Covid-Two ambulance visits

[DrARDS]

On the 29th March, I called an ambulance to send my Dad to hospital.

He’d been battling Covid for a week or so at home, but it had got progressively worse to the point he was struggling to breath. There was crackling in his chest and I noted his Sats had dropped.

He battled in hospital on CPAP for a few days, but it was still not budging and the doctors said he’d have to be mechanically ventilated. We thought this might be days initially, but it ended up being 2 months!!

Double Bilateral Pneumonia, ARDS, Multiple PEs, sepsis, cardiac problems, tracheostomy, tracheostomy complications, resepsis, haematuria, blood transfusion, resepsis, re transfusion, delirium, memory loss, myopathy and lung fibrosis has followed...on someone who hasn’t had any medical issues before.

After a few weeks on the ward, the ambulance brought him home yesterday.

Emotionally charged, incredibly weak, grey haired and very thin, my Dad emerged with oxygen.

It’s going to be a long journey of Rehab for him and a lot of hard work lies ahead, but we are grateful to God he’s here.

My sincere thanks and love to everyone who has been on this journey with me. I am forever indebted for your continued support and hope I can do the same for others in the future.

Despite coming from a medical background and my Dad being a doctor himself, this whole saga continues to be unchartered territory for us a family and the wider world, given it’s such a new disease.

My thoughts and prayers remain with those posters whose family member hasn’t made it home or are still in a critical condition.

Sending you all positive vibes, love and peace! This virus is cruel and has changed the world forever.

🙏🏾💜✌🏾

[Sepsur]

I am so thrilled to read this - May your father now come on in leaps & bounds.

[DrARDS in reply to Sepsur]

You’re my hero Sepsur! You’re courageous nature to fight critical illness is the epitome of what is humanly possible.

God bless you for your ongoing support! You’ve made ICU steps the most incredible resource in the darkest days of my life.🙏🏽

I only hope I can emulate the support you have shown me to others.🙌🏾👍🏾

[Sepsur in reply to DrARDS]

Thank you 😊

[Mccarthy0702]

So pleased for you , am just waiting on a call to go pick my dad up he’s also coming home today been discharged just waiting on his meds.

May your dad continue to recover , sending lots of love and healing x

[DrARDS in reply to Mccarthy0702]

Wonderful news! So pleased for you too. Wishing your Dad and your family the very best on his return and his ongoing rehab🙏🏽

[Sepsur in reply to Mccarthy0702]

Brilliant news!!!

[RockRunner in reply to Mccarthy0702]

Wonderful news, an amazing day for you all, wishing you all the best for the future xx

[Rgsable]

Great News! Very happy for you and your family👏Its been a long difficult journey. I wish you and your family the best x

[DrARDS in reply to Rgsable]

Aw thanks, I hope and pray your husband is making better progress?🤞🏾 God bless you and your family too🙏🏾

[MarthaKos]

Wow amazing news! Wishing the best for his recovery, what a fighter! A true hero!

[DrARDS in reply to MarthaKos]

Thank you so much! Wishing your partner continued progress in his recovery too🤞🏾🙏🏽

[NDFan65]

Wonderful news! Home rehab has come with new challenges for my dad, but it is a big relief to have him home. Best wishes to your dad for his continued recovery!

[DrARDS in reply to NDFan65]

Thank you so much! Let’s stay in touch and support each other with rehab. 🙏🏽

[NDFan65 in reply to DrARDS]

Yes, please let me know how your dad is doing with rehab. I wish him and your family all the best.

[Ferham]

Really delighted for you and your family, with your love and support from your family, your dad will improve tremendously . What a hero he is .

[DrARDS in reply to Ferham]

Thanks Ferham. Really appreciate your support🙏🏽

[Hidden]

Such wonderful, fantastic news to read your Dad has finally made it home and is with you once again ❤️. The past few weeks have been a true horror but to read your positive news has brought some happiness back in my soul. Sending you a virtual strong bear hug with happy tears xxx

[DrARDS in reply to Hidden]

Aw thank you so much for your kind words Cally74. I can feel the emotion in them!

Xx

[Hidden in reply to DrARDS]

Thank you DrARDS. Sadly my partner was taken from me...😔. But I’m smiling in my heart for you, your Dad and family 🤗🌻

[DrARDS in reply to Hidden]

😢 I must have forgot! I’m terribly sorry once again for your loss.

God bless you for having the strength to still smile in what must remain a very difficult and emotionally charged time.

If there’s anything I can do to help, please DM me. 🤗🌷

[Hidden in reply to DrARDS]

You’ve nothing to apologise for, honestly xXx. Thank you 🙏🏻

[DrARDS in reply to Hidden]

God bless you Stay strong and love to your family. 💜🙏🏽

[Snakecharmer]

Really happy to hear a positive outcome 😃 I’m so pleased for your family, it’s true the road to full recovery once discharged home is long, rehab will take quite a time as we are discovering with my husband, but little by little he will get there as will your Dad, yes this disease is pure evil and doesn’t just affect lungs - it’s left my husband with heart problems but we will battle on, best wishes to everybody xxx

[DrARDS in reply to Snakecharmer]

Thank you so much Snakecharmer and so pleased to hear of your husbands progress.

Yes the docs are concerned with my Dads heart still. We can only hope that with time the body heals. He’s an absolute wreck atm-mentally, physically and emotionally, but still glad to be home.

[Garbagestar34]

His brings me so much hope for my dad. I am so happy for you.

[DrARDS in reply to Garbagestar34]

Aw, I’m pleased to hear this.

I wasn’t sure whether to post as I know so many people are still suffering and wondering when their loved one will come home, but I know I need to offer the same hope others have offered in their posts.

