COVID the 3rd (1 Viewer)

Status
Not open for further replies.
So, I had a sinus infection come on the other day and by Tuesday my head was a balloon with a pounding headache and orange snot coming out my nostrils. I get them every so often, so I wasn't too worried, but I was miserable and needed antibiotics. So, begrudgingly I went to the VA hospital to get some meds for my nose. I really didn't want to considering everything, but man I just could not take it anymore. Plus, it was 7 in the evening and I had no choice but to go to Audie Murphy VA Hospital.

Well, as you can imagine when I entered the VA it looked like a triage unit in a battle torn country. There was about 7 people manning the door to check your temp, ask questions and ask you were your going and why. It wasn't an interrogation, but a thorough quiz as to "why are you here?" Anyway, got to the intake and EVERYONE had on PPE to the max, including these super cool face masks that looked like a clear hockey goalie masks with full glass. Of course the patients, including myself, were wearing masks and as you know I had on my black nitrile glove.

An hour later I was finally seen and the nurse took me to the room and asked me whats up. I told her about my nose and history of sinus infections and she kept eye balling my black nitrile glove. She finally asked "why do you only wear one glove?" and I told her that I am right handed and I subconsciously touch everything with my right hand...door handles, elevator buttons, pens, debit machines, etc and she wrote everything down and told me the Doc will be in soon and he was. Oh, she had gorgeous eyes by the way.

The Doc likewise was in full PPE and he looks like a Pro Wrester with fawning hair, huge biceps and a sleeve tat. I remembered him from once before and knew he was cool. Anyway, he heard me out on the sinus infection and then hit me with getting tested for COVID just in case. I said no problem, but this is a sinus infection that I have had before, but If you feel I should test, then let me have it Doc. He rattled off the prescriptions he was ordering for me and instead of just an antibiotic, I was getting a steroid series, cough medicine and an inhaler for breathing. I was a little stumped but I didn't argue with him for fear of getting body slammed.

The nurse came back in and took me to the testing area which is outside with one chair and huge fan next to it and a table. She ripped open the packages and said "lean back and keep your mask over your mouth". Then what proceeded next was a lobotomy of a test, whereby the swab went so far in my sinuses that the base of my spinal cord gave me an electric shock up and down my body. That chit HURT and was not fun nor pleasant. She did the right and when I though she was done, she did the left and when she was done I was wiping tears off my cheeks. Yes, my friends it is THAT uncomfortable.

After that I was hustled to the pharmacy to put my order in and the Pharmacists told me to give him 30 minutes. I went to waiting room which was empty and read the news on my phone. When my name popped up 40 minutes later I got my shopping bag of dope and headed to the exit. While I was walking down the hall a VA police officer came around the corner and yelled at me "SIR, STOP WHERE YOU ARE" and I froze, put my hands part way up with my prescription bag and did say a word.

"TAKE TWO STEPS BACK" she barked and I did. "NOW STAY THERE...WE HAVE A PATIENT COMING THROUGH". I breathed a breathe of relief because for a moment I thought she was going to detain me for what...I don't know...but I wasn't about to argue with her because of the look on her face. "I can move to this inlet ma'am" I said as it would have got me out of the way in case it was an emergency patient coming through...y'know like you see in the movies.

Then out of the blue there was a Doc standing next to me in full gear and whispered to me "Its okay, they just have move a COVID patient going to the elevator". "WHAT?" I gasped and before I could hide in my little cove which was about 25-30 feet away from the elevators I saw the COVID patient (most likely a VET) out cold on a ventilator with a full squad of medical personnel with him carrying medical bags, batteries and what ever else they were carrying for this guy. In the commotion, I saw another cop stopping "traffic" at the exit to stop people from entering the area while he was being loaded into the elevator. I took a last glimpse of him before he disappeared behind the wall and man it was sobering.

The DOC, the cop and the 8 or 9 people with him disappeared with him in the elevator (s) and the commotion was over. I couldn't get the picture of him out of my mind. He was young hispanic guy, out cold with no expression with one of those ventilator masks on, IV's, wires, batteries and other equipment on his gurney and kinda grey in skin color. It was so fast though that I didn't even get out a prayer for him and felt guilty when I got to my truck.

