A Firsthand Coronavirus Account By A Windsor Locks Resident

WINDSOR LOCKS, CT — Well-known Windsor Locks photographer Melanie Oliveira recently endured a nearly weeklong hospital stay due to the coronavirus. After testing positive Jan. 12, she isolated at home for more than a week. Symptoms such as a headache, fever, nausea and cough prompted her husband Joe to bring her to the hospital.

The rest of this article is Oliveira's story on her own words, diary-style, in the hopes her ordeal can help others. Oliveira, owner of Photos From the Sidelines LLC, posted the story on her Facebook page and gave Patch permission to share it here, along with some pictures.

"I’m on my way back. Still not 100 percent, but I feel like I can finally say that I feel like I am getting a little better every day and I am starting not to feel like a Mack truck hit me. Also for the first time since this all happened, I can actually physically sit here and type this all out.

"I know that many have asked and are still wondering what on earth happened to me and where I’ve been, so here goes all at once to everyone in my own words. COVID-19, and acute respiratory failure and pneumonia as a result. My hope is that perhaps this will help or educate even one person.

"I want to preface this by saying I am a healthy 49-year-old woman with NO pre-existing health conditions. I literally took a birth control pill (thank you menopause) and that's it. Healthy as can be prior to COVID.

"As many of you know, our daughter Sofie works in town at an independent, assisted living and memory care facility. She works on her college breaks, mainly with the memory care patients and also assists at the front desk. On Thursday, Jan. 7 as the facility does every week, they tested all employees for COVID. Well, on Saturday, Jan. 9 at 9:15 p.m., Sofie received the call she hoped she never would. Sofie tested positive for COVID.

"In thinking back, she actually can recall the exact moment of transmission, she believes. Keep in mind there were already several active cases in the unit she works in, and the memory care residents do NOT wear masks, just don’t keep them on based on their conditions and this is understandable. I am not going to get into how the active cases came to be or my own personal thoughts on mask wearing, other than to say please all wear your masks properly, fully covering your mouth and nose.

"So off our scared girl went into quarantine immediately into her room for the next 10 days. I thank God every single day that her symptoms were those of a common cold. She was tired, had a headache, achy, feverish and had lost all sense of taste and smell.

"Let’s fast forward to the very next day, Sunday, Jan. 10. Out of precaution, Joe and I headed to the Bradley Airport COVID testing site to be sure we were okay. On Monday, Jan. 11, Joe’s test came back negative, thankfully. On Tuesday afternoon, Jan. 12, my test came back positive.

"I thought we will get through this together. I quarantined in our bedroom and bath, and Joe moved into the spare bedroom. Keep in mind, I had only up to that point felt very tired after work a few days the prior week, but nothing that you sometimes just experience due to everyday life, and chalked it up to that.

"Tic toc, tic toc ... to Sofie on day 7 of confirmed COVID in quarantine and hanging with me as well at times in my room since we are both positive at this point. We of course kept a close eye on Sofie and were preparing and bringing all her meals, and kept her hydrated and ensured that she had anything else she needed to her room door, with a quick 'are you okay?' Again, so thankful she was doing well.

"As I continued to work the week of Jan. 11 still feeling not terrible, just a little extra tired (P.S. I work full time at home in my home office). Unfortunately for me, by the end of work on Jan. 13, I was physically and mentally exhausted, had an unbearable headache, fever of 100.4, had lost all taste and smell and eye muscle pain that was almost unbearable. I finished up work, let my manager know that I would be out of the office Thursday and Friday and proceeded to bed, where I remained in full quarantine until Wednesday, Jan. 20.

"I had EVERY SINGLE symptom and then some by this point. Headache, fever, chills, sweats, unbearable eye muscle pain, cough, nausea, diarrhea, no taste or smell, electric shock feelings some night to random parts of my body and my skin hurt to be touched. I took a shower that morning and remember getting dressed, using the bathroom, throwing up in the garbage pail while sitting on the can. I remember being so weak I collapsed face down on the bed and Joe coming in to check on me. I was totally out of it, just flat out exhausted, somewhat confused and had a fever of 104. Joe drove me to the hospital, as I could keep nothing in at this point. This time we landed at the closer St. Francis Hospital in Hartford. They took a chest X-ray that came back clear, and gave me a bag of fluids due to severe dehydration at this point and sent me home. See ya! I thought to myself okay, I feel a miniscule bit better after the fluids but still pretty damn miserable.

"In between all this, Joe and Sofie had become everything in my place, and I mean every single thing while bringing meals, fluids and anything else I needed, as I was completely in quarantine still with my “come out of quarantine” date set for Thursday, Jan. 21. The next day, I remember thinking how on earth could that be possible given how terrible and miserable I was? My amazing mom was also sending soup and absolutely anything she could think of over to the house that she thought I would eat, given that I had absolutely no appetite.

