is common among
COVID-19 patients. At
that point, I had to let
go of any sense of
control and accept that I was just a patient who was fully dependent
on her caretakers.
The treatment for COVID-19 is essentially a race between the virus
and the immune system. To give my immune system a boost, I was
given a course of hydroxychloroquine, a malaria drug that has shown
some promise in altering the immune system, slowing the virus's repli-
cation and combatting the virus in its early stages. The drug hasn't
been approved by the FDA, and we don't have enough objective
research on its effectiveness. Plus, caregivers need to be vigilant to
watch for changes in the patient's heart rate. In addition to the
hydroxychloroquine, I was given oxygen at a 2.5-liter flow rate, a sub-
cutaneous dose of enoxaparin to decrease the chance of blood clot
formation and an incentive spirometer to keep my lungs active. I was
also told to lay prone five times a day for 20 minutes each time to pro-
mote inflation of my dorsal alveoli. During this time, I fully under-
stood the gravity of the situation I was in. I had to will myself to stay
positive, force myself to eat, use my spirometer and lay prone. It's
hard to explain how exhausted this virus makes you feel. I have never
felt anything close to the fatigue I felt from COVID-19.
Alone with my thoughts
I was hospitalized for a week. My care was excellent. Nurses came
into my room for visits, and doctors visited at least daily. But I was in
isolation, and it was lonely. I spent a lot of time staring off into space.
The virus made me feel so tired that I didn't have the energy to do
much else. What I remember most about my time in the hospital room
4 6 • O U T P A T I E N T S U R G E R Y M A G A Z I N E • J U N E 2 0 2 0
I was one of the lucky ones.