So, what I'm telling you is that I saw it. I saw the boogeyman and it was less than 30 feet from me. Even though everyone else was cool and cucumber I was in shock that I was so close to it and that I saw it first hand and it was freaking frightening. He was not conscious, didn't move and the look on everyones face attending to him was a somber, yet busy. After I witnessed that I got the hell out of there as quick as I could and bathed in sanitizer in my truck.

I debated telling the wife and the family when I got home, but told them the story about the test and being witness to a COVID patient. Besides the patient story they were more curious about the COVID swab test and i held back no gory details. After that, I ate a cinnamon roll and went to bed. But, when I woke up this morning at 4 and sat outside my thoughts took me back to that COVID patient that I saw for no more than 5 seconds. I wondered how he was, his family and what was going on with him. It terrified me and now I am waiting for my results which should be Friday.

After my coffee I started to read the news and checked out an article about some CEO of a tech company in California who racially abused a asian family at their birthday celebration, where, he too was having dinner. It was disgusting to watch and I wondered why? Just why?

John from Texas
 
John,

Lets hope the unknown Covid patient gets well, and that your test comes back negative. Stay safe and healthy, my friend!:salute::

Louis
 
hotel3alpha said:
So, I had a sinus infection come on the other day and by Tuesday my head was a balloon with a pounding headache and orange snot coming out my nostrils. I get them every so often, so I wasn't too worried, but I was miserable and needed antibiotics. So, begrudgingly I went to the VA hospital to get some meds for my nose. I really didn't want to considering everything, but man I just could not take it anymore. Plus, it was 7 in the evening and I had no choice but to go to Audie Murphy VA Hospital.

Well, as you can imagine when I entered the VA it looked like a triage unit in a battle torn country. There was about 7 people manning the door to check your temp, ask questions and ask you were your going and why. It wasn't an interrogation, but a thorough quiz as to "why are you here?" Anyway, got to the intake and EVERYONE had on PPE to the max, including these super cool face masks that looked like a clear hockey goalie masks with full glass. Of course the patients, including myself, were wearing masks and as you know I had on my black nitrile glove.

An hour later I was finally seen and the nurse took me to the room and asked me whats up. I told her about my nose and history of sinus infections and she kept eye balling my black nitrile glove. She finally asked "why do you only wear one glove?" and I told her that I am right handed and I subconsciously touch everything with my right hand...door handles, elevator buttons, pens, debit machines, etc and she wrote everything down and told me the Doc will be in soon and he was. Oh, she had gorgeous eyes by the way.

The Doc likewise was in full PPE and he looks like a Pro Wrester with fawning hair, huge biceps and a sleeve tat. I remembered him from once before and knew he was cool. Anyway, he heard me out on the sinus infection and then hit me with getting tested for COVID just in case. I said no problem, but this is a sinus infection that I have had before, but If you feel I should test, then let me have it Doc. He rattled off the prescriptions he was ordering for me and instead of just an antibiotic, I was getting a steroid series, cough medicine and an inhaler for breathing. I was a little stumped but I didn't argue with him for fear of getting body slammed.

The nurse came back in and took me to the testing area which is outside with one chair and huge fan next to it and a table. She ripped open the packages and said "lean back and keep your mask over your mouth". Then what proceeded next was a lobotomy of a test, whereby the swab went so far in my sinuses that the base of my spinal cord gave me an electric shock up and down my body. That chit HURT and was not fun nor pleasant. She did the right and when I though she was done, she did the left and when she was done I was wiping tears off my cheeks. Yes, my friends it is THAT uncomfortable.

After that I was hustled to the pharmacy to put my order in and the Pharmacists told me to give him 30 minutes. I went to waiting room which was empty and read the news on my phone. When my name popped up 40 minutes later I got my shopping bag of dope and headed to the exit. While I was walking down the hall a VA police officer came around the corner and yelled at me "SIR, STOP WHERE YOU ARE" and I froze, put my hands part way up with my prescription bag and did say a word.

