Recovering doesn’t mean healthy again: how patients surviving COVID-19 feel after months

Most people infected with coronavirus do not experience serious symptoms, and some do not. COVID-19 has the worst for relatively few people. Writes about this SFGate.

Photo: Shutterstock

Cherie Antoinette, a nurse at the intensive care unit, saw serious cases with her own eyes.

“The lucky ones, if you can call them that, recover, but not in the sense that their lives return to normal. For some of them, the consequences will remain irreparable. Their organs will never be fully restored,” she explains.

“When they say 'recovered' they don't specify that you may need a lung transplant,” Antoinette wrote in a Twitter post. “Like the fact that you might come back from discharge with a massive heart attack or stroke because COVID-19 thickens your blood.” You may even need supplemental oxygen for the rest of your life.”

“COVID-19 is the worst disease I have ever encountered in 8 years of working as an ICU nurse,” Sheri stated.

Antoinette’s tweet provoked a violent reaction from cured patients with COVID-19 and nurses working in the forefront of the fight against coronavirus.

Here is what they wrote.

“I am currently in the hospital after suffering a heart attack due to severe blood clotting caused by COVID-19. I have a stent inserted in my heart and must wear a heart monitoring machine at all times. I am now in months of recovery, including physical and occupational therapy. I’m only 29,” wrote user Dan.

On the subject: New symptoms of coronavirus infection: CDC updated list

“I suffered acute kidney failure and needed dialysis. Now I have asthma, chronic cough and irregular heartbeat. At the same time, my case is considered a moderate case,” said Stephanie McCarroll.

One nurse wrote what symptoms she most often observed in patients with COVID-19.

“Everyone is so swollen that their skin has blisters and they are so tight they feel like they are going to burst. And the skin is so dry and flaky that it needs to be lubricated with Vaseline at every shift, we read in the post. “Every person’s skin weeps with fluid and is covered with ulcers; it simply slides off at the slightest touch.”

“Everyone’s blood is dark and thick. I can't understand why it thickened. Everyone's kidneys are failing. Urine is dark or red. All patients have an abnormal heart rhythm. That is, even without underlying problems with the heart, it does not beat normally,” the nurse adds. — Each patient has a Foley catheter and a rectal tube due to bowel and bladder incontinence. All are tube fed. All".

“I’ve never seen anything like this before in my entire career,” the nurse concluded.

“In March 2019, I spent 10 days on a ventilator with ARDS (acute respiratory distress syndrome), and I’m still on oxygen. Returning home is just the beginning of the next steps in recovery. Every aspect of my life has changed for the worse. Please support everyone and help those you know who are survivors. And wear a mask,” another nurse wrote.

“My “easy” case ended after more than two months. There is scarring in my lower right lung, and my stomach and digestive tract are in a state of disarray that I have never known before. But I cough a lot less and can walk again. By the way, this is the third time in two months that I have “recovered.” I hope this doesn’t happen again,” Eli shared his experience of illness.

“I am a nurse on the front line and contracted the coronavirus. I'm a relatively healthy 24-year-old girl who could barely walk halfway up the stairs. My blood pressure skyrocketed and the chest pain was debilitating. 8 weeks later I still feel chest pain and shortness of breath. This is not a joke,” Alicia wrote.

“I had COVID-19 for over 60 days. I'm 33 years old and I used to run and do yoga every day. I couldn’t walk for two weeks, I only took a couple of steps. It was the worst illness of my life,” wrote one of the patients.

He listed the first signs of COVID-19: “I woke up sweaty (usually I don't sweat at night). Light sporadic chills, but without fever (or maybe I just thought that I did not have a fever, because I measured the temperature only during the day). I had loose stools, but not much. ”

“I “recovered” on March 29th. I am 65 years old and have chronic bronchitis, which usually appears once or twice a year. Now, after COVID-19, I have acute attacks of bronchitis 3-4 times a month,” said Hollis Charles.

“I became ill with COVID-19 in March, and in May I developed symptoms of encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome that left me bedridden for several days. Glad someone mentioned this. Now I know that I’m not the only one who experiences this,” another survivor shared his story.

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“My colleague, a 30-year-old perfectly healthy man, still has breathing problems even after two months. There are patients who return to the emergency room after they have "recovered" because they can't breathe or have blood clots. This is crazy,” another health worker shared his impressions.

“I got sick back in March and spent 6 days on a ventilator. I still have shortness of breath. I have pain that I didn't have before. I also noticed that I didn’t urinate as often as usual. My legs and feet are so swollen that my boots won’t fit,” user Melly B wrote.

“I am a healthy, active 23-year-old, but even two months after I was ‘recovered,’ there was still significant damage to my lungs,” Lainey Whitney said.

“My husband and I became infected with coronavirus two and a half months ago. But my symptoms were mild and my husband could barely breathe. And within a month of recovery, we discovered that he had permanent lung damage. It’s not just the flu,” Sue wrote to Mia.

“I had a ‘mild’ case back in February. There was no hospitalization. But I've been sick again for three weeks now. I have many symptoms, particularly inflammation and pain. I have not one iota of doubt that this virus is extremely dangerous. So, before you go out without a mask, talk to those who have already had this new coronavirus,” warns Lacia Fay.

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