Hello to all my Fellow Ford GT Forum Members. A group of you are aware of my situation and many are not. I wanted to give you an update that could possibly save some of you from this same malady. Take all necessary precautions and be prepared to fight.
The Story:
I was tested in Detroit for Covid 19 on March 31. It was just a cough, slight sore throat and 101 degree fever. But I knew it was different. I called my doctor. He sent me to be tested. The results came back to me late on April 4th as POSITIVE. My doctors are part of the Henry Ford Medical System here in Detroit and I have been a member for 40 years. He imeadiately put me on Doxycycline and I was on Azithromycin.
I tried my best to recover at home. I rested, took the meds but my breathing was tight and my temperature would spike 5-6 time each day and night.
On April 6 I had a particiularly bad night alone at home. I spoke to my daughter Megan, a Pulmonary Critical Care Doctor and son in law Ryan a Cardiologist both in Kalamazoo Michigan. They spoke to my Doctor and I was sent to Henry Ford West Bloomfield Hospital Emergency 30 minutes later on April 7.
Emergency:
In emergency they 'wired me up , took blood etc" .Things actually looked stable. BUT the Blood Results came back as a platelet lever of near zero. So this virus attacks the lungs and the blood makeup. I was imeadiately told I would be in the hospital for 6 days. I agreed to a Blood Platelet Transfusion and 5 sessions of IVIG pump each night for 5 nights to build up my blood.
Admitted to Henry Ford hospital room and Medicines:
I was imeadiately put on Hydroxychloroquine twice per day and other meds too numerous to remember. I wore my mask and all the nurses and doctors entered my room in Hazmat suits. I was in a 'fog' for most of the seven days. Everything hurt but I really could not complain. I kept eating and taking water. My Temperature started to stabilize after 2 days and my blood was tested every day at 4 am and my platelet count started to recover. The count was back to normal after 6 days. I spoke to all my 'doctors ' several times per day.
On Easter Monday April 13, I was released to go home and continue to recover. Naturally I had some serious discussions with the "big guy in Heaven" on Holy Thursday and Good Friday.
Summary :
I really do not know how I got it. I took all the precautions but maybe one trip to the grocery without my mask did it. I will never know.
But Please do YOUR BEST for you and your family to make sure you do not get this Virus. Be watchful if you do feel bad at how Quickly it can turn from bad to worse. Be aware that it affects systems of the body like Blood... and not just the lungs.
GT FORUM.. I logged onto the Ford GT Form at least 5 times per day while in the hospital. Listening to you guys talk about important (but in reality insignificant) topics like paint protection, Fox Mustang History, delivery dates etc brought 'normalcy' to an otherwise 'NOT NORMAL' time.
For that I THANK ALL OF YOU.
andy (ajb)