The other day, a woman asked me the correct way to do virtual visits with dogs.
ELBEE Actually she has no idea.
I had to admit that I really had no idea.
ELBEE I told you.
A year ago, I’d never even heard of virtual visits or of Zoom. Now, after all of these months, I’m still trying to figure them out. Every visit, whether with a group of dogs or just the Doods, has a character and style all it’s own. Never really knowing exactly what to expect, you have to improvise to see what works.
Fortunately, I have Gus and Stanley to rely on. Just as I could never do hospital visits on my own, I could never do this alone either. It’s as if I’m the agent and they’re the talent.
Recently someone asked us to make a surprise virtual appearance for their UCLA study group. When I popped into the meeting, with my name under my face, I immediately heard, “Who’s Ellen Morrow?” I felt like an intruder. Then they saw Gus and Stanley. Suddenly, there were smiles all around. They all nodded in agreement as one person shared, “I feel better already.”
Several months ago when we began our virtual visits with the kids and the teens in the neuropsych units at UCLA, the dogs quickly figured out the whole concept of screen time. They started showing off and blocking me to get attention.
Actually that would be Stanley. When I’d have Gus do his “dance” for everyone, Stanley became a drama king jumping all over the place.
STANLEY I think I resent that. And I need a real agent.
That behavior could be a major problem in person, but on Zoom it immediately engaged the kids. When children are in the hospital, watching two goofy dogs vie for attention is much more entertaining than seeing them do a perfect sit.
At times, the visits are a lot calmer. All it takes is the sight of Gus and Stanley sitting by my side to help a patient or even a staff member relax and chat quietly. Their mere presence is comforting.
It dawned on me that in a way, I’m the referring physician and they are truly the specialists.
ELBEE Referring physician practicing with a “virtual” license?
They may be the calming psychiatrists who listen with no judgment. They may be the pain management experts who distract patients from their discomfort. They may be the pediatricians who care for the little ones sitting sadly in their hospital beds. And although they may not be cardiac surgeons, they have certainly opened many hearts.
ELBEE That is very sweet but incredibly cheesy.