"TAKE TWO STEPS BACK" she barked and I did. "NOW STAY THERE...WE HAVE A PATIENT COMING THROUGH". I breathed a breathe of relief because for a moment I thought she was going to detain me for what...I don't know...but I wasn't about to argue with her because of the look on her face. "I can move to this inlet ma'am" I said as it would have got me out of the way in case it was an emergency patient coming through...y'know like you see in the movies.

Then out of the blue there was a Doc standing next to me in full gear and whispered to me "Its okay, they just have move a COVID patient going to the elevator". "WHAT?" I gasped and before I could hide in my little cove which was about 25-30 feet away from the elevators I saw the COVID patient (most likely a VET) out cold on a ventilator with a full squad of medical personnel with him carrying medical bags, batteries and what ever else they were carrying for this guy. In the commotion, I saw another cop stopping "traffic" at the exit to stop people from entering the area while he was being loaded into the elevator. I took a last glimpse of him before he disappeared behind the wall and man it was sobering.

The DOC, the cop and the 8 or 9 people with him disappeared with him in the elevator (s) and the commotion was over. I couldn't get the picture of him out of my mind. He was young hispanic guy, out cold with no expression with one of those ventilator masks on, IV's, wires, batteries and other equipment on his gurney and kinda grey in skin color. It was so fast though that I didn't even get out a prayer for him and felt guilty when I got to my truck.

So, what I'm telling you is that I saw it. I saw the boogeyman and it was less than 30 feet from me. Even though everyone else was cool and cucumber I was in shock that I was so close to it and that I saw it first hand and it was freaking frightening. He was not conscious, didn't move and the look on everyones face attending to him was a somber, yet busy. After I witnessed that I got the hell out of there as quick as I could and bathed in sanitizer in my truck.

I debated telling the wife and the family when I got home, but told them the story about the test and being witness to a COVID patient. Besides the patient story they were more curious about the COVID swab test and i held back no gory details. After that, I ate a cinnamon roll and went to bed. But, when I woke up this morning at 4 and sat outside my thoughts took me back to that COVID patient that I saw for no more than 5 seconds. I wondered how he was, his family and what was going on with him. It terrified me and now I am waiting for my results which should be Friday.

After my coffee I started to read the news and checked out an article about some CEO of a tech company in California who racially abused a asian family at their birthday celebration, where, he too was having dinner. It was disgusting to watch and I wondered why? Just why?

John from Texas
Click to expand...

John,

Why in the world did you go to a facility where you knew that you risked being infected?

Couldn’t you just have asked them to call in a scrip for you?

Works for me every time.

-Moe
 
ivanmoe said:
John,

Why in the world did you go to a facility where you knew that you risked being infected?

Couldn’t you just have asked them to call in a scrip for you?

Works for me every time.

-Moe
Click to expand...


MOe,

Good point. I would have not gone to the VA ER if I didn't think I needed too and was very apprehensive about going. However, my nose was leaking like a sieve with some horrendous discharge and frankly I was alarmed. I was stuck...the wife said to go to Urgent Care up the street, but that would have cost X dollars and I did not want to be in a facility with "civilians" who don't follow the rules. I don't mean that facetiously, what I mean is I know what to expect at the VA. Plus, to get them to bill the VA is a nightmare. I've been down that road before and am still fighting with a civilian doc who bills me for procedures two years ago even though he is supposed to bill the VA.

Anyway, I prefer to go to Audie Murphy because it is the cleanest, most organized and sterile place on earth, I swear! And the other night was no exception. Everyone plays by the rules, the cleaning staff doesn't stop and the checks and balances of social distancing, masks, etc are taken extremely seriously there. I've been there before during the COVID crisis and knew what to expect. Plus, they treat you good there too, with respect and kindness and thats worth the price of admission on any given day.

