I Fought and I Won – My Covid-19 Story

Covid-19 turned my world upside down, but I am glad I lived to talk about it. I can recall 2 times in my life when I hit rock bottom: when my sister died in 2000, and when I dropped my husband off at the hospital. I have heard people talk about dark days, but I never thought I would see them myself. As if starting a new job was not stressful enough, I had to deal with this virus, too. But, there is strength in prayer. Knowing who my Father is made a difference. There can be peace in the middle of the most devastating war.

I Fought and I Won – My Covid-19 Story

When hubby and I woke up on August 25th, 2020, we thought it was going to be a normal wedding anniversary. He kept asking me where I wanted to go for dinner. I kept saying nowhere because we were both not feeling good that day. I had severe body aches the day before, and he was coughing none-stop. So at around 10:30 in the morning, We got in the car and went to get tested. On our way back from getting tested, we talked about what we were going to do for our wedding anniversary.

Later that day, we ordered Olive Garden and decided to have dinner at home. I set up the eating area in the kitchen and we had our dinner. We sent the kids upstairs because we wanted to watch a movie before going to bed. While we were watching the movie, I received a notification that our covid-19 test results were ready. That’s when we found out that both my us were tested positive for the virus. The kids did not get tested, but I am sure they were infected, too. So was my mother-in-law who lives with us, and my brother-in-law who visits often.

The Sunday before the Friday we got tested, I knew something was not right. My bones were hurting and it felt like my joints were on fire. I thought it was because I was not used to working such long hours and kept saying to myself that my body will get used to it. But it never did. The pain kept getting worse. By Thursday night, I had the worse fever. That’s when I knew it had to be Covid-19.

Deciding whether to tell our jobs and church about our results

My husband works from home, but I work at the hospital. We decided that as long as he could work, he should keep working, but still let his job know he had the virus. I called employee health the next day and told my job that I was infected with the virus. They were going to send me to a location where I could get tested, but I told them that I already took care of it. We also told our pastor and family members that we had the virus. My job told me that I would be okay to go back to work on either the 8th or the 9th of September.

How I found relief for myself

Fever, fatigue, and body aches were my main symptoms while I was fighting Covid. I made Aloe Vera with lemon and cloves to boost my immune system, which helped fight the virus. I also took Tylenol every six hours to stop the pain and reduce the fever. Eating became almost impossible. Because of that, I lost 10 pounds in less than 2 weeks. I started feeling better by the end of the second week. Whatever I did for me, I also did for my husband. But because he had underlying conditions, he did not get better as fast.

Why my Covid-19 days were the darkest days of my life

While I was getting better, my husband was getting worse. He stopped eating. He called his job and told them that he was going to stop working. On September 6th, 2020, we decided that it was time to take him to the hospital. My husband had a 101 fever that would not go down. His oxygen saturation was low, and all he wanted to do was sleep. When he was not sleeping, he was coughing his gut out.

So, we got in the car and I drove him to the Emergency room. We got there at around 1:30 PM. While he was waiting for a room, I had to go sit in the car, because they did not want too many people in the waiting area. I cried my eyes out when I got in the car, then I called my mom. I could not understand why he was not getting better like I was. It was around 2 PM when they got him a room. He texted me the room number and I went back inside. I sat there and watched the nurses and doctors working on him and trying to find out why he would not stop coughing and vomiting. I left the hospital at 6 PM, and all I got from the doctors was, “Whatever conditions he had before, Covid made it worse.”

His Oxygen saturation was at 91% when we got to the hospital, which indicated his immune system fought the virus, but there were still traces of pneumonia. He also had a slight fever, but his main problem was gastrointestinal issues. He got admitted and spent 6 days in the hospital. Those days were the darkest days of my life. Visitors were not allowed on the Covid area. Therefore, I could not go see him.

Going back to work after Covid-19 was hard

I work with Covid patients myself and I understand the risks. I also believe in vital signs. So every time I called to check on him, I would ask the nurses about his vital signs. As long as his body was functioning normally under the circumstances, I had hope. But can you imagine going to work to take care of Covid patients while your husband was fighting for his life? That’s what I did. There was nothing that I could do for him. I felt very bad, but no visitors were allowed. Leaving my kids home with their grandma, while they had online learning was hard for me. I wanted to be home with them while their dad was in the hospital. I cried every day while my husband was in the hospital, especially in the morning while I was getting ready for work.

Total recovery and maybe immunity

Covid-19 hit us really hard. My husband was very weak when he got home from the hospital. He stopped working for a month. He got treated for an ulcer that was making him nauseous and unable to eat. They also prescribed steroids because of the traces of pneumonia. My husband got tested for covid twice since he left the hospital, and he tested negative both times. We know we both have antibodies, but we don’t know how long they are going to last. Mine will probably last longer because I just got vaccinated for the virus.

This virus is no joke. We did not have to get plasma, Remdesivir, nor did my husband have to be on a ventilator. But, I would be lying if I told you that I was not scared for my husband. I thought about all the possibilities, but God would not let me go there. I found peace in the smallest things. There was a picture of the four of us on vacation that kept flashing before my eyes. That’s when I knew that it was not the end. I am glad I took him to the hospital when I did, because I cannot imagine my life with two children without him.