I am not a nurse — I started following this subreddit to see if I could better understand what was happening with Covid, and I stayed for the amazing stories, the humor, and the glimpse into a world I will never really be a part of.

First off I want to say how much I appreciate every one of you for your work in helping us get through this nightmare - you all do what the rest of us can’t, and I love you all for it.

But I am writing this to let you know how you have helped me personally with your posts and comments in this sub, with something I have felt guilty about for years. To explain— my brother was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer six years ago. We were not close, but I went to his city to help him out (no parents or other siblings, and he was long divorced with no kids). He went downhill rapidly and ended up in the hospital when he lost the ability to swallow. As he became less lucid, it became clear that I would have to make his medical decisions for him. I credit a wonderful doctor who had a very frank conversation with me in front of the students/interns he was rounding with. I remember words like “feeding tube”, “nursing home until his skin sloughs off”, “he has pancreatic cancer for God’s sake”. That same day I found a beautiful hospice where he passed 13 days later. His nurses throughout were wonderful, and I feel sure that several of them would have told me the same thing as that doctor if they could have done so without potentially getting in trouble for it.

But, I have felt guilty about this ever since. It has only been through reading so many posts and comments here about how damaging it can be to prolong life when that life is not worth living, that I have come to be at peace with my decision. Not only does it make me feel like I did the right thing, but it has led me to have some very frank conversations with my spouse and kids about my own end-of-life preferences.

So thank you for everything you do for us, the often ungrateful public. We truly don’t deserve you. And especially thank you for unknowingly helping me leave my guilt behind. Keep up the good fight for better wages and working conditions — I am cheering you on from the sidelines.