"More of the clock ticking and ticking, sleep was sparse at this point, as COVID just would not let it come for days. I was absolutely exhausted beyond my wildest dreams, 100 times worse tired than having a newborn. I woke up Friday feeling worse than I ever have in my life and yes I should be feeling better by now and yes my out of quarantine date was indeed the day before. Still suffering with all the symptoms noted above, except now we add an almost rice crispy sound to the mix when I would breath in and my oxygen levels by dinnertime had suddenly dropped to 87 (normal is 95-100). TIP: If you don’t have a Pulse Oximeter, get one. This is a must have in every household. Joe placed an urgent call to my doctor and a friend of ours who is a nurse in a COVID unit who suggested we head to the hospital, now. Off we went this time to Hartford Hospital, as I think we all had a feeling I was not coming home the same day this time.

"I was admitted via the ER to Hartford Hospital around 7 p.m. on Jan. 22 with COVID-19, acute respiratory failure and pneumonia. A chest X-ray and then a CAT scan revealed my lungs were a nasty shade of gray (should be black and clear) and I was still loaded with COVID. Keep in mind, I had just had a clear chest X-ray two days earlier.

"Here started my stay in the hospital. Friday, Jan. 22 thru the afternoon they told me I could go home, Thursday, Jan. 28. Here we go!

"First full day in the hospital was Saturday, Jan. 23. Met with my two infectious disease doctors, and the regular floor doctor assigned to me about 8 a.m. Together we discussed best course of treatment and determined that I was not a good candidate for the blood transfusion of antibody treatment (past the point in time they like to give that technically); however, they did feel that because of the severity and length of time COVID was lingering that I would benefit from a 5-day infusion of Remdesivir and a 10-day treatment of a steroid called Dexamethasone, both via IV and then in pill form once home for the steroids, as well as starting me on a daily round of IV Lasix for fluid removal around and in my lungs. For those that don’t know, Lasix make you urinate out a ton for up to six hours. I would also remain on oxygen, which was started in the ER. In addition each morning I will receive a shot in my belly to prevent blood clots; these would continue as long as I was in the hospital.

"Every afternoon I would have to do something called proning which is where you lie on your belly for 2-3 hours face down and then I would again at night as a normal side/ belly sleeper. This proning is considered very beneficial to breathing in COVID patients, helps the lungs. Within the hour I was given all noted above, as well as cough syrup for the nasty COVID cough, Tylenol and two horse pill-sized potassium tablets (became deficient they believe from the vomiting and diarrhea).

"Exhausted, feeling so terribly ill, scared, missing my family and worried about worrying everyone at home, I also woke later that morning to the realization that I also had a very, very loud roommate on the other side of the curtain. She definitely woke me up often speaking what I believe to be in Polish extremely loud and her room phone rang off the hook at all hours of the day and night. On my first full day and night I thought I would lose my mind after going into night 4 of no sleep, to say I was irritable would be an understatement. However, by the middle morning of day two, she too learned that she had a roommate. I learned that her name was Maya; she was 86 years old and taught six languages at the high school level for 37 years. She was not allowed to get out of bed on her own and both her sister and brother were also sick with COVID somewhere in the hospital. She had no other family locally. We became roomies and friends over our time sharing our room even though we remained behind the curtain, and I actually was so happy when she checked out and we wished each other well and promised to continue to pray for each other. My only regret is that we didn’t swap information so I could have checked in on her, just didn’t think of it until she was gone ahead of me. She was spunky so I am sure she is doing just fine and hope her brother and sister are too.

"The days and nights were so long, waking every three hours to vital checks and maintenance meds like cough syrup and Tylenol. Every morning about 8 a.m. breakfast would come and by 9 my cocktail of daily meds noted above would be administered. Then I would wash up around 10 a.m. I was not allowed to be taken for a shower during my stay because I had COVID (although those first few days in the hospital I could have cared less or been able to physically). So daily wash up was all I could ask for, and boy was it wonderful. I think we really do take a hot shower for granted, I know that for sure. On day 4 my patient care associate Gabriella actually washed my hair for me in the smallish bathroom sink in my room, OMG best feeling ever, it was HEAVEN absolute HEAVEN!

