Originally Posted by
jsbhike
On the mend here, so think I can get the timeline right on progression.
Added B12, D, Zinc, and a baby aspirin in to the daily mix once there was a positive test.
Our son seems to have likely contracted it at school and was the first to present a symptom on a Monday evening with a headache that continued until slightly after he woke up the next morning which didn't click with us as anything other than a headache. Has had some coughing since then, but not even sure of it being related.
Wife began experiencing symptoms(low fever, stuffiness, cough) 2 evenings later(Wednesday) that initially seemed to be sinus related. Thursday morning came the positive test. After that the cough progressed along with lethargy and just about total loss of smell for a week. Can't recall the exact temp, but don't think it hit 102 and her SpO2 stayed high 90s.
Son(no symptoms by then other than iffy cough) tested positive Thursday afternoon while mine was negative.
I started coughing within a couple hours of taking the test and had a full on cough and dead tired with a low grade fever by Friday morning. Talked to our family Doc about what was going on and what was likely my first case of this in February 2020 that was mild.
During the next week son fine, wife SpO2 was up(cough,Tired, low fever).
Over the next week I had a lack of energy, coughing, and a low fever(which oddly made me feel like a high fever...very hot and touch was irritating....same scenario in Feb. 2020), but my Sp02 began dropping. By Friday morning it dipped in to the low 80s/ occasional upper 70s so off to the ER. Venous/arterial blood draws and X rays(can't recall if lung CT scan was that Friday or the rest of the story), but was given the option of home oxygen(3.5-5LPM) or getting admitted so I took the home oxygen option.
By next day the home O2 wasn't working so back to ER(same tests as the day before, as mentioned I can't recall which day the lung CT scan was done on) then was placed in a covid ICU ward on high volume 02(not sure what the highest was while in, but do recall seeing 80% at 35lpm early on) at least partially on a bipap set up. Started IV antibiotics and an oral steroid at that point along with breathing treatments. Oddly enough, my first temperature check in ICU was 103, but no irritated skin or feeling hot/crappy....this case and my likley earlier one were totally the opposite of any other time in my life when I have hit close to 100 or above).
Stayed in ICU 8 days with double pneumonia until the O2 gradually got dropped(by docs and nurses) to 60%/35lpm which got me moved to a non ICU room on a Sunday night where(oddly to me) the O2 got bumped to 70%/35lpm with no mention to me as had occurred with every O2 drop they gave me. The docs who visited me in the first 2 mornings kept mentioning trying to lower it, but never did the first drop.
The high volume O2 only had an @ 6' hose, but in ICU the toilet was beside the bed so workable. Regular room had a regular bath 10'+ too far away so was given a urinal jug upon arrival. By Tuesday I needed the bathroom so dropped the cannula and slowly made my way to the bathroom which was an easy trip there, but wobbly on the way back. Later Tuesday I needed to again so wisely called a nurse who I finally cajoled in to rigging me up on their wall O2 with a long enough hose with the promise I would hook back to the high volume as soon as I got back in bed, which I accomplished with no issues.
Wednesday ended up being an identical bathroom need situation debate with finally getting the wall O2 again. Finished my business and was sitting down about to switch back to high volume when a nurse almost ran in and told me not to switch since my O2 had stayed up fairly well while I was and she was going to go confer. After that I stayed low volume till discharge 2 days later on Friday morning.
Saturday afternoon(@ 28 hours after discharge) I had some heavy coughing that resulted in spit up blood a long with O2 drops when standing so ER had me come back in Saturday night. Vein/artery draws and a lung ct scan ruling out a clot sent me home along with steroids. Finally starting to drop home O2 the last few days.
Only advice I can think of is to check Sp02 levels and try to stay active. I was tired week 1, so laying down far more than normal, but not 24/7 so unsure if being up more would have prevented the pneumonia or not.
Also, find out about options in your area before you get sick. Our local hospital seems to be locked in to the official preplanned program based on my experience and a family friend who ended up dying on a vent earlier in the year being denied hydroxychloriquin and the other possible treatments at the time. I was made aware a hospital in an adjoining county was doing infusion therapy, but knew no other details such as how to get it and how long it could be done. I would likely have been within the window either on the 1st ER visit or the day of admittance, but not a peep from anyone treating me. That is an irritating issue(particularly combined with the details on the family friend dying) since 2 weekends later I was immediately informed that I would likely have to be transferred to another facility if admitted due to "bed shortage" which is actually an under staffing issue.
feel better and prayers with ya
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