“I tested positive for COVID back in March 2020, and was hospitalized. It was quite scary. I was in the high acuity unit for five or six days, and then I got moved down to a medical floor for a couple of days.
They almost intubated me, but luckily my blood gases came back, and they were okay. But I was having a really rough time with the oxygen flow just on regular nasal prongs. I think they wanted to put me on the ventilator just to give my lungs and my body a break, but I decided, ‘Nope, I’m a fighter. I’m going to do it.’
I was very isolated as I couldn’t have visitors. Everybody who comes into your room is all gowned up in PPE. You can’t even see their face. You see a little glimpse of the eyeballs, but that’s about it.
The care aides were just phenomenal and the lab techs, who would come in every morning and draw my blood, with just a quick little ‘Hello, how are you?’ I needed that bit of communication.
I’m a very positive person so I tried to make it not so scary for them. I know how I would feel if I was on the opposite side, how scary it is to go into a known COVID room. But it was very scary because it was the unknown, nobody knew anything back then. You’re kind of like a little test subject.
I just turned 38. My lungs did take a really good beating. I am walking to try and build up my endurance. Wearing a mask for a 12-hour shift is difficult, but it’s getting better every day.
It was kind of an eye-opener of all the different jobs out there within HEU, and how much support and dedication they do have to their job, and just being able to help me out in the little day-to-day things. They made me feel comfortable and put me at ease.
Going back to work, I wanted to be able to help out in the field in any way I can just to try and give back a little bit of what they have all given to me. I’m trying to give back during the little cloud over our heads right now.”
- Sheri, Unit Clerk, part of the health care team