding the funny in the ER

What I HATE about VOLUNTEERING IN THE ER

• Blood
• Vomit
• Stinky Smells
• Bad News
• Crabby Staff
• Seeing Pain
• Screams
• Death
• Pelvic exams
• Demanding Family Members

What I LOVE about ACTING

• Working with talented Directors
• Working with talented Actors
• The Rush
• Being in the zone
• Getting Laughs
• Supportive Casting Directors
• Call-backs
• Nailing it
• Red Carpets
• Being Recognized
• Fans

What I HATE about ACTING

• Rejection
• Insecurity
• Feeling nervous
• No Call-back
• Distracted Casting Directors
• Not being Recognized
• Depending on it
• Being Typecast