The Filipino Friends Blog

It is 2022!! Time to catch up with my life! Part Four

Here are again, my life continues… after a few weeks in ACU, all the medical staff were really glad that I my vitals were improving nicely. I was on 80% oxygen for a few weeks and the doctor on duty, was glad of my readings and they were going to lower my oxygen intake again down to 60% and see how to I get on. I messaged my husband and told him that they were going to change my oxygen intake to 60% and if my vitals keep improving I might get to move to the recovery ward! I was soooo happy of that news and the staff rooted for me and told me that I was really doing well, compare to others in same situation I was. Some didn’t improved and I was going to let this thing get the best of me, I had so much more to do with my life and one of them is to see my son, and my new daughter in law. Also a grand child too!!

As the weeks went by, the next visit from the medical staff, I was given another great news that I am really on my way to recovery and lowered my oxygen in take to 40% and if I keep up with the recovery I was going to be moved to the another ward to recover fully. So it meant that I was going to moved from the ACU to another ward for a full recovery, I called my husband and gave him the news too! I image on your left is the 60% yellow and the 40% was red which I didn’t take a picture and that was when they moved me to the recovery ward. I was finally going to leave ACU. It was not the best of place really, I saw way too many people going in and out and some survived and moved on to recovery, and some didn’t make from ICU, the chances were 50% of you ever coming out from there to recovery. I prayed a lot and also keeping your mind positive and thinking of things that I needed to do in my life. I guess you could say I made up my bucket list to do in my life.

After a few days, the medical staff made their rounds again, and ask me questions as to how I feel and check my breathing and my vitals were indicating that I was really recovering well and they were happy with all my vitals and said that I will be transferred to the Recovery Ward on another floor of the hospital. I was so happy to hear that news and thank them. But they said it was you and we are happy that I was recovering well. I called my husband and told him too!

I was moved the following days to the recovery room with my stuff and my 40% oxygen and they will change my oxygen again to the nose one (2% oxygen) where I can breathe on my own. Once I was in the recovery room, I shared with 5 other people who were recovering from covid too! Someone was just sent home and I took their place. I was happy and that I could move about, so when I got there, everyone in the ward was so busy, I had to go pee!! Since I was on the nose oxygen, I thought I could go to the toilet by myself as it didn’t seem far, but it was really! I was weak so walk slow, got to the toilet…did the business and walked back to my bed…I saw my neighbour to my left, and I was just about to get in the bed and I fainted and was on the floor!!! The patient saw me pass out, as I hit the floor, I came too and wonder where I was.. and thinking what happen and what am I doing on the floor! I heard a scream calling my name… my nurse was not happy and ask what happen and I said i wanted to go pee and everyone was so busy… of course I was yelled at and they had to put me back on 40% oxygen and it hurt taking a breath…I think when I fell down, I hit my side and was then taken to have it x-rayed to be sure that nothing was broken…

After this incident, I did as I was told and they eventually put me back to the nose oxygen (2%) and I still got checked on every day/night on my vitals, and blood pressure as well being pricked on your finger for diabetes and given the shots of blood thinner to stop the blood clots that can cause when you have covid. My tummy was the shot place, as they needed to do it on the fatty part, some used their legs, I said my tummy has more fat and it won’t hurt as much…LOL. Since the hospital is also a learning place for the nurses to be, I was used as practice to some and my student had the best bedside manner and he was always apologetic to me, I told him no worries and I think you would be the best nurse!!

After many days, and medical staff coming to check and seeing my improvements, they said I could go home… I was a bit apprehensive at first and ask if I could have another week! They saw the anxiety on my face and said that can be done and we will come and see how we feel then. After the week, I was ask again and I was ready to go home and I knew my husband was waiting for the day I came home. Besides he did go back to work after isolating for 10 days. I have been off work since Dec 31st 2020 and it was already 2021. I was released from hospital on January 21, 2021. I came home that day and my recovery just started after having covid, I was told that it will sometime to recover just depended on me as we are not the same, some took longer and other not that long and some say that they never recover covid also known as long covid!! Well that is another story to tell.

