Covid Can Kick Rocks!

We can all agree that 2020 was a trying year for all, without rehashing the year, let’s all release a collective sigh of relief that’s it over! 2021 can only up from here!

I was a rule follower when it came to safety in 2020, I wore my masks, washed my hands, used plenty of hand sanitizer, and made sure to social distance….but on December 16, 2020 all of my hard work went out of the window. I had started experiencing a temperature of 102 degrees; the previous week I had accomplished my 2020 goal of riding 600 miles on my bike, plus t was a busy work week, I thought it was a slight case of the flu. Long story short, I tested positive for #COVID19.

By nature, I’m a pretty laid back personality, the diagnosis itself didn’t worry me. I have no past medicali history (other than slight obesity) and I’m fairly active, so when I was told to quarantine for 10 days, no problem, I got this! Let me back up by saying I’m a newlywed, so my husband and I had to quarantine away from each other, but again, no problem. The 1st few days at home were spent fighting a fever and chills, nothing worked to break the fever, then came the cough and shortness of breath! I had already had a talk with myself that if I felt the symptoms were too bad to manage at home, it would time to go to ER! That time finally came on Christmas Eve.

I woke up Christmas Eve coughing so hard I couldn’t catch my breath no matter how hard I tried; again, I’m a laid back personality, but I had to admit I was getting worried. Even though I was having a crisis, I wanted to make sure my husband and daughter were ok and didn’t panic, so I reassured them that I was ok just wanted to go to ER to be safe. I even called the 911 myself (taking control of the situation as always). Once I was rushed away by the ambulance, I could allow myself to take in the potential gravity of the situation.

I was admitted to Hurley Medical Center in Flint, MI (http://www.hurleymedicalcenter.com) Hurley is the local premier Trauma Center and also has a unit dedicated to COVID patients like myself. I felt more than comfortable doing to Hurley for my care. Once in ER, I was assessed and the plan was to immediately start me on the COVID medication #Remdesivir, I was hopeful that this medication was going to treat whatever this virus is in my system. Over the course of my 6 day hospital stay, I was given 5 treatments of #Remdesivir and was also give #COVIDantibodies from another COVID survivor to help boost my system. I was also given a steroid to help with my breathing along with oxygen. I started off on 6 liters of oxygen, I am currently on 2 liters….progress!

A few pics from my hospital experience, clearly I didn’t get the brows done before my admission….priorities!

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When they say COVID-19 attacks your respiratory system, it is not an exaggeration! Now that I am home, I still get winded with everyday tasks like walking the 10 feet from my bedroom to the bathroom; I carry my new BFF, my oxygen tank throughout the house. Hopefully I will won’t have my BFF too much longer.

I really want to emphasize the importance of knowing “when to say when”. When to leave the comforts of your home after your COVID diagnosis, yes recovering at home under quarantine for a few days is a common practice, but there are those times when you have to let ER and trained medical staff take over. In my experience, have the COVID medications immediately started upon my admission was a matter of life and death. I know there are many fears when it comes to being in the hospital, especially no visitors. I was ok not having visitors when it came down to saving my life vs seeing my family in person. Thank God I was able to communicate with them via phone daily. I know they were praying for me, that’s all that matter.

I had a few conversations with some of the Physicians and Nurses, those suffering from COVID waiting too long to come into the hospital is the number one issue they see, by the time a lot are admitted, it’s often too late. So if the person reading this is home fighting COVID or has a loved one that’s currently fighting, please know “when to say when”.

Peace and Love,

Kim