Wednesday afternoon, I got a panicked call from my sister (who was home alone – her husband had gone on a trip to visit his sister). She was having trouble breathing, and her O2 levels were in the high 80s. She did NOT want to call an ambulance – not sure what her thinking was, assuming she was rational enough to have a reason for her preference.
So, I called around. One daughter was already at a hospital with her husband, who was very sick with a respiratory infection. My son stepped up, and drove over, coaxed her into his car, and dropped her off. We arrived about 5 minutes later.
I stayed with her in the ER. The whole thing took a lot of time, and they only finally got around to dealing with her because I had a minor hissy fit. We were finally seen, and she was directed to treat her infection symptomatically.
I told my husband I was staying the night (didn’t like to leave her with no one else in the house). I ended up staying 3 nights, and left around 11 on Saturday. At that time, she was functional, feeling better, and able to manage.
That evening, she called me to say that our brother was also quite ill (he is medically retired from working, and his health is fragile). I talked to him, got him to check his O2 (in the mid-80s), and told him to unlock his door. When he did, I told him to call 911. After some back and forth about whether this was necessary, he did.
He was examined, treated, and – as his O2 levels had improved – released to home. When I talked to him today, he was feeling much better.
My husband and I both came down with the Chinese Crud. Fortunately, for me a mild case. My husband is still considerably under the weather.
Today, my son informed me that he was feeling ill, too. I told him to go out and get an oximeter. The prices of them have been dropping, and it’s a good thing to have in the house (generally, if your O2 levels drop into the 80s, get your heinie to the hospital). It’s a good way to make sure that you don’t fall into the danger zone, but get prompt help should you be sick enough to need medical assistance.
Easy to use, takes up little space, and handy for anyone with respiratory issues.
The above one is available on Amazon. There are others, too, and my son’s will be delivered today.
So, REALLY busy for the last week.
1 comment
Sorry to hear. Your story sounds like things I’ve both heard, and experienced. Some are getting the bug, and reporting relatively mild, if annoying, symptoms. Others, like myself, are getting horribly ill. I came down in August, and it is only in the last few days that I feel like I’m finally getting back to something like normal. Even so, it ruined my hearing, and left me with ongoing fatigue, and respiratory problems that did not surface until the infection was well behind me. Bottom line: I suspect that they are releasing new, and more virulent strains of this thing that are mixing it up with the decreasingly virulent original bugs. Hope you all recover. God Bless.
JWM