Topic: My Covid-19 nightmare

With this post I first wish to thank everybody for their well-wishes. Unfortunately, I had to do a Boris Johnson: a second hospital stay, way longer and intense than the first time around, among other things involving 3 days of extra-oxygen therapy. It just about broke my mojo in two. In truth? I have nothing left, feel like I aged 10 years. Finally discharged, free of Covid-19, oxygen in blood at 91 (the low end of acceptable), maybe immune (but who really knows), I’m left with bad shakes as a reminder how dangerous this virus really is. My advice: wear a mask, and don’t dismiss it as just another kind of common flu. It is not. Don’t liberate your state. Don’t get a tattoo in Georgia. Don’t play craps in Vegas. Oh, wait! Total hospital bill for 19 days: $ 173,215, and with an annual deduction of $2,500 and co-pay at 10%, I’m very much looking forward to declare bankruptcy. That'll go nicely with the prescribed bedrest.

I hope to return to commenting on the manuscripts I’ve been closely following as soon as I can.

Ray

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Re: My Covid-19 nightmare

Ray!!!  OMG!! I was SSSSSOOOOOOO relieved to see this posting! I have been worried sick about you, my friend. When you feel up to talking a bit, give me a call.

Bobbie

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3 Reply by Dirk B. (edited by Dirk B. 2020-04-23 21:30:50)

Re: My Covid-19 nightmare

Ray, check out an organization called Charity Care. It may be available in your state to help with hospital costs. Also, talk to the social worker at your hospital as to what your options are.

Dirk

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Re: My Covid-19 nightmare

https://www.arcgis.com/apps/opsdashboar … 7b48e9ecf6

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Re: My Covid-19 nightmare

So sorry to hear this.  Pray that each day will find you stronger and that insurance will be more helpful than you anticipate.  Many blessings.

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Re: My Covid-19 nightmare

Oh my God, Ray.  What a terrible ordeal you had to go through. Sounds like you're in the US, otherwise the financial impact wouldn't be anything that dramatic. I hope you find some relief with that, too. Thanks for filling us in and the warning. You bet, I'll stay home. Can't hear that too often. I wish you all the best, a speedy recovery most of all.
Christine

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Re: My Covid-19 nightmare

Good to see you made it through Ray. You might want to keep tabs on what the government is doing; they were talking about covering the treatment if insurance didn't. Haven't head if that has gone through or not, but still a chance. Take care. Vern

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Re: My Covid-19 nightmare

vern wrote:

You might want to keep tabs on what the government is doing

Good idea.  I’m swallowing a UV tanning light and connecting myself to a Lysol IV.

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Re: My Covid-19 nightmare

Temple Wang wrote:
vern wrote:

You might want to keep tabs on what the government is doing

Good idea.  I’m swallowing a UV tanning light and connecting myself to a Lysol IV.

LOL, good God, don't listen to PeePee.  Check insurance wise, insurance wise, Ray, ignore PeePee period, and for the rest of you folks, don't use hydroxychloroquine either. Hope I covered it all. Love your wit TW. Take care. Vern

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Re: My Covid-19 nightmare

Hope you're back on the mend, Ray!

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Re: My Covid-19 nightmare

Ray-- I am so glad you're out of the hospital and on the mend. I am sending you good positive energy, and prayers to God for you. Stay strong!
smile

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Re: My Covid-19 nightmare

Ray, that's so terrible but I'm so glad to hear you're out of the woods now. Allow me to add my voice to the chorus of wellwishers. Also, hope you'll find a way to use this struggle to fule your writing in the future. smile

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Re: My Covid-19 nightmare

Ray, you have my sympathies.  What an ordeal. Glad you're on the mend. Contact your hospital's financial people. They are often very happy to give you a payment plan for your co-payments and deductible. Follow Catherine's advice and make this fodder for future writing.

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Re: My Covid-19 nightmare

Thank you all for your well wishes. Recovery is slow, and I fear my muse is still sick. As always: Be very, very careful.

Ray

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15 Reply by Bobbie.R.Byrd (edited by Bobbie.R.Byrd 2020-05-04 13:48:12)

Re: My Covid-19 nightmare

ray ashton wrote:

Thank you all for your well wishes. Recovery is slow, and I fear my muse is still sick. As always: Be very, very careful.

Ray

Feed the muse some homemade chicken soup and make it drink hot lemonade. It'll perk up.  smile


Bobbie

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Re: My Covid-19 nightmare

So sorry for your troubles! Glad to hear that you're back among the living. Be well, and I hope all goes well.

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17 Reply by njc

Re: My Covid-19 nightmare

One more piece of advice: get enough vitamin D and consider a supplement of at least 250 IU  (6.25 mcg), preferably in the form of D-3.  It looks like it makes a huge difference in severity of symptoms.

I take a lot more than that for my bones, 4000 IU daily, but that's maxing it out, hard.

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Re: My Covid-19 nightmare

So sorry to hear this, Ray... I've been in and out of here for the last few weeks and just saw this.  I'm glad you've made it through it.  I know it's rough.  I've had a couple of friends who didn't do as well as you and didn't make it out of it.  I don't care what the Governor of the Great State of Georgia says, or what Donald John Trump says, this thing is still dangerous.  Why they want to open everything back up is beyond my wildest imagination.  It's like jumping out of an airplane and pulling your parachute open.  You're floating down slowly but surely, then all of a sudden you get a wild hair and decide to remove your parachute.  You splatter to the ground.  Then your family is left to pick up the pieces.  I'm still wearing a mask everywhere I go, in addition to gloves.  I'm not getting within 15 feet of anybody, and if they're not wearing a mask, I am not even getting that close. 

Since there are so many deaths, there are a lot of animals left behind.  My rescue farm is over capacity right now, waiting for family members to hopefully come and get the horses, the dogs, the cats who don't understand where their humans went all of a sudden.  So that has kept me pretty busy.

Hope you continue to do well. 

Stay safe, everybody.  Wear those protective masks and gloves and stay out of public places.

MJ

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Re: My Covid-19 nightmare

Holy cow, Ray! I just haven't been on here in awhile, and came back to this! So sorry you had to go through that nightmare, but thank God you're on the mend. And you're absolutely right - masks, social distancing. Just makes sense. Keep getting better!  Cathy

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