Now, did I expect to see a COVID patient being rolled out to the elevator? NO! And MOE, witnessing THAT was a stark reminder of this terrible sickness. I would have been upset and bewildered if I found out later (or not at all) that patient was being wheeled down the halls with no precautions. But no, the way the wheeled him around was like watching Air Force One taxiing on the tarmac. When I tell you there were at least a dozen people with him and security you would have the President was coming down that hall. Plus, they had him wrapped up tight. It was shocking.

This morning I read that San Antonio had the most deaths in one day...9...and one of them was a young hispanic man in his twenties. Based on what I saw, that dude in the gurney MAY have fit the bill, but I'll never know. So, Moe this was not a pool party decision that I made and willfully expose myself for no other reason that to splash around with a beer in my hand and watch the girls. I would have not gone, if I did not think I needed attention and today after a battery of steroids, antibiotics, and some other stuff I can't pronounce I finally feel like a champ. In my eyes, letting a sinus infection go with out could have made things worse to my health and I needed to curtail it quickly for fear of getting more sick and lessening my immune system...in the middle of July!

I hope this explains my logic towards the story Moe and trust me when I tell you that I am not flighty nor blissful on my decisions. I took every precaution as a citizen to seek medical attention. Followed every mandate in place at said facility that I know has super high standards and certainly wasn't consorting with other vets or smoking and joking. I was in and out as fast and as safe as I could with my mask, gloves and ever present antibacterial slather. Hell I wash my hands with my gloves on.

Louis, I was a little surprised that they wanted to test me because I though it was over kill. But, I am not about to argue with anyone, especially a DOC who is obviously tired and overworked. I am sure he does not want to be the Doc who "let one go" with out being tested and further spread the Virus. So, I think even if you went in for a broken toe, you would come out with a cast and a COVID test. This thing is on fire here in Texas and I think there is push to test as many people as possible to rule them in or out. But, like I said that test was not fun and the only thing that made it palatable was those eyes on the cute nurse who was digging in my brain.

Even though I had a sinus infection I still manage to form up some footers for my next concrete pour. I have to do it quickly because starting today we will be in the 100s plus for the next 8 to 10 days. They got it pegged that we will be 105 degrees by Saturday.

John from Texas
 
"That chit HURT and was not fun nor pleasant. She did the right and when I though she was done, she did the left and when she was done I was wiping tears off my cheeks. Yes, my friends it is THAT uncomfortable."

My sister had the test and same experience. Said it was her new bench mark for pain, and she's given birth twice.

Hope you feel better soon John. Chris
 
hotel3alpha said:
MOe,
Click to expand...

John,

Let me apologize. I didn't mean to put you on the spot. I composed the message on an iPhone, and my desire to be economical in my use of language frankly failed me. That's all, and glad that you got the care that you needed.

-Moe
 
Terp152 said:

My sister had the test and same experience. Said it was her new bench mark for pain, and she's given birth twice.
Click to expand...

Chris,

I had to get the test done because I'm caring for someone who's got a compromised immune system. I thought that it was dumb, but I played along. No real pain, whatsoever. Why? Well, I have to assume its because my sinuses weren't inflamed. Simply put, folks who have the flu or a cold have inflammation that makes it difficult to pass a swab through the nasal canal. Were it not so, they wouldn't be struggling with breathing through their nose! At any rate, I just wanted to share my experience and belief that the test doesn't have to be a misery for folks that are, otherwise, healthy.

-Moe
 
My four year old grandson had two Covid tests and not even a whimper. He had symptoms but tests were negative and he is still running amok in our house!
 
I wouldn't like to see people discouraged from taking the Covid test. I had the test done back in February, the Doctor used a cotton swab about six inches long that came in a package, he went in deep but there wasn't any pain, just a momentary discomfort. He said some people complain, and I guess infected and inflamed sinuses would make it more painful.
 
nysoldiers said:
My four year old grandson had two Covid tests and not even a whimper. He had symptoms but tests were negative and he is still running amok in our house!
Click to expand...

Rich,

I go for drives with my kids almost every day. Today I pulled them right up to your driveway and showed them your house.
 
