How Dr. Alex Arroyo Spends His Sundays (in Costume)

“Hey, buddy, how are you doing?” a person sporting a Boba Fett costume stated as he leaned over the mattress of a younger boy in a hospital robe.

It was a Sunday afternoon within the emergency room at Maimonides Medical Middle in Brooklyn, the place Dr. Alex Arroyo, the hospital’s director of pediatric emergency drugs, typically dons one in all greater than 20 costumes when he visits sufferers. His favourite is Boba Fett, the famed bounty hunter from the “Star Wars” movies.

“I really like what I do, but it surely’s certain sizzling in there!” stated Dr. Arroyo, 48, who has labored on the hospital since 2006. He began sporting costumes in 2021.

A die-hard “Star Wars” fan who grew up watching the unique trilogy together with his dad and mom, Dr. Arroyo has handed that love on to his two youngest kids, Grayson, 8, and Karra, 6. For New York Comedian Con annually, the entire household attire up, together with his spouse, Dr. Sharon Yellin, 44, a fellow pediatric emergency drugs doctor who works at NewYork-Presbyterian Brooklyn Methodist Hospital. One yr they went because the household from “Encanto.”

“I used to be the large, robust sister with the donkey,” Dr. Arroyo stated, referring to the character Luisa.

Dr. Arroyo, who additionally has a 21-year-old son, Colin, from a earlier marriage, was born within the Borough Park neighborhood of South Brooklyn — at Maimonides, the truth is. Now he lives lower than a mile from the home the place he grew up, in a four-bedroom, three-story Nineteen Twenties brownstone. He makes use of one of many spare bedrooms as his workplace and rents out the third flooring.

“It’s a daunting place to be within as a result of I’m additionally an active-duty comedian collector,” he stated of his workplace. “It’s crammed wall to wall with toys. It’s my sanctuary away from the world.”

READY TO ROCK I get up at 7:30 or 8. I in all probability don’t want my iPhone alarm, however I set it simply in case. It’s “Sabotage” by the Beastie Boys. It places me within the temper for the day.

The very first thing I do is make a cup of espresso. I brew as a lot as I can within the Keurig. I’m not a espresso snob — I’ll have no matter’s accessible.

CHEF HOUR Whereas my kids run downstairs to steal some iPad or TV time, I get breakfast going. My go-tos are pancakes, waffles and quail eggs — I purchased them on the grocery retailer across the nook as a joke at some point, considering my children would discover them hilarious as a result of they’re so tiny, however they’ve gotten to actually take pleasure in them. They’re extraordinarily troublesome to open, although; there’s often shells in every single place. One way or the other, I’ve change into the default cook dinner for the home. My spouse refers to my cooking type as “‘Iron Chef’ on steroids.” I cook dinner the best way I work — extraordinarily quick and actually environment friendly, but it surely’s actually messy.

TECH FIX I verify my e mail first, after which the WhatsApp teams from the hospital to see if something occurred in a single day or if anybody wants something. Then I’ll run over to Instagram, scroll by means of X to make amends for what occurred after I was sleeping. I’m one thing of a social media addict. Then my spouse and I face off in our every day Wordle, Connections and mini New York Occasions Crossword challenges. We textual content one another our outcomes to see who beat who at the moment.

FIGHT CLUB Round 10 or 11 a.m., I head to jujitsu class at Windsor Terrace Martial Arts. I attempt to go as typically as potential, typically as a lot as 10 occasions per week. I’ve been doing it for about 17 months. I’ll often do a non-public lesson on Sunday. I generate a whole lot of pleasure by strangling individuals who I think about my buddies. It’s a tremendous outlet for the horrors of the world I see every day.

SPLIT TRACK In the case of work, my Sundays range. I could possibly be working one in all three 12-hour emergency room shifts — which begin at 7 a.m., or 1 p.m., or 7 p.m. — or I could possibly be off. At the moment, I’ve a 1 p.m. shift.

I run the division, so my time within the E.R. is restricted to about 12 hours per week. My different time is occupied with being within the workplace and making an attempt to handle the day-to-day craziness that’s operating an E.R. in New York Metropolis.

HEADING IN I take a bathe, then head to the hospital. On an excellent day with no visitors, it’s a six-minute drive. Normally parking is a problem, however not on the weekend, which is sweet. I get a cup of iced espresso from Dunkin’ Donuts across the nook from the hospital.

SUITING UP I’m beginning my shift by visiting children as Boba Fett, so I head to my workplace to vary into my costume. It takes me about 20 minutes to placed on, and I need assistance. I needed it to be as near film correct as potential, so it has no less than 20 completely different items I’ve to placed on. Good luck sitting down or strolling by means of doorways!

BOBA FETT WILL SEE YOU NOW I put apart an hour initially of my shift to stroll round in costume, as a result of I don’t really work whereas sporting it. Even on Halloween, we discourage sporting any costumes — the very last thing you need is SpongeBob SquarePants dealing with your youngster’s cardiac arrest.

I’ve no less than 4 “Star Wars” costumes, together with two Jedis and a fighter pilot. “Star Wars” is sweet as a result of it’s a ubiquitous factor that reaches throughout generations — when children acknowledge a personality, they mild up and their eyes type of come out of their head.

THE REAL WORK BEGINS The 1 p.m. to 1 a.m. shift is the busiest of the three — I’m seeing sufferers just about nonstop. On an excellent day, I can sit down for 5 minutes sooner or later to eat and pee, however typically that’s not potential as a result of I’m operating round like a maniac.

I see a number of fevers — which, in a weeks-old child, is without doubt one of the largest emergencies we are able to see in pediatric emergency drugs. I liken that to an grownup with chest ache, as a result of it’s often indicative of one thing very critical and we now have to additionally rule out all of the unhealthy issues. Within the spring and summer season, when the climate is nicer, I additionally see a number of damaged bones, particularly damaged arms. Children fall down on the park, particularly off the monkey bars.

SUNDAY FUNDAY Once I’m not working — or after I’m working the late shift — I’ll do one thing enjoyable with my children. They’re huge foodies, so I’ll take them to Smorgasburg, the open-air meals market in Prospect Park. The French fry place is my favourite. My children love the rainbow grilled cheese, but it surely appears disgusting.

Or we’d make a journey to grandma’s home and do brunch. Then we’d see a film at Nitehawk Cinema — Prospect Park, which is nice as a result of it has meals.

HOT DOG NIGHT Once I’m house, round 5 or 5:30, I’ll make dinner for my children. Their palates aren’t as refined as these of many Brooklyn kids. They’re huge on rooster, pizza, sizzling canines, pasta … and my son loves sushi.

After my spouse and I put the children to mattress round 7:30 or 8, we’ll eat dinner round 8:30 — often one thing extra adventurous than a sizzling canine and mac and cheese.

TV TIME My spouse and I’ll watch just about all the pieces — dramas, comedies, interval items. We not too long ago completed “The Crown.” We’re huge followers of “Cobra Kai,” “Yellowstone” and homicide thriller documentaries.

DOOMSCROLLING Round midnight, I head upstairs to mattress, the place I spend half-hour doomscrolling no matter social media app to lull myself to sleep.

The great factor about working in emergency drugs is that I don’t get the “Sunday Scaries.” My schedule flips and turns always, so I’m on this perpetual cycle of “no matter comes, comes.”