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Life During COVID-19: Update 1

Life during COVID-19 feels like it changes by the day. So, I've decided to document my experiences as a PA student, a hospital dietitian, and just with life in general. Here goes!

Student Life: Honestly, not much has changed for me, minus the fact that I was supposed to go to campus this coming week for some clinical skills. Because my program involves two years of didactic learning, I'll be able to catch up on these skills at a later time. However, I was really looking forward to seeing my friends. Also, social distancing has meant that I can't study with my friends at a coffee shop before big exams like I had been. We've made it work by having Facebook video calls, which allows us to still collaborate and test each other, but it's just not the same.

Hospital Life: Since there's no scheduled/elective surgeries, the dietitian workload is actually a little lighter than usual, which means more people have been able to take PTO or get projects done. As things with COVID-19 are changing by the day, it seems, I'm feeling a bit stressed. The anticipation is killing me, in a way! However, our staff has been staying on top of pertinent nutrition research, participating in relevant video conferences, and sharing knowledge. I feel like we're doing everything we can to be prepared.

Our hospital has also been great when it comes to providing support. We get daily emails with updates, they are providing a meal to all inpatient employees daily, and there's even cute little chalk art by the entrances thanking people for being there. I know that's a small gesture, but it feels nice to be appreciated.

Life in General: I miss my people. *cries* As a self-proclaimed extrovert, I am struggling with not seeing my friends and family. Sure, we can do video calls but it just isn't the same. I'm sad about not getting together for my birthday or Easter. I know that social distance is super important, but that doesn't mean it isn't hard.

Definitely didn't realize how much I used grocery shopping as an excuse to get out of the house. I'm trying to limit my trips as much as possible, and that's definitely a change from normal! I also totally loved going to coffee shops to get work done. I didn't do it terribly often, but enough to get my brain refreshed and recharge my batteries. Sigh.

On a brighter note, I am loving seeing people out and about! Walking their dogs, riding their bikes. Maybe it's social distancing. Maybe it's cabin fever from winter. Maybe it's both! But it's great to see people getting some fresh air and exercise. Milo and I have definitely been doing the same! We went for a three mile walk yesterday and it was a great dose of exercise, vitamin D, and stress relief for me.

Thanks for reading and stay safe,
Olivia


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