All,

Well, I guess Im not cut out for back of the brain swabs and maybe my story was a wee bit too graphic or dramatic. But...that chit hurt. Maybe the nurse was having a bad day...pretty eyes and all...and stuck me one...good.

Anyways, there was a "US Government" car in my driveway a few minutes ago, which did a U turn and left. I figured it was the post office and the wife went to the door and a brown paper bag was sitting on the porch. She retrieved it and said "whats this tube for? Did you get something from the VA?" I was chomping on a chicken sandwich and didn't respond. She brought the brown paper bag to the dinner table and she pulls out a thermometer, a finger pulse reader, a breathing tube and a letter with COVID-19 letter head notice.

Apparently, I either tested positive or am "A Person under investigation" according to the letter. I have not received a phone call from the VA, my VA doc or anybody else about the test I received. I sent an email to my Doc and fortunately one of the papers had my VA Docs pager number. I paged him and left him a voice mail and haven't heard back.

The wife freaked out when she read the letter, but skipped the " or...A person under investigation" line when I re-read it to out loud. After that she chilled because I exhibit no symptoms (other than my bi-annual sinus infection) and I am chalking it up (so far) to protocols with in the VA when you get tested. Its probably SOP (standard operating procedure) to send out a kit no matter what the result for "just in case".

So, I'm waiting for a call from my doc to see if I have either tested positive or if I need to lawyer up.

Louis you available?

John from Texas
 
hotel3alpha said:
All,

Well, I guess Im not cut out for back of the brain swabs and maybe my story was a wee bit too graphic or dramatic. But...that chit hurt. Maybe the nurse was having a bad day...pretty eyes and all...and stuck me one...good.

Anyways, there was a "US Government" car in my driveway a few minutes ago, which did a U turn and left. I figured it was the post office and the wife went to the door and a brown paper bag was sitting on the porch. She retrieved it and said "whats this tube for? Did you get something from the VA?" I was chomping on a chicken sandwich and didn't respond. She brought the brown paper bag to the dinner table and she pulls out a thermometer, a finger pulse reader, a breathing tube and a letter with COVID-19 letter head notice.

Apparently, I either tested positive or am "A Person under investigation" according to the letter. I have not received a phone call from the VA, my VA doc or anybody else about the test I received. I sent an email to my Doc and fortunately one of the papers had my VA Docs pager number. I paged him and left him a voice mail and haven't heard back.

The wife freaked out when she read the letter, but skipped the " or...A person under investigation" line when I re-read it to out loud. After that she chilled because I exhibit no symptoms (other than my bi-annual sinus infection) and I am chalking it up (so far) to protocols with in the VA when you get tested. Its probably SOP (standard operating procedure) to send out a kit no matter what the result for "just in case".

So, I'm waiting for a call from my doc to see if I have either tested positive or if I need to lawyer up.

Louis you available?

John from Texas
Click to expand...
For you, John, always.:salute:: Believe it or not I lived in Texas for several years (in Beaumont and Irving) and I am admitted to practice in the Lone Star State.
 
All,

Well my friends the Doc called Friday morning and said I tested negative. So, I went back to work on my project and pour 32 bags of crete for these footers I'm pouring. I was a sigh of relief, but all the extra who-haw was a little alarming. Especially, when a US Govt car rolls up in your driveway and drops off a shopping bag of life support stuff.

San Antonio is continually surpassing the previous days numbers of infections and deaths. When I got off the phone with my Doc he told me he had 9 phone calls to make after mine to inform those vets that they tested positive. He is alarmed, shocked and overwhelmed at the rate of infections. Likewise, our hospital capacity is at the brink.

I read an article yesterday about a young lady here in SA who attended a COVID party, whereby everyone puts money in the pot and who ever gets the virus first wins the money. I couldn't believe my eyes and sure enough her dying words were "I thought it was a hoax". She passed.

John from Texas
 
Glad to hear you've checked out negative John.

Yeah you got to keep vigilant !

Steve
 
Status
Not open for further replies.

Users who are viewing this thread

Total: 2 (members: 0, guests: 2)
Community platform by XenForo® © 2010-2024 XenForo Ltd.
Back
Top