COVID-19 Experience

Just posting this here from my experiences with COVID and not to drum up any for or against arguments about COVID-19, vaccines etc., just my personal experience, hoping to maybe help someone get an edge based on my personal experience.

March 2021 I was in ICU with COVID Pneumonia and before going into ICU Dr’s words “you’re deteriorating rapidly”, I was facing death, fast forward to last night Dec 20, again, I’ve caught COVID, where ?? as my being in crowds is almost nil, last time at grocery store, no mask on Dec 11, and reason of being in crowds is low is because of COVID Pneumonia I went from a healthy older athletic guy to now having to carry a 11.7 pound oxygen tank with me anytime I go out and needing 6 litres of oxygen I only get an hour and a half from that tank.

Last night I ended up in emergency again. From 2021 my chart shows Covid Fibrosis & reason of this message is my lung X-RAYS from last night there’s been no change in my lungs, which is really good and I truly believe the reason of that is because of what I’ve done with my own research and reason for this post, not for sympathy of any sort.

I take supplements, always have, always will and since coming out of hospital end of April 2021 I started my research probably 4-6 months later and started taking NAC (Healthy Lungs by CanPrev). Summer of 2022 my lung specialist told me “I want you to start taking NAC, it’s very good etc.” Told her I’m already taking it and was going to show you a picture of what I take on my last time here but forgot, can I have few seconds to try to find it” I showed her “excellent, you keep taking that”. Breathing tests I had and puffers they tried showed no positives to them so other than being on Prednisone for 10 days once I got home I’ve had no prescribed med’s for Specialist for this no cure disease but it is what it is, it’s life’s dealing, play or fold, I’m playing.

Further research led me to taking Serrapeptase and Nattokinase. I take both everyday on empty stomach, never miss and depending on what time I eat anything, including my last buttertart, I’ll take Nattokinase again and only because of some positive reviews during my research from those that take it saying how the added capsule helps them.

My last visit with lung specialist she was “I’m so happy for you, your breathing tests came back same as last time, no negatives so that’s really good. Are you still taking NAC” I then told her and showed her pictures of what else I added, Serrapeptase and Nattokinase and she said “whatever you’re doing keep doing because you’re doing great, keep it up” She even took down the names.

In that conversation I showed her the steps I was taking everyday, at least 11,000 up to 15,000 (5-7 miles or 8-10 km) out with the dog but I can’t do it straight walking, and from test timing myself then taking my oxygen reading I’ve settled in to 1 minute walk, 2 minute rest but depending on how short of breath I am I’ll split the timer to 1:30 each. Walking the forest path it’s not all level, elevated parts so the 1-2 with adjusted time along our walk works perfect.  We doing it over 2, sometimes 3 walks in the forest paths to get my miles/km in as I have 4 portable oxygen tanks at home that I keep refilling. Plus my old reliable timer has a round counter on it so I always know how much time I have left without having to pull out phone stopwatch timer. I just hook it up to oxygen hose and look down, all I need is the big letters looking at me as well as the timer bells go off with set times which is great but being able to just look down to see my walking time left and what's in front of me as far as ground elevation I can decide whether to go for it or rest up and hit the higher elevation after resting. 10 rounds showing on time at the 1-2 minutes equals 10 rounds 30 minutes oxygen used. 

@ShortAsssSam

Told my family that Specialist said I was doing great and to keep it up. I then added she probably said that because of how bad I was (Family Dr after reading report told me “You were in a very dark place, you were in life threating situation”) and she didn’t expect me to be where I was and her words as I was leaving were “I’m so happy for you, very happy because you were in a very concerning condition” were very sincere.

Post with added experience is to make others aware of what some of your own research can show you. Not the cure all to every condition or everyone but for me I truly believe, 1000% that my research bringing me to trying and still using NAC, Serrapeptase and Nattokinase has added some more rounds to my life and not being a medical Dr, this is not medical advice, it’s just from my experience and putting it out there to maybe help someone else with lung issues.

Best to all and to all that celebrate Christmas, have a good but safe one and a great healthy 2024

Cheers

Cool story, bro. I am glad you are still with us. Merry Christmas.

@StumpTownStu

Thanx, much appreciated. Life will definitely be shortened but I told my family Dr "as long as I can get another college football and hickey season in all is good" 

Merry Christmas to you and yours and all the very best in the New Year 

Cheers 

Hey read your story, good luck and God bless!!!

@haymo

 Thanx harmo, much appreciated and all the very best to you

Cheers 

@ShortAsssSam

 Sam, you've been through so much during a scary scary time & came out on top. Wishes of good health & happiness for you in 24!