Praying and hoping your Dad can follow suit very soon 🤗🙏🏽🤞🏾

[Garbagestar34 in reply to DrARDS]

Thank you. I need all the prayer I can get. I’m having such a difficult time. Also it’s becoming more and more difficult to get updates on my dad. I know he is in good care. But not being able to do anything or even hold his hand is killing me.

[DrARDS in reply to Garbagestar34]

I feel your pain; I really do. I would regularly drive up to the hospital car park, gaze up to the floor I knew my Dad was on and just cry, then pray and then do a combination of the two.

We weren’t even allowed to FaceTime till he was conscious and had “given consent”!

[RockRunner]

I’m so so happy that he has come through this. It’s the cruellest and most tortuous journey. My husband went into hospital the same day as your Dad. He had been in bed for 10 days at that point and I had been monitoring him based on our Dr’s instructions. His breathing rate rapidly increased from 25 to over 40bpm when I called the ambulance. He was put on a ventilator within an hour of being admitted and suffered the same challenges as your Dad. It’s day 90 for him and still in hospital in a renal ward but we are hopeful of him coming home soon. Wishing you, your Dad and all the family the best for the future. None of us will ever be the same, but having them with us is what matters x

[DrARDS in reply to RockRunner]

Aw thanks so much RockRunner. I have been following your posts regularly and you must be going through the very same emotions we are.

I’m pleased to hear your Dad is on the ward and can only hope and pray he comes home soon.

You are absolutely right! None of us will be the same after all this. Wishing you continued strength and courage. God bless! 🤗🙏🏽🤞🏾

[Woo2]

Fabulous news! I'm so pleased for you and your Dad!

He's obviously a fighter, and you are strong too.

Hang on in there during the next stage, but I'm sure everything will go well.

[DrARDS in reply to Woo2]

Thank you so much Woo2! Really appreciate it and I note you’ve just inboxed me too. God bless!🙏🏽🤞🏾🤗

[Marjay]

Wonderful news after such a horrific journey which I know only to well, my partner is being discharged to respite today after 9wks battling the virus which ravaged his body, the ECMO machine saved his life, all I can say to those to you who are still in that dark place don’t give up hope miracles do happen, sending my love to all of you wherever you are on your journey xx

[DrARDS in reply to Marjay]

Jeez! ECMO is horrific. I’m so pleased to hear they are also making their way home.

This is undoubtedly the toughest time for the individual ravaged by this virus, but also the family picking up the pieces.

But yes, I can only hope this post inspires hope to those with family still in critical conditions. Keep the faith! 🙌🏾🙏🏽🤞🏾🤗

[HopefulA]

So pleased for you and your family and so glad to have met some wonderful people on this site!

Hopefully we can continue to support one another during the rehab part of our loved ones' journeys xx

[DrARDS in reply to HopefulA]

Thank you so much HopefulA! I have followed your posts regularly and agree this site has been wonderful for support in such dark days.

Absolutely, the hard work has just begun!

[PeterJu]

Hi. Your post he was extremely moving. Just wanted to wish you all the very best. I’m now nearly 10 weeks out of hospital having had Covid and having been on a ventilator. My experience was not as extreme as your fathers, but if I can be any help just let me know. Cheers Pete

[DrARDS in reply to PeterJu]

Thanks a lot Peter! Appreciate your kindness. I hope your rehab is going well 🙏🏾

[jayniej]

truly wonderful news that your dad is now home! prayers have been answered 🙏🏻

bless your father being a doctor as-well what a remarkable man !

Lets all try to keep in contact with our loved ones rehab journey.. my dad had been home just over a week now, very tired, weak and on a tone of medication.

As a family it is Very difficult to see him like this which i am sure you too will understand this but we have them home & thats half the battle

take care - jayne

[DrARDS in reply to jayniej]

Thanks for your kind words jayniej! I have been following your journey too and your Dad’s epic journey.

It is so pleasing that they’ve come out of icu, but as you say a new, tough journey now awaits in rehab. Yes, we must certainly support each other ! I’ll DM you X

[Olivia2902]

That’s amazing news! I’m so pleased for you and your family. Wishing him all the very best for his continued recovery!

[DrARDS in reply to Olivia2902]

Hi Olivia,

Thank you very much for your kind words!

I recall shedding some tears when you posted the sad news about your young sister and for you to still find the strength to wish me on here is all the more remarkable! You must be a very special soul.

I hope and pray your dear sister is smiling somewhere and at peace now. Heaven obviously needed her sooner than we would have all liked.😢🌷

Xxx💜

[Olivia2902 in reply to DrARDS]

Bless you. That means a lot and I have tears in my eyes as I write this, I pray every day that she has found peace too. I feel like we all have a unique bond having all been through what we have and I am rooting for everyone on here that their loved ones make it home to them ❤️xxx

[DrARDS in reply to Olivia2902]

Absolutely. You are all my extended virtual family! We have all been through something truly horrific and mentally it remains very draining.

You really are a class act to be able to stay on this forum and root for everyone else. God bless you and your family 💜🙏🏽

[stevet11753]

Wishing you all the best after going through this terrible time. Here's to your Dad's continuing recovery 👍💪🙏

[DrARDS in reply to stevet11753]

Thank you very much Steve! I really appreciate your kind words 🙌🏾👍🏾

[Becca6564]

This is just amazing to read. Xx

[mso94]

So happy to hear it. <3 We called the ambulance for my dad on the 29th of March as well. He'll be home in 10 days from rehab, and we can't wait. It's looking like a long road to recovery but as long as we are there for our dads, I'm sure they'll be motivated each step of the way.