Last Poster #7

[granfire]

First, thank you for what you are doing. I just got out of the ICU a few weeks ago from COVID. I was intubated for 11 days. In the Hospital for 32. None of the regularly approved treatments worked for me. In fact, they told my wife I probably wasn't going to make it and she should start looking at arrangements for my death. They even woke me up while intubated and the nurse used her personal cell phone to facetime my wife so she could say bye (thankfully I don't remember any of that because that's not a conversation Id want to remember).

I luckily got picked for an experimental treatment study the Department of Defense was working on with the hospital and it was the only thing that worked for me. I have a newfound respect for what nurses do. I was able to leave the Hospital and not need supplemental oxygen and not need to go to a rehab center because of one nurse that listened to my request and helped me get better even against some of the doctor's thoughts at the time. The Docs told me I would need oxygen even at home for a few months at least maybe for life and because I lost so much muscle Id be going from the hospital to a rehab center. I couldn't even stand up my legs were so weak when they finally took the tubes out of me. Definitely wasn't able to walk. But that nurse would come in and help me several times a day to build up my strength to the point that the doc finally agreed to let the PT folks come work with me. I know she didn't need to do that because none of the other nurses would do it. On her days off I would just be left in the bed.

I have a Random question however while I was in the ICU I overheard 2 of the nurses talking about what they needed to put in their letter to the Hospital system to get an exemption from the vaccine. The one nurse was telling the other she took a 3rd nurse's letter and just changes some of the wording and she would give her a copy to do the same. Are you seeing much of that in your hospital? Nurses that are treating covid patients not wanting the vaccine? I kinda thought that was odd to me.


Full disclosure I wasn't vaccinated not that I was against it or anything I just never got around to getting it. My wife has been battling pancreatic cancer and between her doctor visits and chemo and radiation treatments 3 hours away and running my kids all over for school and sports I just never got around to it I just kept putting it off. I am now they gave me the J&J vaccine the day I was released from the hospital.

holy poop,
welcome back to the living.

Unfortunately this vaccination thing is going around. I have no idea why.

Glad to see you back here, and that you are on the mend. Sending best wishes to your wife.
When it rains it pours, doesn't it.

 

[Monkey Turned Wolf]

It was just really interesting to listen to them talk about the vaccine as Im laying in bed having almost died from Covid.

Anecdotally, I've seen a lot of people (mostly nurses and social workers) from the hospital I used to work at posting either about how they don't want the vaccine, or how we shouldn't push it on people (my body my choice kind of argument). I've got doctors I'm fb friends with too from the same hospital and haven't seen any of them posting similar things.

Either way, I can't imagine talking about how I don't want it around someone potentially dying/almost died and still recovering from COVID. That seems wildly insensitive to me. Particularly as a healthcare provider of that person.

 

[granfire]

well, called Dad.
mostly we talked about health, but the usual nagging came up, and I did what any reasonable daughter would do: I lied.
Well, sort of, I will look into the request, I just need to find the professional who can answer my questions. (longer story, not to bore people)

He said he tried to call back yesterday and got my answering machine
My phone never rang though.

And my youngest cousin is turning 50.
Now I feel really f'ing old

 

[Xue Sheng]

First, thank you for what you are doing. I just got out of the ICU a few weeks ago from COVID. I was intubated for 11 days. In the Hospital for 32. None of the regularly approved treatments worked for me. In fact, they told my wife I probably wasn't going to make it and she should start looking at arrangements for my death. They even woke me up while intubated and the nurse used her personal cell phone to facetime my wife so she could say bye (thankfully I don't remember any of that because that's not a conversation Id want to remember).

I luckily got picked for an experimental treatment study the Department of Defense was working on with the hospital and it was the only thing that worked for me. I have a newfound respect for what nurses do. I was able to leave the Hospital and not need supplemental oxygen and not need to go to a rehab center because of one nurse that listened to my request and helped me get better even against some of the doctor's thoughts at the time. The Docs told me I would need oxygen even at home for a few months at least maybe for life and because I lost so much muscle Id be going from the hospital to a rehab center. I couldn't even stand up my legs were so weak when they finally took the tubes out of me. Definitely wasn't able to walk. But that nurse would come in and help me several times a day to build up my strength to the point that the doc finally agreed to let the PT folks come work with me. I know she didn't need to do that because none of the other nurses would do it. On her days off I would just be left in the bed.

