Covid Chronicles -The Extended Version

Well, here we go. I suppose I missed out on my blog a day in November, but that's life.

I figured it was about time to document my journey with Covid since I've blogged and shared my opinions on it for the past year and a half. I would say, I'll try to make it brief, but I'm long winded, so just quit reading when you get bored. It's mostly here for my own memories.

Saturday, October 24th, I got to spend my entire day working at the pumpkin patch and it was glorious. I felt 100% fine (minus the bee that decided to fly down into my sock and sting my ankle). I had no idea that I was about to come crashing down within the next 12 hours.

My plan for the weekend had been to hit up some fun local Halloween festivities. Then I got called to work at the patch, and decided we would cram in a couple of things on Sunday. When I woke up, I just felt off. My sinuses were plugged, my body ached (but what else is new?) and I was freezing. The being cold is what actually caught my attention. My normal body temperature always runs a bit low. Usually about 97.5, and it was 100.5 when I took it. We canceled our plans for the day, and while James was bummed, Daniel was happy about having a stay at home day. I had a couple of home rapid tests up in the closet and figured I'd take one just for fun. It came back negative, so I figured it was just a lovely little bug I picked up. In fact, I blamed the bee!

I stayed home from work on Monday since I had a fever all day on Sunday. Took the boys to school and rested all day. No fever. By Tuesday, I woke up feeling worse. I knew the fever was back and I just felt like I was weighted down. I took the boys to school, came home and took another rapid test. Within 3 minutes I had 2 pink lines. Not pregnant. Just Covid. That meant I had to go back to school and pick up James. Daniel was still in the 90 day window from having it already and was allowed to continue going to school. James and I went to the Health Dept. so I could get an "official" test (basically so they have documentation and I don't have to quarantine again if I get exposed within the 90 day window), and to get James tested. His came back with a faint positive and honestly I think he probably had already had it for almost a week and I just assumed it was allergies. He fared well. 

I had a fever for 7 of the first 8 days. Never higher than 100.5, but no fun. Zero energy. I think I lost taste by about the 3rd or 4th day. I was also very nauseous for several days.  The cough started to set in too. Still, it wasn't anything I couldn't handle. In fact, at first I said the Covid was easy compared to whatever sickness it was I had back in the summer of 2020. That was a 2 week recovery and it sucked. Although, I still think I was in way more actual pain from that sickness.

Then came day 10. You know...the point where you'd think you'd be starting to round the corner? I knew something was off that day. I did NOT feel right at all. It was James' last day in quarantine and his birthday was the following day. I was not going to let it get me down. Every muscle in my body hurt. I borrowed a pulse oximeter from a friend and noticed when I moved around more my oxygen would drop. Getting up the stairs was awful. My legs burned, my arms burned, and it felt like I was trying to climb Everest. I tucked the boys in, and went back down to set up for James' birthday and about passed out trying to hang up a banner.

I promised myself that in the morning after I took the boys to school that I would drive to Springfield to urgent care and get checked out. It seemed like a waste of resources to go to the ER. That morning I let James open one present and his card and let them know I was going to the doctor that morning. My pulse ox was dropping into the low 90's, so after I dropped Daniel off I knew that I needed to head somewhere. I just felt this nudge from God that I needed to just get myself to the ER. If it wasn't bad, they would send me home.

I sat in the parking lot for a few minutes trying to decide if I REALLY needed to be seen. I finally headed in and within 5 minutes I was in a room hooked up to an EKG machine because my heart was racing so fast. Then 6 hours of "fun" ensued in the ER. Chest x-rays, fluids, meds, CT scan. At one point I requested my nurse move my IV because it was hurting me. The first move ended up blowing a vein. 3rd time was a charm though. I was diagnosed with double pneumonia and the attending doctor was not happy with my pulse ox or heart rate and decided that I needed to be admitted. So much for a quick trip to the ER!

Thankfully Jacob was able to get off early to come back to town and get the boys. My mom messaged me and asked me if she should come...and as much as I didn't want to burden her, sometimes a girl just really needs her mom. She was on her way as soon as she could be. And once she got here was able to get a bag dropped at the hospital for me, and have Jacob help by picking her up at my house and going to get my van from the hospital.

Sleep didn't really happen the first night. I was attached to an IV and heart monitor. My IV port enjoyed sounding alarms at various times just because. Plus, I was kind of freaked out. At about 6:30 that evening my hands and arms felt like they were falling asleep. But no amount of movement was helping. They were weighted down. Then my legs started in, so I called in the nurse. Within an hour my face was tingling too. She called my doctor and then decided to put me on low flow oxygen. The general consensus was that my body was just not getting quite enough oxygen. And did you know it's possible to hyperventilate without even knowing it? Me either. Not until my doctor told me that it's likely what happened. The tingling and heaviness lasted into the middle of the night, but by morning was gone!

The next day was just kind of a blur. Answering messages, talking to my mom and the boys, binge watching SVU and being hooked up to monitors. But my O2 was staying up, and I found out I'd likely be released the following day. 

I just have to say, that although hospitals can suck, I felt genuinely cared for at TMH. The staff in the ER and the 2nd floor were amazing to me...and from what I could taste of the food, that wasn't too bad either.

I was only in the hospital a little over 48 hours, but man oh man did it feel good to be back in my own house. I came home to a clean house. The boys got to go to Jacob's for the weekend, which meant I was able to rest and relax with my mom and pray she didn't go insane from listening to my cough.

She headed home on Monday...and I'll admit, I cried as she drove away. I'm so very thankful for her.

I was a bit naïve when it came to this whole healing thing. Yeah, the Covid is what caused the pneumonia, and even though it sucked, I could probably handle the Covid end of it again, but the pneumonia got me good. I finished 2 of the meds I was on, and am still taking another, plus using an inhaler as needed. My heart likes to race. I get winded easily. I really had this thought in my head that by about Wednesday, I'd be really on the move. Haha! Not how recovery goes...but I did at least have a bit more energy today. Like 40% instead of 20. I feel like people must think I'm milking it at this point, but I can sincerely say I have never had the life so sucked out of me before.

With each day that passes though, I know that God is helping my body to heal. My immune system is pretty jacked up right now, so it's going to take awhile to get back on track, but I'm going to get there. There are so many people worse off than I was, so I am very thankful that while this has been a trying experience, that I'm still here kickin' for my boys.

If you read all of this, congratulations. You don't win anything, but thanks for being a sport and following me on this journey to remember. And thank you so much for those who have been praying.