What it’s like to write about COVID-19 while it’s killing your mom

<p>"My mom was beyond vulnerable to the virus. May of 2020 marked two years since she’d become a nursing home resident—receiving care for several chronic illnesses. She died of failure to thrive due to Coronavirus 2019 on June 1, 2020, at the age of 75.</p> <p>As her oldest child, her health care proxy, and a health care writer for more than 15 years, I knew that a positive result in a long-term care facility was statistically almost sure to end one way. She’d already been showing signs of global decline for months, and had a DNR order in place.</p> <p>Professionally, I’d been immersed in COVID almost from the time it began. I was writing articles about physicians’ liability exposure during the crisis and how clinicians could seek resources for help coping with trauma related to the pandemic.</p> <p>Personally, I was connecting with my mom the best I could (asynchronous videos, cards in the mail). I was defending her final wishes. And I was preparing mentally to say goodbye, even if it couldn’t be in person."</p> <p><a href= "https://www.facebook.com/DebraAShuteFreelanceWriterEditor" target= "_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Debra A. Shute</a> is a journalist.</p> <p>She shares her story and discusses her KevinMD article, "<a href="https://www.kevinmd.com/blog/2020/07/what-its-like-to-write-about-covid-19-while-its-killing-your-mom.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">What it’s like to write about COVID-19 while it’s killing your mom</a>." (<a href= "https://www.kevinmd.com/blog/2020/07/what-its-like-to-write-about-covid-19-while-its-killing-your-mom.html">https://www.kevinmd.com/blog/2020/07/what-its-like-to-write-about-covid-19-while-its-killing-your-mom.html</a>)</p> <p><em>This episode is sponsored by <a href= "https://www.nuance.com/healthcare/campaign/demo/dax-group-demos.html?cid=7010W000002T9aqQAC&utm_campaign=DHX_AO_202008_DAX_livesteam_demo_digital&utm_medium=Display&utm_source=kevinmd" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">The Nuance Dragon Ambient eXperience (DAX)</a>. The Nuance DAX s