I have a Random question however while I was in the ICU I overheard 2 of the nurses talking about what they needed to put in their letter to the Hospital system to get an exemption from the vaccine. The one nurse was telling the other she took a 3rd nurse's letter and just changes some of the wording and she would give her a copy to do the same. Are you seeing much of that in your hospital? Nurses that are treating covid patients not wanting the vaccine? I kinda thought that was odd to me.


Full disclosure I wasn't vaccinated not that I was against it or anything I just never got around to getting it. My wife has been battling pancreatic cancer and between her doctor visits and chemo and radiation treatments 3 hours away and running my kids all over for school and sports I just never got around to it I just kept putting it off. I am now they gave me the J&J vaccine the day I was released from the hospital.

That is scary. I am glad to hear you recovered, but that all sounds terrifying.

I also got the J&J vaccine. I also caught Covid after that, but all it was to me was a bad head cold. I hope you recover quick and my best wishes to your wife and her battle too

 

[ballen0351]

Anecdotally, I've seen a lot of people (mostly nurses and social workers) from the hospital I used to work at posting either about how they don't want the vaccine, or how we shouldn't push it on people (my body my choice kind of argument). I've got doctors I'm fb friends with too from the same hospital and haven't seen any of them posting similar things.

Interestingly a few weeks ago a bunch of Doctors at a hospital in staged a protest demanding more people get the vaccine on that same day at a local hospital here a bunch of nurses also had a protest because the hospital system required them to get the vaccine and they didn't want it. I remember when it happened I thought it was odd the two different opinions seemed held by the two professions.

Either way, I can't imagine talking about how I don't want it around someone potentially dying/almost died and still recovering from COVID. That seems wildly insensitive to me. Particularly as a healthcare provider of that person.

I don't think they realized I could hear them they were in my room but off to the side. I was being worked on by some x-ray techs at the time so I guess they thought I was preoccupied. As soon as the techs were done they stopped talking and the 1 nurse left.

 

[ballen0351]

That is scary. I am glad to hear you recovered, but that all sounds terrifying.

I was asleep for most of the bad parts so I was good. I feel terrible for my wife and kids. I got it from my 15-year-old son who got it at a baseball tournament. So he was terrified thinking he killed his dad. Then my wife just 2 weeks post-surgery and now dealing with me in the hospital being told I wasn't going to make it. Trying to deal with the insurance companies, my job, and my oldest daughter needed to get to college for her freshman year halfway across the country. Then I got flown from my local hospital to a larger hospital because apparently while I was on the vent machine I woke up and ripped all the tubes out of me before anyone could come in and stop me. Again I don't remember any of that but they said I was really really sorry afterward lol. So after that, they tied me down upped my meds, and flew me out.

I also got the J&J vaccine. I also caught Covid after that, but all it was to me was a bad head cold. I hope you recover quick and my best wishes to your wife and her battle too

Honestly, all it felt like to me was a mild head cold. That's the really frightening part. To be as sick as I was and not even feel like it. The only reason I even when to the Hospital in the first place is because my watch can read my blood oxygen levels and I noticed they started dropping from my normal wich is like 98% down into the low 80% when it got to 81% I decided I should go get looked at. The triage nurse put the thing on my finger to check my oxygen levels and her eyes got really big and she said ok you get in that wheelchair right now and away I went. Fastest service I ever got at an ER lol.
Then they took some blood from my wrist to check my oxygen levels and said I needed to be intubated immediately. I didn't believe them at first because I didn't feel that bad. From the time I walked in the door to being knocked out with tubes in my lungs was under 5 hours.

 

[Buka]

I was asleep for most of the bad parts so I was good. I feel terrible for my wife and kids. I got it from my 15-year-old son who got it at a baseball tournament. So he was terrified thinking he killed his dad. Then my wife just 2 weeks post-surgery and now dealing with me in the hospital being told I wasn't going to make it. Trying to deal with the insurance companies, my job, and my oldest daughter needed to get to college for her freshman year halfway across the country. Then I got flown from my local hospital to a larger hospital because apparently while I was on the vent machine I woke up and ripped all the tubes out of me before anyone could come in and stop me. Again I don't remember any of that but they said I was really really sorry afterward lol. So after that, they tied me down upped my meds, and flew me out.

Honestly, all it felt like to me was a mild head cold. That's the really frightening part. To be as sick as I was and not even feel like it. The only reason I even when to the Hospital in the first place is because my watch can read my blood oxygen levels and I noticed they started dropping from my normal wich is like 98% down into the low 80% when it got to 81% I decided I should go get looked at. The triage nurse put the thing on my finger to check my oxygen levels and her eyes got really big and she said ok you get in that wheelchair right now and away I went. Fastest service I ever got at an ER lol.
Then they took some blood from my wrist to check my oxygen levels and said I needed to be intubated immediately. I didn't believe them at first because I didn't feel that bad. From the time I walked in the door to being knocked out with tubes in my lungs was under 5 hours.

