COVID-19 HIT HOME: the isolation (part 3)

After completing the full course of remdesivir, we were discharged to complete our 14-day isolation at home. 

We discovered boxing against a punching bag at the 3rd floor roofdeck. Posting on facebook, many suggested that I use boxing gloves.

We had wrist wrap and boxing gloves bought at the local store.

 

Work from home.

COVID-19 HIT HOME: the admission (part 2)

 

 

I could describe my hospital admission in two words: EVERYTHING HURTS!

I blame it on ultra-low pain threshold.  I am terrified of blood extractions.  I am deathly afraid of IV insertions (but ironically, I had to have three IV re-insertions in 5 days).  Arterial blood extraction is the worst!

More than this inner turmoil with needles, the joint and muscle pains were severe that I asked permission to take pain relievers throughout my first three days.

I could hardly eat solid food because my throat was so sore.  I mainly focused on making sure I was well-hydrated.  So thankful that the nurses would replenish my thermos with hot water for tea and coffee.

I received special deliveries of hot food, juices and cookies from OBGYN residents and consultants.  I appreciate the lugaw, garlic, ginger and fish tinola freshly prepared by our dietary section.  I also received turmeric tea powder from my neurologist.  

My hospital stay was also characterized by an outpouring of love from friends and co-workers in the hospital.  

I received baskets of fruits from the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, from Dr Bala and the KAAMBAG Clinic Barbies, from the Department of Neurosurgery and from the Medical Social Services Section.

It was like Christmas when I also received "haplas" or liniment for aches and body pains.  Good thing the health workers coming in for rounds couldn't smell all the ointments and liniments I applied all around my body, as well as the salonpas strips... My muscles and joints were really so bad!

I couldn't help it, I also provided unsolicited advice (for improvement of our services) to our teammates.  Sir Adolfo just had to ask why it felt I was still working when I'm supposed to be a patient...

COVID19 hit home: the evacuation (part 1)

 

I hope I can complete this write up to document my personal COVID19 story.  For now, I will park the photos here so that I may remember.

August 29, 2021.  When my brother Jason suddenly reported high grade fever, cough, colds, body malaise and sorethroat, my gut feeling told me "this is it, COVID-19!" and when we explained to my niece MaJian that her daddy got the virus, it was heart-wrenching to hear her whispered prayer "I hope my daddy survives the virus.  I don't want him to die..."

Monday morning was a holiday, and we were supposed to get my brother swabbed, but with O2 sats as low as 90% and co-morbidities like obesity, hypertension, pre-diabetes and possible obstructive sleep apnea, we opted to have him admitted straight away instead for close monitoring and for medications.  His results came out RTPCR positive on August 31, 2021.

Knowing I had multiple exposures with a number of colleagues at work testing positive and my brother Jason also testing positive, I self-quarantined and got myself swabbed.  We evacuated our room at the hospital and stayed at home.  

I cannot describe the suspense waiting for my RTPCR results, but since I too started to develop ILI symptoms of fever, chills, cough, sorethroat, muscle and joint pains, I was hardly surprised when the results turned out RTPCR positive.  Gil, our driver also developed symptoms, but his O2 sats went down as low as 75%.  He was asthmatic too, so he was also advised hospital admission.