Suffering Covid

Oh maddy I am so sorry to hear you have been unwell and in hospital. I thought you were busy looking after your mum so I didn't message you recently.
I do hope you will recover bit by bit with the wonderful family and care you have around you. Thank you for sharing your experience here.

Glad you are home and on the mend.

Makes so much sense to monitor from home. It takes away a lot of the uncertainty deciding what to do for the best.

Whatever infection I had before Christmas affected my breathing and I remember standing at the bottom of the stairs and wondering how I was going to get up them because I was so short of breath.

My goodness maddyone what a frightening experience for you and your family. I hope you are starting to feel stronger and will continue to improve each day?

I hadn’t heard of the “virtual covid ward” arrangement. It sounds like a very good idea to monitor those who are feeling very unwell but possibly don’t require hospital admission.

I will continue, I didn’t want to lose what I’d written. I spent twelve days in the hospital receiving excellent care. I got the CT scan and I was so lucky because there were no blood clots in my lungs, a piece of news I regarded as very positive. My daughter rang up every day and discussed my treatment and management with my consultant. He gave her his home number and talked with her at night. She already knew his son as she had worked with him some years ago when she was working rotations at the hospital. It was handy having a route in but the treatment would be the same whether or not your relative happens to be a dr. I was offered to go on a trial, and to begin with I agreed, but when my daughter discovered she made it absolutely clear that I wasn’t in a fit state to properly consent and understand the issues, and that she absolutely took responsibility here, telling the medics my mother is to be given no unlicensed treatments, so that is what happened. You do need an advocate when you’re so ill, you are simply not in a fit state to take everything on board. I was so weak that I had to be taken to the toilet along with an oxygen cylinder as I couldn’t be away from the oxygen. I didn’t want to use a commode but at times I had to. I couldn’t shower, just a little wash and teeth clean. The staff were exemplary, so very busy, looking after so many poorly people, and working twelve hour shifts. I haven’t got the words to describe them except I know they saved my life. Eventually I could manage a shower so long as I sat down. I tried to keep my dignity, it was important to me, so I struggled rather than get help sometimes. It was a truly shattering experience to be both so ill and so helpless, like a child. You are allowed no visitors although my son in law did get up to the ward once but I was with medics so he could only see me through the curtain. Unfortunately whilst all this was going on, my son in law, my daughter, and my little granddaughter all tested positive for the virus. My son in law picked it up from the Covid Hub where he works.

Ladies do not underestimate this virus. I have little doubt that without the wonderful care I received I would not be here now. Now I have a long haul in front of me to regain health and strength. My consultant told me at least six weeks and maybe more. Eat a lot of protein, especially meat to rebuild my ravaged tissues. I was told the virus destroys your tissues and that’s why it’s a long recuperation.

I just hope that any doubters read and understand. This is not the flu or a cold, it is a devastating virus. Whilst many do have it mildly, there are no ways of knowing what your reaction will be if you pick it up.
Please keep safe ladies.

Maddyone.. Every good wish from me. That must have been very frightening. If only the selfish would take note! I have a young(ish) relation who has decided that she has had enough of the pandemic and is allowing her university children to be at home with their friends calling whenever. I had thought that she was a level headed, thoughtful person. Not any more!!

I wish you well and hope you continue to improve in health. It's hard to believe people don't believe in the severity of this virus

The scary thing to me is how fast it deteriorates .My friends 34 year old healthy son thought he had a cold last March ,after a couple of days off work he decided he should go back ,got himself into the shower and felt ill
.He collapsed and died on the floor before the ambulance arrived .
Its surprising how many folk say ah but he MUST have had underlying health issues .Nope,fit and healthy and happy.His mother is devastated and ten months on its not any easier .
I'm pleased you are recovering and hope you return to full health .For many hearing your story might make them understand its NOT just the flu .Thank you on behalf of my freind and all those you have lost loved ones .

Thank you for describing so clearly the serious nature of this illness - let us hope the nay-sayers are listening.

I am so pleased that you received such good treatment from these brave NHS workers - we have a lot to thank them for.

I hope your recovery continues well and that you will soon be back to yourself.

Look after yourself maddyone, you must be completely exhausted after that awful experience.

I was interested in what you said about monitoring yourself at home first, and knowing from that when you needed to go into hospital, that sounds like a really good system, and hopefully would be reassuring for some people who didn’t deteriorate, as well as letting you know when you did so could take the necessary action.

Maddyone that sounds terrifying and I am so glad you are on the mend now- you are one of the lucky ones in that you have survived it, but it is a lesson to anybody who thinks because they are not 90+ and in a care homes, tgat they are somehow safe.
I hope you continue to feel stronger and make a full recovery.

Thank you for this picture of Covid from the inside. I never doubted its severity but often wondered what it was like to actually contract it. Sounds like you had good care. I'm so glad to hear that you've recovered or even recovered enough to post this. I expect you might feel pretty feeble for a wee while yet.