When we arrived at the Cullman Regional Medical Center the EMTs ushered me into and through the Emergency room waiting area into a temporary "holding room" until they had a hospital room available for me, while oxygen was being administered to me to keep my oxygen level up to keep me alive! While waiting, I began to be conscious enough to realize what was going on. I started thinking about my son Jeremy (who is autistic and an insulin dependent diabetic). I began asking the nurses to dispatch another ambulance to my house to get my son, Jeremy, who was not sick, and had NOT tested positive for COVID-19, but realizing what was happening to ME, I was immediately concerned that something similar might happen to HIM! He had been coughing really bad and I was really, really, really worried about him, afraid that he would not pull through! I know that everyone probably thought that I was delirious and talking out of my mind. I just kept saying, "would somebody please, please, please dispatch an ambulance back to my house to get him!!!" I assume that the nurses suspected me to be delusional, since my husband is the one that had called the EMT's and would have had our son, Jeremy, also, admitted if he thought that he needed any emergency medical help.
It seemed like hours (an eternity) before they admitted me and until they took me up the elevator to my room. When the room WAS available, they took me up to the 3rd floor (COVID-19 patient designated floor). Not long after being in my designated room, they took me down the hall to another room to be examined by hooking me up to the EKG machine. The (Paramedics) checked me out and discovered that all this time that COVID-19 was literally taking my life away from me! (The virus was taking my LUNGS and my HEART!) I had pneumonia (with fluid filling up my lungs), fluid around my heart, my heart was scarred, and my lungs were almost gone, now at only 31% oxygen level. They said that I was ALMOST DEAD!!! They immediately started saving my life!!! They started giving me steroids and then tried to take blood from me. When they tried to draw blood, they couldn't find a vein in my arm (either arm!). I have that happen a lot! But this time it was mainly because I was so dehydrated! So, they brought another machine into the room that looked like something from out of a SYFY movie (an Echocardiogram5).
When I got back into my room; they gave me a steroid shot. They took my vitals, then rolled me down the hall for an MRI. The angel, disguised as a doctor, said something very scary to me: "IF YOUR HEART STOPS, DO YOU WANT TO BE RESUSITATED?" I said, "Yes! Of course, I do!" - and that GUARDIAN ANGEL, disguised as a doctor, stayed up with me almost - ALL NIGHT LONG!!! (to keep an eye on me to make sure that I made it through the night). Thank God he did; because my heart DID stop!!! I coded (lungs not getting enough oxygen) a lot ALL night long! (I coded a lot of nights!) The nurses kept coming into my room and saying to each other that I was DECLINING! - ALL NIGHT LONG! My oxygen level had dropped and stayed at only 31%. One nurse told me later that on that first night that I went into fibrillation ("very rapid irregular contractions of the muscle fibers of the heart resulting in a lack of synchronism between heartbeat and pulse"6) and that my heart raced a five-mile marathon (without even leaving my bed) before they could get it stabilized by defibrillation. (She said that I would probably be tired). I felt it!
"Definition
"Defibrillation is a process in which an electronic device sends an electric shock to the heart to stop an extremely rapid, irregular heartbeat, and restore the normal heart rhythm.
"Purpose
"Defibrillation is performed to correct life-threatening fibrillations of the heart, which could result in cardiac arrest. It should be performed IMMEDIATELY after identifying that the patient is experiencing a cardiac emergency, HAS NO PULSE, and is UNRESPONSIVE!
"Precautions
Defibrillation should NOT be performed on a patient who HAS A PULSE or IS ALERT, as this could cause a lethal heart rhythm disturbance or cardiac arrest . . .
"Description
Fibrillations cause the heart to stop pumping blood, leading to brain damage and/or cardiac arrest. About 10% of the ability to RESTART the heart is LOST with EVERY MINUTE that the heart stays in fibrillation. DEATH can occur in minutes unless the normal heart rhythm is restored through defibrillation . . . Defibrillators deliver a brief electric shock to the heart, which enables the heart's natural pacemaker to regain control and establish a normal heart rhythm."7 I didn't know or remember anything much that went on that first night! But my GOD loved me (I don't know why, but He loved me enough to fight my monster for me!).
Thank GOD He did! I didn't know that GOD loved me so much or that I loved HIM so much! - But thank you Jesus for my life back! Now, let's take these stubborn lungs back! Amen? Amen!"
Everyone, please keep praying for me. I can feel them, and pray that these nights will get shorter!