Lona’s Ordeal

It started simply enough. I had been double vaccinated, second dose on the 18^th of Feb and felt confident. A cough and fever started on 9^th Apr, so I quietly told the wife that I will shift to the next room, just in case. You see, she was not yet immunized.

12^th Apr was Monday, and got a RAT test, which was positive. Sangeeta and Tintin remained negative. The fever subsided by the 13^th as did the cough. Sangeeta tested positive on the 14^th, so I managed to get back into the bedroom, with the attendant Netflix and so on… Settled in for a ‘break’. Maze karenge.

The fever recurred by the 15^th, as did the cough. Felt it was time to get an x-ray done, which was absolutely fine. However, still decided to get a CT and inflammatory markers done. CT showed 7/25 involvement, bilaterally. Inflammatory markers were marginal. Spoke to the medical specialist who advised admission. Was admitted on 17^th Apr to the local hospital.

At the time of admission, I was running 102-103 deg fever, severe cough. SpO2 was maintained. Was placed in a far-flung ward with a medical assistant peeping in twice a day to check SpO2 and BP. Getting a cup of tea took 48 h and water 6 h. The nurse would come once in two days. The Med Spl would pop in daily and have a conversation. Over the next two days, my appetite disappeared, and I remained nil orally for the next 48 h. The fever was unrelenting and though my SpO2 appeared to be holding, the cough was awful. I didn’t realize it then, but I was getting slightly breathless going to the loo and was avoiding it. I would brush, but find it difficult to rinse my mouth, breathlessness. The hospital stay was yielding little, other than sapping my spirits and giving me an occasional paracetamol. So when the Med Spl suggested discharge on 20^th Apr, I jumped at it. This, even though I was running fever now for ten days, had cough, breathlessness, and according to Sangeeta, was barely coherent… Dull, listless and sort of oblivious of surroundings.

After reaching home, the fever, cough and breathlessness persisted. Since I could now monitor and assess myself, I realized that even slight activity was causing my SpO2 to drop to 88-89, though it would recover spontaneously. That is when Sangeeta took charge and rang up my brother, a Gen Surgeon but dealing with a lot of COVID cases as any other general practitioner in India. He was categorical… Start injectable steroids and Injectable LMWH, IMMEDIATELY.

Well, took the first dose of steroids and found that within the next six hours, my fever of almost ten days relented. Inflammatory markers sent the next day had gone through the roof. I got an oxygen concentrator home and settled in to brave the Cytokine storm at home, having lost faith in the hospital completely. Every day was an improvement, as it was a challenge. It took two days for the appetite to come back, the cough still persists. The inflammatory markers settled within the next three days. Netflix (sadly absent at the hospital) aided an early recovery, even though news channels tried their best to dampen the spirits.

To cut a long story short, today is the eighth day on injectable steroids and LMWH. My SpO2 levels are holding. Did a half hour walk today without losing SpO2. I feel that the worst is over, though one can never say for sure. It has been an ordeal like few others and is testimony to the healing power of love and affection of loved ones as much as it is that of medicines. Saved by my wife and brother as much as by modern medicine. Phew….