A letter from a gal that worked at Pratt juco. Young mom, kinda long. My sister knows her.
Center
59 mins ·
Heather's story is shared with her permission. This is why we can not stress the Stay-At-Home order enough. Each of us has an incredible responsibility right now. Heather did all the right things! Isolation from even her own husband and children. Everything we touch, everywhere we go, everyone we interact with, affects THE PEOPLE WE LOVE. There's a good chance you could have it and not know for 2 weeks.
Heather Hopper Wilson
Yesterday at 1:48 PM
My Covid19 Story:
Let me start by saying THANK YOU so much for outpouring of love shown to me over the past couple of weeks. All the prayers, kind texts, phone calls, the encouragement, and the concern were so important to my recovery and meant more than you’ll ever know. I know several also reached out to my parents and siblings for updates and kind words, thank you to all my family and friends. I truly was overwhelmed by the outpouring.
I know there has been much speculation regarding whether my illness was Coronavirus, and this morning, eight days after being tested, my Covid19 test came back positive.
It is important to note that no one that I work with or have been in contact with is at risk of contracting the virus from me as I have not been on campus since March 11 and in a public setting since March 12. All colleagues/public are far outside of the 2-14 day window in which to show symptoms. I also want to be clear that I order my groceries and HAD NOT BEEN regularly visiting any businesses in town prior to my symptom date as I greatly limit my exposure during cold/flu season in an effort to protect myself and others.
It is unknown how I contracted this virus, I had not travelled, or been around anyone known to have symptoms, I did not have any direct contact with students in the days leading up to my symptoms either. There is speculation that a coworker that I came in contact with may have been misdiagnosed with bronchitis a couple weeks prior to my diagnosis, but this has not been confirmed, only speculation as Covid19 was not thought to be in Kansas at that time. Again only SPECULATION and this person did nothing wrong, she stayed at home for over a week and visited a doctor and received a bronchitis diagnosis, started meds and reported back to work after being on meds for an extended period of time. (She does not live in our county.) I believe this virus has been circulating long before they were tracking it, so who knows where I picked it up.
I started having symptoms the evening of March 12. I had a sore throat, I drank some tea, thinking sinus drainage, and went to bed. I started chilling late in the night and woke up with what I thought to be influenza, horrible headache, body aches, sore throat. I called the doctor the morning of Friday, March 13 to explain my symptoms and asked for some Tamiflu, they did not think Tamiflu was necessary and I was told to manage my symptoms at home. No doctor visit required. Isolation from my family begins.
Sunday, March 15, I woke up and felt pretty decent. I was able to finish my 12 page paper and final project (due that evening) for a class I was taking. That night however I started chilling and felt terrible again. Still isolated.
Tuesday, March 17, feeling no relief, extreme fatigue, sweats, headache, earache, I called the doctor and made an appointment to be seen. I was masked at my appointment and was told I had pneumonia in one lung and ear infection, prescribed antibiotics.
Friday, March 20, I’ve spent my entire Spring Break isolated from my family, I was still feeling crummy, sweats, extreme fatigue, so I called the doctor. They prescribed a steroid to help with the pneumonia.
Monday, March 23, very ill, went to another doctor for a second opinion. I was swabbed for influenza, it was negative, blood work done, chest X-ray and chest CT performed. Chest CT confirmed bilateral pneumonia consistent with Covid19. Doctor swabbed me for the virus. (It was also known at that time that another co-worker was struggling with similar symptoms.). I was prescribed albuterol to use in my nebulizer, that’s the only relief the doctor could offer. (Short supply of albuterol in the pharmacies due to the virus but I was able to get some).
Tuesday, March 24, it’s hard to breathe, contemplated going into the hospital. Instead sent my husband to buy an o2 monitor at Walmart, monitored my oxygen level at home to ensure I was above the advised threshold and started regular breathing treatments. Prayers were working and I managed my symptoms at home. Still isolated from my family.
Wednesday, March 25, decent day, oxygen level decent.
Thursday/Friday, March 26-27, exhausted, but managed to talk to the girls teachers about what to expect this week. Oxygen level holding up.
Sunday, March 29, woke up feeling more like myself than I had in MANY days. Still waiting on test results. Still isolated.
Tuesday, March 31, still feeling good, three days in a row, yea! Doctor called with test results, positive for Covid19.
Great I’ve got the diagnosis, now what? I’m good right, I’ve been isolated for 19 days, I’m far outside the ten days you’re thought to shed the virus from onset of symptoms? WRONG!!
So much has been learned about this virus since it entered the US (and things change daily) but the CDC now is recommending that once you begin feeling well, no symptoms, that you must remain isolated for ten days. If you show any symptoms within the ten days you must start back at day one.
I’m currently on Day 19 since onset of symptoms, I’m going to say Day 2 of feeling good (as I did have night sweats on Day 1 of feeling good). I will need to isolate for 8 more days with no symptoms to be in the clear and come out of isolation. At that point I will have been isolated for a month.
Please be mindful and stay home. I have missed a month with my family, my husband, my kids. My girls have cried for me outside my door, they have been fearful of something very bad happening to me, it is heartbreaking to not be able to wipe away their tears or give them hugs of consolation, this weighs heavily on my heart. However I will say that if my family can remain healthy because I did what was necessary and recommended, this isolation will be so worth it. I try to remember that these days are so few when we look at the grand scale of our life.
This road has been rough, it’s been scary, there were days my anxiety wore heavily on me. I know I made it through this because so many lifted me up in prayer and I’m so grateful. My journey is not over as I’m still recovering from my pneumonia, however I now see rainbows. Please continue to pray for me and my family. I would feel incredibly guilty and heartbroken to see them go through this knowing I was the cause. Please pray they stay healthy and that my recovery continues.
Thank you, thank you, thank you for all the thought and prayers.
My mother-in-law reminded me that today I made history, the first confirmed Covid19 case in Pratt county. I’ve said it before, but sometimes we must laugh our way through the storm.
This is my story, I thought it was important to tell so people understand how dangerous this virus is. Someone young and healthy is not immune to its fury. Do not live in fear but be smart in the choices you make when venturing out. Is the outing truly necessary?
In the coming weeks please reach out to me if you need anything. When I have fully recovered it will be my duty to shop for others as I now have a layer of immunity against this nasty bug.
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