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Hello ladies!!
You may have noticed I dropped off the face of the planet...
I fell ill the first week in February with what I thought was a regular cold. On February 7th I went to the hospital because I started to cough up blood and chunks of flesh...
I was diagnosed with pneumonia - given medication and sent home.
On February 9th I started having serious trouble breathing and again found myself in the hospital where within a few hours my lungs fully seized and I died. I was revived and told I would be intubated. I refused - two reasons...one, I had a 107 degree fever that couldn't be managed and was not in my right mind and two, I knew I'd lost massive amounts of oxygen over time and was continuing to - being intubated is difficult for anyone, my throat was severely swollen and I knew by the time they got a vent in I would have brain damage.
20 days later I woke from a coma... confused and extremely disoriented. I was in the ICU, tied down, had a vent down my throat (the doctor phoned my hubs and asked for permission to override my refusal) feeding tube, several IVs and I was coming down off of some very serious drugs. For days I was bewildered as family and nurses explained why I was in the hospital... H1N1, how I had died twice, how a machine called an ECMO was placed through my jugular to my heart to help oxygenate my blood due to complete lung failure, how if I didn't start breathing on my own on that 20th day I'd have been given a tracheotomy...and finally what a miracle I am...
Initially my mother and husband were told I'd only survive 3-5 days maximum and to call the rest of the family.
What those doctors didn't know was I had a little girl to get home to. A little girl who was also given a grave diagnoses once upon a time...and is now a bright, healthy and happy 15 month old.
So after several surgeries, 6 blood transfusions, over 100 needle pokes, 16 IV drips and 30 days in the hospital I went home. I survived pneumonia, H1N1 and sepsis.
After being moved from ICU to the respiratory ward we were told I would be in the hospital about 3 months before going home while I rehabilitated. I had to relearn how to walk, go up stairs, feed myself...even go to the bathroom. I was on the ward only 5 days...and I was doing well enough to leave.
Being home was amazing though challenging...all my muscle mass was gone, I'd lost about 50lbs in the hospital and I was extremely weak and often winded. My lungs are severely scarred and my heart was damaged because the first time the ECMO was put in the doctor did it blind in the ICU because I wasn't stable enough to be moved to the ER.
But...everyday I got stronger and built more endurance.
I was doing quite well but 10 days following my release I found myself back in the hospital with chest pain. It was discovered that I have very large blood clots in one of my lungs due to 3 week of immobility while in a coma.
The doctor said if I didn't go in when I did, I'd have died...again.
3 days later I was home again - with blood thinners to prevent any further problems.
I have been back home for 2 weeks now - I am stronger - probably at 85%. I will be good as new in no time.
My sister shaved my head while I was in ICU because it was all matted and filled with blood from my neck surgery. My hair was half way down my back.
My life has dramatically changed in more ways than just physically...I am much happier now, filled wiith hope, love and positivity. I have a new outlook on life and feel infinitely blessed to have been given a second chance at life. I am reopening my dayhome in May!
I hope everyone else here is doing well... let me know what's new!
You may have noticed I dropped off the face of the planet...
I fell ill the first week in February with what I thought was a regular cold. On February 7th I went to the hospital because I started to cough up blood and chunks of flesh...
I was diagnosed with pneumonia - given medication and sent home.
On February 9th I started having serious trouble breathing and again found myself in the hospital where within a few hours my lungs fully seized and I died. I was revived and told I would be intubated. I refused - two reasons...one, I had a 107 degree fever that couldn't be managed and was not in my right mind and two, I knew I'd lost massive amounts of oxygen over time and was continuing to - being intubated is difficult for anyone, my throat was severely swollen and I knew by the time they got a vent in I would have brain damage.
20 days later I woke from a coma... confused and extremely disoriented. I was in the ICU, tied down, had a vent down my throat (the doctor phoned my hubs and asked for permission to override my refusal) feeding tube, several IVs and I was coming down off of some very serious drugs. For days I was bewildered as family and nurses explained why I was in the hospital... H1N1, how I had died twice, how a machine called an ECMO was placed through my jugular to my heart to help oxygenate my blood due to complete lung failure, how if I didn't start breathing on my own on that 20th day I'd have been given a tracheotomy...and finally what a miracle I am...
Initially my mother and husband were told I'd only survive 3-5 days maximum and to call the rest of the family.
What those doctors didn't know was I had a little girl to get home to. A little girl who was also given a grave diagnoses once upon a time...and is now a bright, healthy and happy 15 month old.
So after several surgeries, 6 blood transfusions, over 100 needle pokes, 16 IV drips and 30 days in the hospital I went home. I survived pneumonia, H1N1 and sepsis.
After being moved from ICU to the respiratory ward we were told I would be in the hospital about 3 months before going home while I rehabilitated. I had to relearn how to walk, go up stairs, feed myself...even go to the bathroom. I was on the ward only 5 days...and I was doing well enough to leave.
Being home was amazing though challenging...all my muscle mass was gone, I'd lost about 50lbs in the hospital and I was extremely weak and often winded. My lungs are severely scarred and my heart was damaged because the first time the ECMO was put in the doctor did it blind in the ICU because I wasn't stable enough to be moved to the ER.
But...everyday I got stronger and built more endurance.
I was doing quite well but 10 days following my release I found myself back in the hospital with chest pain. It was discovered that I have very large blood clots in one of my lungs due to 3 week of immobility while in a coma.
The doctor said if I didn't go in when I did, I'd have died...again.
3 days later I was home again - with blood thinners to prevent any further problems.
I have been back home for 2 weeks now - I am stronger - probably at 85%. I will be good as new in no time.
My sister shaved my head while I was in ICU because it was all matted and filled with blood from my neck surgery. My hair was half way down my back.
My life has dramatically changed in more ways than just physically...I am much happier now, filled wiith hope, love and positivity. I have a new outlook on life and feel infinitely blessed to have been given a second chance at life. I am reopening my dayhome in May!
I hope everyone else here is doing well... let me know what's new!
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