I'm still horrified from your first post telling about this. Seriously, it threw me for a loop. I'm glad you're still here.

This one is kind of scary, too. The you not knowing how bad it was. Just wow.

 

[Xue Sheng]

I was asleep for most of the bad parts so I was good. I feel terrible for my wife and kids. I got it from my 15-year-old son who got it at a baseball tournament. So he was terrified thinking he killed his dad. Then my wife just 2 weeks post-surgery and now dealing with me in the hospital being told I wasn't going to make it. Trying to deal with the insurance companies, my job, and my oldest daughter needed to get to college for her freshman year halfway across the country. Then I got flown from my local hospital to a larger hospital because apparently while I was on the vent machine I woke up and ripped all the tubes out of me before anyone could come in and stop me. Again I don't remember any of that but they said I was really really sorry afterward lol. So after that, they tied me down upped my meds, and flew me out.

Honestly, all it felt like to me was a mild head cold. That's the really frightening part. To be as sick as I was and not even feel like it. The only reason I even when to the Hospital in the first place is because my watch can read my blood oxygen levels and I noticed they started dropping from my normal wich is like 98% down into the low 80% when it got to 81% I decided I should go get looked at. The triage nurse put the thing on my finger to check my oxygen levels and her eyes got really big and she said ok you get in that wheelchair right now and away I went. Fastest service I ever got at an ER lol.
Then they took some blood from my wrist to check my oxygen levels and said I needed to be intubated immediately. I didn't believe them at first because I didn't feel that bad. From the time I walked in the door to being knocked out with tubes in my lungs was under 5 hours.

My wife caught it and based on the timing I think she caught it the same day she got vaccinated, I caught it from her. NEither of us were that bad though. She rana fever of a bit over 100 for about 3 days, I just had a bad head cold. And our daughter, who got the Pfizer vaccine, never had a single symptom. She was fine. My wife was down about 1 week and then up and complaining she could not run he usual 3 miles (took her 2 weeks to get back to that) and I just have this residual cough I can't seem to get rid of.

I am happy to hear you're on the mend, I hope your son is alright and I wish the best for your wife.

 

[Monkey Turned Wolf]

I was asleep for most of the bad parts so I was good. I feel terrible for my wife and kids. I got it from my 15-year-old son who got it at a baseball tournament. So he was terrified thinking he killed his dad.

This has been my biggest fear throughout. What happens to me if I get it and something happens is one thing. But the idea that I might give it to my wife, my parents, or my grandparents (that I see pretty frequently), and be their COD is terrifying. I'm tearing just thinking of what your son was going through.

Then my wife just 2 weeks post-surgery and now dealing with me in the hospital being told I wasn't going to make it. Trying to deal with the insurance companies, my job, and my oldest daughter needed to get to college for her freshman year halfway across the country. Then I got flown from my local hospital to a larger hospital because apparently while I was on the vent machine I woke up and ripped all the tubes out of me before anyone could come in and stop me. Again I don't remember any of that but they said I was really really sorry afterward lol. So after that, they tied me down upped my meds, and flew me out.

From what you've said so far, that sounds like a really good thing you got sent to the larger hospital. If it was an experimental treatment that saved you, I doubt the local/smaller hospital would have been able to offer the same thing.

 

[ballen0351]

My wife caught it and based on the timing I think she caught it the same day she got vaccinated, I caught it from her. NEither of us were that bad though. She rana fever of a bit over 100 for about 3 days, I just had a bad head cold. And our daughter, who got the Pfizer vaccine, never had a single symptom. She was fine. My wife was down about 1 week and then up and complaining she could not run he usual 3 miles (took her 2 weeks to get back to that) and I just have this residual cough I can't seem to get rid of.

I am happy to hear you're on the mend, I hope your son is alright and I wish the best for your wife.

Yeah, my son's fine. He had a slight cough and a fever of around 100 for 2 days then he was back to normal. Everyone I know that's had it sat home for a few days then got better. That's what I assumed I'd do. Be sick for a few days then recover. Especially when I didn't even feel that bad. If it were pre-pandemic times I would have thought I had a mild summer cold. I wasn't even coughing that much. I guess I waited too long to seek treatment which was what made me so ill. My body couldn't fight it off. None of the regular treatments helped me.
Thankfully at the time, I was flown to the bigger hospital I was the only Covid case they had so I got picked for that experimental study. It's pretty wild all they did was lower my body temp down 5 or 6 degrees then paralyze me so I wouldn't shiver. Apparently, the virus doesn't like the colder body temps and it allowed my body's immune system to catch back up and start fighting back. I don't know all the science behind it but the doc in charge said they use the same type of treatment for heart attacks sometimes but they lower the temps even lower.

