My name is Luciana. I am fifty years old and I have spent half of them doing, by profession, what I am today and always will be. A nurse.
For four years I have been working in the ASP of Catanzaro, at the Soveria Mannelli Emergency Department as a nursing coordinator. Before arriving in Soveria, I worked for many years in other hospitals, including in Turin. A difficult moment for me that move to Piedmont, especially in a period when it was not so common to travel. Leaving all my loved ones cost me, but I adapted and worked very hard. I do not hide the fact that returning home, as soon as the job gave it to me, made me rejoice.
Where today army counts for little, the more important it is like army. Curious, isn't it? The term I used, army. Never as in recent months, what we do, has been so close to a battle.
I have always wanted to assist those who are ill and this is not only useful for me, it gives meaning to the work I do, and to my life. I dedicated myself to my career: masters, specializations, I had no reason to spare myself. I wanted to deserve my own respect and be proud of myself. Now that after years of sacrifice I have become an emergency room coordinator I think I can say that I am satisfied.
In this period many have called us heroes. We are not. It's a word I'm not fond of. A word that is used lightly, Italy has cellars full of heroes, crowned and then forgotten and left there to gather dust. We are normal people at work, that work on which our Republic should be founded. We are health professionals and care for the sick, but we are first of all human beings.
And today we are disoriented humans. Never in twenty-five years of career have I had to face something like this. And I was afraid. My biggest fear has been and still is that of not being able to hold up. Fear of not being able to bear the fact of having to deal with death every day. It is inhumane. And dehumanizing.
I don't know what awaits us tomorrow, we have to go on day by day. What I do know is that if we continue to be united and focused we will be able to breathe again. Meanwhile, we must accept that our habits change. My colleagues and I are the first to know and continue to self-isolate. For months I have lived alone, away from those I love, to protect my family. But like many years ago, when I lived in Turin and I knew I would go home, even now I'm sure I'll be back. I know it. I, like all of us, will go home. And we will rejoice.
