My mother, 89, tested positive for covid this morning at her nursing home. They just recently had their first cases among the residents. They moved her to the quarantine wing three days ago, due to a sporadic deep cough. She has had no fever, and over the last two days, no longer has a cough. She is eating well, and we are encouraging her to get out of bed and into her wheelchair. Your thoughts, prayers, and experience with covid are appreciated.
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Thank you for your prayers and well-wishes. My mother is well and recovering. So much has happened in the last couple of weeks. My mother had a sporadic cough, and extreme lethargy as her only symptoms. The cough went away, but she got very weak as she slept most of the day. Two weeks ago, on Friday night, the facility contacted us that my mother’s oxygen level had dropped to 70 and they were sending her to the hospital. We were told that we couldn’t see her, but we could wait in the ER waiting room (which at 1:00 a.m. was almost empty), and that a doctor would come out to talk to us. Within 30 minutes, the doctor came out and said that she had pneumonia. They had managed to improve her oxygen levels, and she was being treated with antibiotics. We asked about seeing her, and he said since he was running the ER that night, he would let us go in one at a time for a few minutes, but we had to suit up with PPE’s. He somehow managed to come up with five N95 masks and a nurse dressed us in gloves and gowns, and they let us all together to see our mother. It was surreal. We had not touched her since a dentist visit in July in which she had been transported by the facility and we were allowed to see her for the first time without a window between us.
He told us of the dangers of going in to see her, but we did not care. I think he did that for us because he might have thought she was not going to recover. She stayed only two days in the hospital and was discharged back to the quarantine wing at the nursing home. She is still somewhat weak, but feeds herself, and is asking to get her nails done. She is also tired of being in quarantine. They are allowing occupational and physical therapists to go in to work with her which I was happy to see.
Around the same time, my sister and her husband (independently of my mother) came down with covid. She is newly in remission from leukemia and he has developed afib, but they both recovered also, although he stayed in the hospital for four days for observation.
THEN!, my son-in-law got offered a huge promotion in Huntsville, AL, and my daughter and grandchildren moved up there three weeks ago. I am in withdrawal!!
AND!, we got hit with a hurricane one week prior to this - some roof damage and part of fence blown over.
I take things one day at a time. I am grateful for God’s mercy and strength, and grateful for my many blessings. These are tough times. A lot of changes. I had only three people at my Thanksgiving table this year, and I was grateful for that, but it was so strange not being with all the family. Happy Thanksgiving to all of you dear people!
Since you're able to visit her, are you bringing her cards, lovely, scenic, floral or animal cards that are cheery? We're a family who cherish cards. They can mean so much, and can convey so much cheer in dire times.
If she has a tv in her room, see if you can locate one of the soft music channels. My father's room was equipped with a tv, which I thought was useless until one of the religious staff found a channel with nothing but soothing music and beautiful scenery. I don't know how Dad felt about it b/c by then he wasn't able to speak, but it certainly helped me relax.
I don't know anything about Covid-19, but prayers will be going up. Depend on the lord at this time and forever more...cast your burdens and concerns on him. I know that it's hard but trust the lord on this one because sometimes things are out of our control and that's when you have to turn it over. Don't stress or worry God has got her and God Bless you.
I have a friend who’s aunt tested positive for covid, along with several other residents in a small Memory Care home. (in their 80’s) She did well and was barely symptomatic. Never had a fever or cough. A couple of the other residents did not recover. It’s so unpredictable.