I SURVIVED COVID19 (Part 1)

On Thursday 10th December 2020 I walked out of Mulago hospital at 4p.m Covid19 free! Tuesday December 1st, 2020, I was admitted to the High Dependency Unit at Mulago Hospital with Covid19; I had developed breathing complications! In my first 24 Hours at the unit I saw at least 3 people pass away in my section. But how did I get to this point?

I have been a relatively careful person and a bit paranoid practicing the SOPs at my office and even my entry protocols at home; I make sure that I do not hug my family or touch them, undress immediately and take a shower as soon as I enter the house. Only then do I come down and can greet them. At the office where I work, we have sanitizer dispensers every where and I often pass by these points to sanitize. I wear my mask; in fact, in each of my cars I have masks and sanitizer as well. I do have sanitizer in my desk drawer too.

Three weeks ago, after a Sunday of preaching (we have observed the 70 - later 200 parishioners SOP as a church) I felt I had what seemed like a slight soreness in the throat. My immediate thoughts were that I had taxed my voice as I did a marathon to preach in three different Sunday Services in order that we can have as many of the parishioners come in. Two days later this slight soreness was not gone away but now had developed into a slight dry cough. Immediately I told myself this could be Covid19, so I started on a dose of Azithromycin-500mg. Usually this kind goes away by the second day of dosage. This time it was different. It kind of ebbed off a bit, but by day three I still had it in that uncomfortable zone. I started two days later on another course of Azithromycin-500mg. By the time I was completing this, it was Saturday 28th November 2020. The cough had still not resolved but this time I felt I was starting to experience some slight inside pain in-between my shoulder blades, on the upper side of my backbone. This pain felt more like tissue pain.

By this point in time, I was feeling slightly lethargic, felt that I needed to lie down much of the time because sitting up in a chair of any sort was kind of difficult; I felt tired. I presumed this was fatigue as I had had a busy last seven days. Saturday night I slept but woke up Sunday feeling really weak. Later that day I asked someone to drive me to Lifelink Hospital in Namugongo. I saw a doctor that recommended some blood tests. Results came out clear. I had no infection reflected. The doctor however gave me a topical pain killer and an expectorant to deal with the dry cough. I went back home and started on my medication. Monday was an "all sleep" day as I felt so fatigued to sit up. Monday night I experienced one of the strangest nights of my life: I was totally sleepless, but I could not sit up. I tried sleeping but could only manage my left-hand side as any other posture left me coughing incessantly and eventually breathless.

By 5am I got up to use the restroom and then realised I was getting breathless and tired just walking a few meters. I opened the bedroom window and that’s when my wife woke up; I shared with her what I had been through the entire night. She immediately insisted (against my will) to take me to the Hospital; I relented eventually and only then did I realized how true her assertion had been. I could hardly put on my clothes as I was running out of breath. The short walk from our bedroom to the yard was the longest walk of my life as I was running out of breath; it felt like I had run 10 miles with a load on my chest! We arrived at the Hospital and just walking through the SOPs (wash hands, measure temp, etc.) was the hardest thing I have done in a long time. By this time, I could hardly stand upright.

The Doctor we found measured my oxygen levels and found them to flip erratically between 75 and consistently below 90. He recommended other blood tests and after he did a physical exam recommended an X-ray scan but also recommended a Covid19 test. The blood tests came back clear, but the X-ray revealed serious lung impact; by then the Hospital had already placed me on Oxygen as I breathed better and this pushed my oxygen levels into the comfortable zone.

A number of discussions ensued between my wife, myself and the Dr. Deo who later told us that I needed to be referred. The Hospital was having challenges with their preferred referral points; it is at that point that I sent someone I knew a message, who organized both an ambulance and bed at Mulago Hospital.

I arrived at Mulago Hospital at 6p.m that day Tuesday 1st December 2020. I was received and checked in within 30 minutes and immediately treatment begun. What the X-rays had showed was characteristic of Covid19, so this position was presumed. My results from the lab swab were to confirm this Covid19 positive 12hours later.

(to be continued…)