These members of the Wellness team in the Department of Neurology at the University of Colorado each spoke about the importance of community and connection.
They had formed this unit over the summer in response to the pandemic.
“Everyone has something in common because of COVID, and everyone is being more vulnerable sharing how isolation is affecting us,” one member said. “Talking with our colleagues is sometimes the only social interaction we have, so it matters a lot more right now.”
“Being in residency is a tough process. You need a ton of grit to get through it,” another member told me. “We want to build a culture of support and invest in people’s health.”
“There’s lots to know and learn about the brain. It doesn’t follow a textbook,” said one of the doctors on the team. “To live with such uncertainty and now to live in a world of uncertainty… In some ways our patients are a lot better prepared for the unknown.”
Another doctor I spoke with said: “Now we know that stress can lead to psychological injuries that can lead to physical injuries, and we don’t want people to suffer health issues before taking a moment for themselves. We want people to know that they can talk about what’s on their mind. The goal is not to teach people how to live—the goal is to give them the opportunity to do what they want to do.”
Listener Poet Ravenna Raven
University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus
December 2020
Endless Currents
Our brains are like the ocean--
there’s so much we don’t know
about these vast expanses
of endless currents.
Neurology teaches us humility.
It’s important to
name the uncertainty,
celebrate small victories,
help patients sleep,
laugh through the grief,
share kindness, poetry,
music, humanity,
find moments of tranquility.