It is 2022!! Time to catch up with my life! Part Three

Wow, this is a long story to tell but I got a story to tell! From the last post, I was getting better reading on my vitals and I “escaped” the ICU…

Yes, my appetite came back and I had a lovely meals; breakfast, tea time, lunch, tea time and dinner. They say that hospital food was not really tasty, I disagree the ones I got and choose was really good. The only one that I didn’t like was the curry and it didn’t tasted that good so I didn’t ever ask for it again, but for the time I was in hospital, i really enjoyed all my meals and I even got to get acquainted the kitchen staff and I would received extra bits by asking. Like maybe an extra jello/pudding or for tea time extra cake!! The whole of the hospital worked very hard and most of them had covid themselves, but chose to return to work to help others. I was lucky and the whole hospital staff were amazing!!

While in the ACU ward and my vital improving, I saw many people who were in the same situation as I was but didn’t quite make it and moved to the ICU, as for some didn’t make it through. 2 people that I can’t forget, where one next to me, trying hard to breath but he just couldn’t be bothered and even family phone calls…. he was moved to ICU…the other was one diagonally across from the entrance, it was a member of staff father and I still can see her coming and trying to talk to him to keep on the CPAC mask on .. he would take it off and no matter what the staff did to keep him breathing, he would remove it and his daughter would cry – he was moved to ICU… I ask one of the nurses as to what happen both of them never made it out. The families were called to say their goodbyes. It was really heart wrenching and I swear to myself that I will get out of here and see my family. Especially my son, I haven’t’ seen for a few years. He is living in California and both were dealing with the Covid pandemic as best as they could too. I didn’t want to worry him.

The vitals were improving , appetite came back full force!! LOL! After a few days, the doctor announced that he was reducing my oxygen from a CPAC to 80% and see how we get on.. and he was pleased with my recovery and said whatever I was doing to keep doing it… so I did, I would turn over to my stomach every 20-30 min a day. It was not comfy but I did it, and also I had to be careful with all the wires too! I almost had that the machine fall on my head! But luckily one of the nurses saw it and said… be careful when moving as it was slipping every time I moved!

The next visit was they changed my CPAC to my oxygen mask to 80% and it was a better mask as I could take it off when I ate.

The tube color was green and the color emphasised the level of oxygen I was on. I was quite happy to get rid of the CPAC and continued doing my sleeping every 20-30 mins and all the nurses liked my vitals as it was improving dramatically. I was happy and took pics to send to my hubby as he couldn’t come visit me at all. We both keep in touch via phone text. I could only text for little bit, as I wanted to sleep and my eyes gets tired to quickly and felt weak to talk on the phone, so it was text and I would text him first that I was up and can talk. Hubby was keep abreast of my situation every night until my vitals signs were improving. I sent him a message the following day after the doctor came and visited me to let him know that I am ok and will be changing my oxygen from the CPAC to the regular oxygen of 80% … I know that he would be worried and won’t sleep!

It is 2022!! Time to catch up with my life! Part Two

I watched TV for a while, and then went to bed. Thing is, I wasn’t really better, and I got worse in the night. Hubby checked my blood oxygen and it got really low again. He called 111 and got an ambulance to come and they checked and took me back to the hospital. I was in quite a bad way, my oxygen went as law as 81%. I was put into a bed with a full-face CPAP mask with 80% oxygen.

It didn’t look like I was responding too well to start with and my husband got a call to say that I would have to go on a ventilator and be intubated if I got any worse. As it happened, my levels held and I didn’t end up in ICU  but it was very close, although I wasn’t aware of this at the time.

I slowly started to improve and I soon got my appetite back.

I was stuck in a hospital bed, but I made up with it by eating!