In 2020, the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic posed a significant health risk to many, including myself, due to pre-existing health conditions. This vulnerability necessitated a strict four-month period of self-isolation to mitigate exposure to the virus. Despite these precautions, in November 2020, both my partner and I tested positive for COVID-19. Fortunately, I experienced only mild symptoms during this time. The following year, I encountered the virus twice more, each instance similarly resulting in mild symptoms, a testament to the unpredictable nature of COVID-19.
However, the situation escalated in January 2023 when I began experiencing severe respiratory difficulties and a generally feeling unwell. Concerned, my Mum contacted emergency services, and I was subsequently hospitalized. Medical evaluations confirmed pneumonia in my right lung, and I was immediately admitted to the High Dependency Unit (HDU). Over the next few days, my condition deteriorated as the infection spread to both lungs. Despite this, the medical team managed to stabilize my condition enough for me to be transferred to a general ward. There, I was instructed to remain bedridden with supplemental oxygen and undergo physiotherapy to help clear the mucus from my lungs.
Contrary to initial advice, I was later informed by the physiotherapy team that mobility could aid my recovery. This mixed messaging was confusing, but I focused on my treatment and recovery. Merely eight days after my admission, I was discharged; however, my challenges were far from over.
That night, I experienced acute breathing difficulties, feeling as though I was suffocating—a truly frightening episode. Monitoring my oxygen levels, which alarmingly dropped to 74%, prompted me to seek immediate medical attention the following day. Upon readmission, tests revealed that I had contracted COVID-19 again, during my initial hospital stay.
My subsequent hospitalization was marked by isolation in a private room to prevent the spread of the virus to visitors & patients. Visitors where allow however my Dad (in his 70s) and my self-employed partner, both of whom could not risk infection understandably didn’t visit. Nevertheless, my Mum visited daily, providing much-needed companionship, even though I spent most of my time resting and reading.
As of today, I am grateful to report that I have recovered without any apparent long-term effects from either pneumonia or COVID-19.