@Midnight1

Midnight1,yes it’s been a rough road but as I told Infectious Disease Specialist when he came in ICU to see me. “You’re only a loser if you quit when you’re behind, and I’m behind” Midnight I was very fortunate but not so for the majority of patients at that bad surge of COVID. When I was told of my condition, facing death I interrupted the Dr as he was saying “you need 16 litres of oxygen (meant nothing to me but knew it must be bad) then he said something about 21 litres then I interrupted him and said “Dr I’m not afraid to die, just give me a shot” meaning put me in coach, give me a chance. He squeezed my foot and shrugged his head to his shoulder “we’re trying but you’re not doing well” When Infectious Disease Specialist came in ICU-X probably week later (as ICU nurse told me they called it with reason why) he verified her words which meant they had this unit for people they figure had a chance of surviving. He told me the reason I was there was because I had no underlying health issues (I only take Thyroid pill and constant eye drops) plus he spoke to Dr Devo?? Meaning that Dr Devo?? probably told him of my words. He went on to say “if anyone with health issues were told what you were told and they couldn’t handle it, have an anxiety attack, hyperventilate we couldn’t turn them around. This virus strain is like a pinball machine and one can’t stop flipping and flapping the flippers.” Told me to keep it up and I’ll be out of there. Midnight I fought to stay alive. They wanted my numbers at 92 or higher and that was with 10-12 litres of high flow oxygen, a liquid method that delivers high flow oxygen for longer periods for those in distress, it’s a life saving intervention. I took me almost 5 hours to get my underwear off and new pair back on, beeper would keep going off, nurses have to gown up but I told the one nurse what I was doing and could they not voice me over the intercom because I didn’t want to take them away from others that needed medical attention. She said about getting someone to help me, “no I’m OK, I’m not going anywhere any time soon, if you can just pass the word of intercom for the time being” She did as well as they would knock on the inside double door and give a thumbs up or down and I would thumb up.

My beeper was going off so many times and ICU-X nurse would have to gown/mask up and come in to check on me. Respiratory nurse wanted me to be like a rotisserie chicken and said abruptly, with authority “want you 15 minutes back, side, chest, side” I tried to do exactly what she said and no way could I do all 4 at the same time for 15 minutes, beeper was going off continuously. ICU-X nurse who I became close with told me that she will talk to her but in the meantime just try each 3 positions for x amounts of deep breathing then stop and on stomach face down keep deep breathing. I lived with my face in the pillow with high flow nasal prongs doing as many as deep breathing rounds as I could. That as well as meds, oxygen, great nurses/Dr's I finally got my oxygen levels down and enough so that they felt I was stable enough to make room for someone else (I was in 29 days) so needing 6 litres (which I’m still on but only out walking) they moved me to a standard room with 3 others. There was a really really bad surge,day. My 3 day nurse told me “the halls are lined with stretchers downstairs, we can’t take in anymore patients” The 3 guys that were in there when I got there were released and the 3 guys they brought in probably didn’t make it, no way. They were put in there waiting to get an ICU bed.

@Midnight1

Poor guy moaning beside me, wow. They were asking him” do you know where you are, are you home, at work etc” and his phone was constantly ringing. I heard one nurse say “if you can hear me I’m calling your father” so I guess his phone display showed “dad” and she copied the number. She could have answered I guess but also she being professional probably didn’t want him possibly hearing her words of his condition to his father Those 3 guys probably never survived and been able to share their experience like I’m fortunate to be able to do.

From January ? 2021 to April 29 2021 I know of 5 people who died from COVID-19. 4 of them personally, can call on the phone and another was a brother from the owner of a gym I was at. Midnight, everyone of them had health issues so that goes partly with what Infectious Disease Specialist told me about underlying health issues then the possible added anxiety.

Before catching COVID Pneumonia I was out running about a week to week and a half after getting my regular every 6 month Specialist recommended Durolane knee injection to buy time from getting knee replacement, skipping rope, light weights etc when I moved to where I am now but before I moved to where I am now, 2018, I used to walk the floors to my condo everyday when I got home from work. I lived on the 25 floor and the 1 3 days I would walk the stairs to the 25. Started at the 3 because there was no unit floors and the 1 ??? stairs. So February 28 floors, March 31 then walk down to the 25. I would then take dog out for 45-1 hour walk, home, grab a bite, power snooze then head over to open gym for 3:30 and be there until 8 or so. I had to finally stop with the stairs as I had to have 3 big operations, complete left hip replacement with a gluteal maximus tear that they discovered during hip surgery, long healing process, 8 weeks with a walker, 4 months later right supposed shoulder replacement which was new words to me but my shoulder was so bad I can see why she said that. I couldn’t lift my arm, no work, no training, lots of off time. When Specialist asked what do I want from this, “be pain free and go back to the gym”, she said no and reason being is if I injured shoulder again they wouldn’t be any other choices so we went with the 50/50 option. 12 days later I got a call from eye specialist that I need surgery ASAP so I had that done, an implant which meant no lifting of anything over 5 pounds for a month. So they all cut into my working where I delivered mail on foot 48 years 9 months and I went fast in order to finish fast, so there was incentive and that alone kept me in shape and all the time off cut into being in shape and my reason for leaving that gym, retiring and moving where I am now, about 45 minutes away, less cement and tons of trees…I love the move and as long as I’m still above ground I’m not leaving here. It’s also my best chance of seeing an OWL, any kind of OWL and me having to stop and rest gives me a chance to explore every tree around me.

Long story sorry, but I’m home on 3 day puffer with PAXLOVOID for 5 days and not going anywhere and looking forward to getting out in the woods with the dog and enjoy all the things I’ve/we all take for granted, so here we are.

Thanx Midnight, much appreciated and all the very best to you in 2024

Cheers