"Sunday, Jan. 24, my dear Sofie’s 21st birthday. Worst day of my hospital stay yet, breathing was definitely labored, exhausted and I felt just lousy, lousy, lousy. I heard my nurse Julian singing like an angel in the hallway, when she came in and we chatted as I did every morning, usually with a different nurse. I started to cry that morning pretty hysterically and told her how terrible I felt, that I just wanted to get better and go home, that it was my daughter's 21st birthday today and I was missing it. How her singing was beautiful and made me happy to hear and sounded familiar. I asked if she sang in church and we determined through our conversation that we were both Catholic. She was a very supportive, calming force that morning. She sang to me and we prayed together that morning as I literally bawled my eyes out. She held my hand so tight and she cared so very much I could feel it in my soul.

"I missed my Sofie’s birthday live that day, but am so thankful for Zoom and my soon to be daughter in law Virginia in California for setting up a family call so I could be there online with every single family member near and far, to sing happy birthday to Sofie and for Joe for making a wonderful 21st birthday cake for Sofie and blowing up the balloons I had bought to celebrate her special day. My nurse Julian came back to sing Happy Birthday with me to Sofie that evening before her shift ended. I really do believe God sent her to me that day to pull me through in every single way I needed, and believe me I needed her that day more than she will ever know. As my mother said to me, you saw the light and ran the other way; I can laugh about her saying that now. We’ve got things to do.

"Side note, the nurses and patient care associates (aides) are phenomenal people, each and every single one. I had one cranky aide one day, but geez we all have a bad day here and there and I imagine these folks deal with some pretty hard things, and she came in the next day very kind and helpful. They check on you, care for you, aren’t afraid to touch you and help you or just hold your hand knowing that you are alone in there. No visitors allowed. Thank God for Face Time.

"The next three days were more of the same: breakfast, daily blood draw (sometimes twice a day), daily cocktail of meds, clean up time, lunch, naptime, dinner and of course vital checks every 3-4 hours. I will say the meals in the hospital were not bad, not bad at all. I also should note that my infectious disease and regular floor doc would come see me every day to see how I was doing and answer any and all of my questions, and they added a Spirometer for me to use several times a days to help with my lung capacity and breathing while continuing to wean me off the oxygen and start to breath again on my own.

"Day 6: Thursday, Jan. 28, I get to go home this afternoon!!! Best news ever! I met with a pulmonary therapist who was happy to see that my oxygen over the last two days had been reduced to almost zero, and I was able to breath keeping oxygen levels in my blood to an acceptable level for discharge without it. She completed her assessment and approved my release from her end to my docs. Docs all came in, listened to my lungs, checked blood work and determined they were all collaboratively confident I could be discharged to home to continue with my recovery there, to include continued steroids for the remaining four days, cough syrups, Spirometer exercise daily and a home nurse who would continue to check on me a few days a week for the next several weeks. Last visit was Tuesday, Feb. 16.

"Recovery has been a bitch; I’m not going to lie. The exhaustion, sudden fatigue from just taking a shower, going up a flight of stairs or walking to the bathroom is terrible. Weakness has overcome me; even opening a simple bottle top is a struggle, writing a note is difficult, typing before this just wasn’t going to happen. The brain fog as they call it is so very frustrating. Nurses and doctors say this can be a side effect of COVID that they are seeing linger and perhaps the steroids. Apparently steroids can stay in your system for up to 14 days after your last dose. Feb. 15 was my 14th day.

"Getting up to do something and forgetting what you got up to do, trying to remember the names of people you have known your entire life but can’t without looking them up or asking someone to tell you ... VERY FRUSTRATNG! Sleep has been a struggle, some nights I have been up and down 50 million times a night and others I sleep okay. My doctor and nurse had me try 3 mg of Melatonin to see if that would help. Still waiting for that awesome night of sleep; I know it will come but sooner than later would be great. I still have no sense of taste or smell, which really stinks, although I think they are slowly coming back as I am starting to get whiffs and little tastes of some things.

"While progress is slow, doctors, nurses and my family continue to remind me to be patient and kind to myself. Rest is hugely important; support of family and friends does help. I don’t know what I would do without my family, they are ALL amazing but I already knew that.

"I’ll close this out with a few tips I learned from my infectious disease docs in the hospital that I thought might be helpful to others."

1. There is not enough data to tell me why COVID hit me so hard and Joe and Sofie had cold symptoms.

2. Treat EVERYONE like they have COVID19! EVERYONE! If they don’t live in your home, they should not be in it and vice versa.

3. A face shield in addition to a mask adds a significant level of protection.

4. All it takes is one, yes one, microscopic droplet to become infected.

5. YOU are not immune.

6. Get a Pulse Oximeter if you don’t already have one, thankfully we did (came with the thermometer we had and never used it prior).

7. A multi-vitamin of Zinc, Vitamin C, A, D can’t hurt to boost your immune system.

8. Resist the urge to gather with family and friends; you don’t want to be the one to infect someone!!!!! Visit outdoors even if only for a few minutes. We separate now so we can gather when this is over.

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