 

[ballen0351]

This has been my biggest fear throughout. What happens to me if I get it and something happens is one thing. But the idea that I might give it to my wife, my parents, or my grandparents (that I see pretty frequently), and be their COD is terrifying. I'm tearing just thinking of what your son was going through.

That was my fear as well. When they finally woke me up and removed everything I was able to Zoom call my family and that was the 1st thing I asked them Did I get anyone else sick please tell me everyone is ok. I did give it to my wife but she was fine they caught it right away and gave her that antibody treatment and she was fine in a few days nothing serious for her. But none of the other kids got it and nobody else that we know. But yeah I felt so bad for my son he took it really hard my wife said he would come in the bedroom with her at like 2 in the morning and just lay there. He's 15 he hasn't laid in his parent's bed in like 13 years lol.
Honestly, that's why that Nurse worked so hard with me. I told her what was going on and she said nope you're going home and you're going home strong. Several times a day, when she had some free time she would come and make me get up and try and just walk around the room with me. I was on isolation so I couldn't leave the room but she would walk me from the door to the window and back.

 

[Xue Sheng]

Yeah, my son's fine. He had a slight cough and a fever of around 100 for 2 days then he was back to normal. Everyone I know that's had it sat home for a few days then got better. That's what I assumed I'd do. Be sick for a few days then recover. Especially when I didn't even feel that bad. If it were pre-pandemic times I would have thought I had a mild summer cold. I wasn't even coughing that much. I guess I waited too long to seek treatment which was what made me so ill. My body couldn't fight it off. None of the regular treatments helped me.
Thankfully at the time, I was flown to the bigger hospital I was the only Covid case they had so I got picked for that experimental study. It's pretty wild all they did was lower my body temp down 5 or 6 degrees then paralyze me so I wouldn't shiver. Apparently, the virus doesn't like the colder body temps and it allowed my body's immune system to catch back up and start fighting back. I don't know all the science behind it but the doc in charge said they use the same type of treatment for heart attacks sometimes but they lower the temps even lower.

That is one heck of an ordeal. Glad the tried being experimental. Have to run that past the Mrs and she what she has to say, she's a doctor.

 

[ballen0351]

That is one heck of an ordeal. Glad the tried being experimental. Have to run that past the Mrs and she what she has to say, she's a doctor.

Its some treatment the department of defense is running. It was kinda funny when I woke up and started to get my wits about me I had a big stack of papers on the little table next to my bed. It had Department of Defense logo and written all over it. I got confused and thought I reenlisted in the Military again I had no idea what was going on lol.

 

[Xue Sheng]

Its some treatment the department of defense is running. It was kinda funny when I woke up and started to get my wits about me I had a big stack of papers on the little table next to my bed. It had Department of Defense logo and written all over it. I got confused and thought I reenlisted in the Military again I had no idea what was going on lol.

Did they they make you get up and start marching

Just asked her and apparently lowering your body temperature like that triggers your autoimmune system. They also treat high fevers that way as well.

 

[_Simon_]

First, thank you for what you are doing. I just got out of the ICU a few weeks ago from COVID. I was intubated for 11 days. In the Hospital for 32. None of the regularly approved treatments worked for me. In fact, they told my wife I probably wasn't going to make it and she should start looking at arrangements for my death. They even woke me up while intubated and the nurse used her personal cell phone to facetime my wife so she could say bye (thankfully I don't remember any of that because that's not a conversation Id want to remember).

I luckily got picked for an experimental treatment study the Department of Defense was working on with the hospital and it was the only thing that worked for me. I have a newfound respect for what nurses do. I was able to leave the Hospital and not need supplemental oxygen and not need to go to a rehab center because of one nurse that listened to my request and helped me get better even against some of the doctor's thoughts at the time. The Docs told me I would need oxygen even at home for a few months at least maybe for life and because I lost so much muscle Id be going from the hospital to a rehab center. I couldn't even stand up my legs were so weak when they finally took the tubes out of me. Definitely wasn't able to walk. But that nurse would come in and help me several times a day to build up my strength to the point that the doc finally agreed to let the PT folks come work with me. I know she didn't need to do that because none of the other nurses would do it. On her days off I would just be left in the bed.

