So, my sister calls me from the small town in Illinois where she lives, to tell me that the state of Illinois is willing to offer me 3-4 times my "usual" pay rate (about $150/hr) to come out of my retirement and work up there.
If I were physically and medically able to, I would do it, but it'd be a literal death sentence for me, so.......no.
If I were possibly able, I'd do it for less money, and only because being a Respiratory Therapist is just a part of who I am, and I got into this profession out of a desire to help others and not profit from the misery/misfortune/suffering of others. To me, medicine and health care should be a right and not the providence of only those who are able to pay for it. I miss working in my profession and I miss the good people I worked with, over the 30 years I spent in it. I really enjoyed it. It wasn't always easy, by far, but I always felt that what I did mattered and that I was blessed with the opportunity to help others to live a better life.
Standing aside during this crisis has been harder for me than any of the "bad" days I ever had at work.
~Theo~
