My Battle With Covid-19

In middle January of this year I started feeling sick. I had a hard cough and couldn’t breathe. I would blow my nose and nothing would come out, other times, I would get nothing but blood with infection behind it. My urine was dark brown and I was fatigued. I had night sweats and all I wanted to do was sleep. I woke up one morning and my bed and sheets were soaking wet. I had just recently been released from jail so my exposure came from one of the inmates. I think my cell mate had it and wouldn’t get checked by the nurse or the doctor for covid because he didn’t want to leave the protective custody pod.

I went to the Veterans Administration Hospital and checked in. I told them I didn’t feel very good. They did a covid test, did x-rays, attached a pulse-ox and added oxygen. I was then admitted to the hospital. They started me on Remdesivir. I was given a five day dose which is now considered the maximum dose.

I was told I had the new covid strain omni variant with pneumonia. I lost my sense of smell and taste. I felt like I had been hit by a semi-truck. I wasn’t until I was released from the hospital that I had the explosive Diarrhea. It was bad. After being released from the hospital, I still couldn’t taste or smell anything. My stomach hurt and so did my lungs whenever I too a deep breath.

I ate soups for weeks following my release from the hospital. I drank Gatoraid to stay hydrated but I still had no taste. I stayed in bed and hardly went any where because I was always cold.

I am now one month post covid with pneumonia. I still exhibit signs of covid. I still haven’t regained my sense of smell or taste. I still have difficulty breathing, my urinary incontinence has become worse. My urine was dark brown, despite the fact I was drinking water, and sports drinks. One side effect I haven’t had yet and is the most normal is hair loss. I can tell you one thing about this disease, I have never been as sick as I have been with covid. I have never been this sick my entire life. I have not had the vaccines and I don’t plan to get them. I survived this disease which I thought was not survivable.

I still have a hard time breathing when I have to wear a face mask on an air plane, train or cruise ship. It is the most uncomfortable feeling in the world to think you are hyper ventilating.