Guererro
An Arizona couple lay in separate hospital beds, battling coronavirus. Their beds were divided by a thin laminated curtain, yet the husband asked that it be open at all times. The man had advanced dementia and frequently forgot where he was and why he was there. However, he always remembered his wife. They had been together for 56 years. José Lupe Flores was their nurse.
“They were Hispanic. I am Hispanic myself,” Flores said. “I felt like they needed someone who could understand them better because of the language barrier. So I wanted to take care of them.”
Flores recalled that the wife was legally blind and diabetic. The husband often worried that she wasn’t eating enough, so he kept an eye on her from his bed.
Flores took care of them for five days before the husband was transferred to the ICU. He died a few days later. The wife was left alone and stopped eating altogether. She asked to go home when her health declined further.
“That’s all she wanted to do,” Flores said. “She was already placed in hospice, she was dying and she wanted to die at home.” However, her daughter was a COVID-19 survivor. She was too afraid of re-infection and refused to bring her mother home.
“In the third week, the woman ended up dying in the hospital,” Flores said. “I wasn’t there, which in a way, broke my heart.”
Flores has worked in the coronavirus ward since March and has seen many people die from the illness. “I don’t want to say ‘It is what it is,’” said Flores. “but it’s something that I have learned to cope with in the job that I do.”
He works in the Yuma Regional Medical Center in Yuma, AZ. This is the only hospital located in the small desert town. According to worldpopulationreview.com, Yuma has a population of 97,908; 14,409 of those people are elderly.
The pandemic hit Yuma in March. The first confirmed case was on March 20. Despite rising cases, Yuma Mayor Douglas J. Nicholls voted against a mask mandate in June. This made national news when he was interviewed by CNN’s Chris Cuomo.
Flores isn’t a stranger to hardship. He was born and raised in San Luis Río Colorado, Mexico. His family lived in deep poverty and struggled to get by. His house was built out of cardboard and when it would rain, the water seeped through the walls. He was the youngest of 10 siblings.
“Since I was little, I’ve always worked for everything that I have,” Flores said. “Nothing was given to me.” At 21, he taught himself English and moved to Arizona alone. Then he decided to pursue a higher education and become a nurse. Flores graduated from Arizona Western College in 2009 and has worked at Yuma Regional ever since.
Flores was never assigned to work full-time in the COVID-19 unit, only floated there. “There were quite a few nurses that were afraid of being floated to this unit,” Flores said. “But I didn’t mind being there.”
He recounted entering the unit for the first time in March. The scent of stainless steel and chemical disinfectant crept in the air. Uncertainty echoed throughout the hospital. There was built-up anticipation around what this virus was capable of. According to the CDC, there have been 14,219 cases in Yuma. 361 have died from the virus.
A big concern was not having enough personal protective equipment (PPE) for the staff. Nurses are issued disposable gowns or coveralls (a one-piece suit.) Gloves, masks, breathing equipment (respirators) and goggles are also required.
Flores wears an N-95 mask covered by a cloth mask, as well as a face shield. Most of the staff wear hairnets. Merely touching the hair can cause contamination.
His hospital has never run out of supplies during the pandemic, but it did run low on disposable yellow gowns. The flimsy waterproof covering is usually used for nurses treating isolation patients. However, they fall apart after about two hours of wear. That prompted Flores to buy his own coveralls online.
He connected with these patients, including the elderly couple. “I would see these people come in with fear written across their faces,” Flores said. “I really care for these people and I wanted to continue caring for them.” This eventually led to Flores willingly volunteering to work in the coronavirus unit.
“Imagine the desperation of not being able to breathe,” Flores said. “I have not gone through it, but it almost feels like placing someone underwater.”
His unit provides ventilators, BiPAPs and high flows. A BiPAP is a breathing machine with a face mask attached by a tube. Pressurized air is pushed into the lungs by a machine motor. It blows air through the tube which enters the mask. A high flow provides respiratory support by delivering humidified medical Oxygen to the patient. They also place COVID patients in the prone position. The patient is flipped on their stomach with their back facing the ceiling. This distributes oxygen through their lungs more efficiently.
Dawne Forderer has known Flores for over 20 years. They were introduced through her cousin when she was visiting Yuma. “I work in healthcare too, but not in the capacity that Lupe does,” Forderer said.
Forderer works for Imaging Healthcare Specialists in San Diego, California. She works in the medical records department. “I know that just the way Lupe is as a person, he does everything he can to help those patients,” Forderer said. “He just has that caring nature.”
There was a day where a hospice nurse broke down in front of Flores. She grabbed his hand and wept. He couldn’t recall the events that led to her confiding in him. “I told her, you’re one of us and we’re here to help you,” Flores said. “Not only you, but everyone here. So don’t worry, you’re well taken care of.”
The pandemic has taken a toll on the mental health of essential workers. Flores mentioned the surge of depression, anxiety and PTSD throughout the hospital staff. “Even yesterday, one of my colleagues had a breakdown from the stress,” Flores said. “She had to call off and she’s on a two-week break now.”
Flores has experienced PTSD firsthand. “Sometimes even noises will take you back to the hospital,” said Flores. “Alarm clocks, noises while you’re driving or people screaming are triggers.”
Sandra Gordy was dining at a restaurant when she met Flores. She was introduced to him through a mutual friend 21 years ago. “I’m always asking him what it’s like working there,” Gordy said. “I ask him if he’s being safe. I worry about him all the time.”
There are days where Flores needs to take a step back. “Some days I am scared,” Flores said. “That’s why I make sure to take some time off for myself and to utilize that time for my family. I spend time with the people I cherish.”
Despite the challenges that Flores has faced, he still perseveres. “I never envisioned myself being a nurse. But I think nursing has taught me so much as a human,” Flores said. “I’m so grateful for that.”