I have a Random question however while I was in the ICU I overheard 2 of the nurses talking about what they needed to put in their letter to the Hospital system to get an exemption from the vaccine. The one nurse was telling the other she took a 3rd nurse's letter and just changes some of the wording and she would give her a copy to do the same. Are you seeing much of that in your hospital? Nurses that are treating covid patients not wanting the vaccine? I kinda thought that was odd to me.


Full disclosure I wasn't vaccinated not that I was against it or anything I just never got around to getting it. My wife has been battling pancreatic cancer and between her doctor visits and chemo and radiation treatments 3 hours away and running my kids all over for school and sports I just never got around to it I just kept putting it off. I am now they gave me the J&J vaccine the day I was released from the hospital.

Wow man.... thank you so so much for sharing that.. and so glad you've recovered, that sounds absolutely horrendous...

 

[Steve]

made creme brûlée on Sunday. Just ate the last one tonight. It’s one of those desserts that seems like it would be hard to make but really is pretty simple. And there’s a torch involved. What’s not to love?

 

[_Simon_]

Golly gosh, well this was unexpected! We had an earthquake here in our state, was a 5.8! I was in the middle of doing some training and heard strange noises, all our dangly lights and everything started moving and shaking around, had no idea what was going on. We're all okay here, some damage reported up in the city though.

Well, have never experienced one before, how bizarre!

 

[Dirty Dog]

First, thank you for what you are doing. I just got out of the ICU a few weeks ago from COVID. I was intubated for 11 days. In the Hospital for 32. None of the regularly approved treatments worked for me. In fact, they told my wife I probably wasn't going to make it and she should start looking at arrangements for my death. They even woke me up while intubated and the nurse used her personal cell phone to facetime my wife so she could say bye (thankfully I don't remember any of that because that's not a conversation Id want to remember).

I'm really sorry to hear you had to go through this. And I'm really glad you're both on the mend.

I have a Random question however while I was in the ICU I overheard 2 of the nurses talking about what they needed to put in their letter to the Hospital system to get an exemption from the vaccine. The one nurse was telling the other she took a 3rd nurse's letter and just changes some of the wording and she would give her a copy to do the same. Are you seeing much of that in your hospital? Nurses that are treating covid patients not wanting the vaccine? I kinda thought that was odd to me.

It's absurd. I have not heard much of this sort of thing where I am, but it's entirely possible that could be at least partly because people know how I would respond.
If you don't believe in science, get out of the medical field.

Full disclosure I wasn't vaccinated not that I was against it or anything I just never got around to getting it. My wife has been battling pancreatic cancer and between her doctor visits and chemo and radiation treatments 3 hours away and running my kids all over for school and sports I just never got around to it I just kept putting it off. I am now they gave me the J&J vaccine the day I was released from the hospital.

Chemo and radiation schedules will often completely dominate your life. I'm glad to hear she is doing well.

 

[ballen0351]

I'm really sorry to hear you had to go through this. And I'm really glad you're both on the mend.

Honestly as crazy as it sounds it was probably a good thing for me long-term. Since I retired from Law Enforcement and the start of Covid then my wife's diagnosis and treatment of Cancer I really let my health and weight go. I've packed on about 100 pounds since 2019. Im sure that played a major role in the severity of the illness my unhealthy lifestyle and my weight. So it was a huge slap in the face to get my act together. In the month I was in the Hospital I lost 60 pounds. So I'm using that as a jump start to get back in the gym and am looking to start training again.

It's absurd. I have not heard much of this sort of thing where I am, but it's entirely possible that could be at least partly because people know how I would respond.
If you don't believe in science, get out of the medical field.

It's curious to me when it happened with everything they see in that ICU they had that opinion. Like I always wear my seatbelt now because of all the crashes I saw as a cop I would have assumed it would be the same thing for them. But those few Im sure are the outliers every profession has people that are just different. I know the Docs I had during my stay all pushed me to get the vaccine. I was surprised I didn't have to wait for it when I was released. They gave it to me on the way out the door. Doc said as long as you are considered recovered which they consider the 22nd day after your 1st positive test you are recovered you can get the shot.

Chemo and radiation schedules will often completely dominate your life. I'm glad to hear she is doing well.

Thanks, 2 more rounds of Chemo then hopefully she's done for a while. Scans every 3 months afterward for the first year then 6 months for the rest of her Long healthy life.

 

[Xue Sheng]

@ballen0351

Watching NHK News this morning. Apparently the exact symptoms you had are getting rather common in India. They think they have a head cold and then all of a sudden their O2 levels of their blood start dropping. This is a major concern at the moment in India