Thoughts, This Happened To Me, Covid
I Have Covid, And I Am Living Without A Spleen
5 Personal Thoughts For Immunocompromised People
I am a 50-year-old- woman with Covid. Also, I have a weakened immune system as I am living without a spleen. Today, I am sharing my experience with 5 personal thoughts for immunocompromised people.
Two years ago, before the pandemic, I had a splenectomy. On February 3, 2020, surgeons removed my enlarged spleen and a rare benign tumor.
The spleen is a fist-sized organ located in the left upper quadrant of the abdomen under the ribcage. As part of the lymphatic system(immune system), the spleen stores and filters blood and produces white blood cells, which help fight off infections.
Since my surgery, I have changed my lifestyle to accommodate my weakened immune system. However, I did receive both doses of the Phifzer vaccine remaining healthy for two years.
However, nearly a week ago, I found out my household had been exposed.
My youngest daughter came home from her hotel job reporting that a group of week-long stay guests checked out, leaving hospital paperwork on the hotel room desk noting positive Covid test results. My daughter and a couple of other housekeepers serviced this family during the week without knowing their medical status. Hotel management immediately shut the guest room down after my daughter’s discovery, but too late.
All room attendants who came into contact with this room contracted Covid bringing the virus home to their families!
So, here I am. I have Covid.
My Experience as an immunocompromised person
Beginning on Saturday, my daughter tested positive, and I began having body aches, feeling like a cold was coming on.
Sunday, Every bone in my body hurt. I was pretty tired with a low-grade temperature of 100.06. By the evening, I had an excruciating headache, feeling that I might pass out, and my fever spiked to 102.01, warranting an emergency room visit.
As a non-spleen patient, a temperature above 101 indicates an infection requiring my presence at the hospital.
My initial rapid Covid test at the hospital returned negative, so another sample was sent out for further study. I went through the usual bloodwork, chest x-ray, and urinalysis protocol. Aside from a mild elevation of my white blood cells, the other tests were normal.
The ER doctor started me on a course of antibiotics through my IV — another perk and preventive measure for non-spleen patients.
After further consultation with a hospital hematologist, the attending physician decided that I could go home with the understanding I would complete a seven-day course of high-dose antibiotics. My fever dropped to a low grade again, and although still pending, my doctor believed that my secondary Covid test would produce positive results.
My doctor was correct. I tested positive for Covid on my third attempt; the first was a home test, and the second was an ER rapid.
It is day 5, and I will report that I have never been this sick!
Yes, that’s right! Even when I went through my splenectomy ordeal, I did not feel like this. Then, it was severe pain. Now, just sick beyond anything I have ever dealt with before.
As for symptoms, I am dealing with body pain, fatigue, stuffy nose, headache, slight cough, fever, loss of appetite, and a weird thing going on with my ears; sounds are muffled.
Note: I will finish my prescription. It will not cure me of Covid, but it will benefit my weakened immune system by preventing secondary infection.
5 Personal Thoughts For Immunocompromised People
Undoubtedly, Covid is not over, and regardless of vaccination status, everyone runs the risk of infection sooner or later. Medical professionals don’t know everything about the virus, especially when factoring in variant strains, age, lifestyle, reinfections, and the immunocompromised.
An estimated 3% of Americans have a weakened immune system. The immunocompromised make up two groups of people, moderate and severe, including cancer patients, organ transplant patients, and the millions of others with disabilities and chronic illnesses.
When I asked the hospital staff how Covid might affect me as an immunocompromised person, this is the answer I received: “We honestly do not know, but you were vaccinated, so that should lessen the effects of the virus.”
The above reaction prompted further consideration resulting in these 5 thoughts for people living with a weakened immune system.
- Please follow the guidelines outlined by your healthcare professionals. Medicine is not an exact science. However, your primary care physician and other specialists studied long and hard for their careers; do not disregard their words.
- Continue wearing your mask. Yes, the mask-wearing policy is lightening, and everyone is tired of covering up. However, Covid is still a thing! You best believe I will continue wearing a mask!
- Get vaccinated! I was suspicious about the vaccine in the early days, but I chose the responsible road. The difference between sick, really sick, and even death may rest in getting vaccinated for immunocompromised people. I do not speak as a medical professional but as a patient infected with the virus.
The following two thoughts are things to keep in mind if you become infected with Covid and have a weakened immune system.
- Drink a lot of water. Unfortunately, I do not drink enough water, and I can bet that many of you do not either. However, since contracting Covid, I have significantly upped my daily intake and have vowed to continue it as a regular daily habit moving forward.
- Don’t remain sedentary. As tired as I have been this past week, I have made it my business to get out of bed every couple of hours to walk around—my motivation: is to get fresh air, sitting on my balcony. On the day of my splenectomy, the hospital staff called me out of bed to walk laps which helped prevent blood clots.
In my opinion, everyone will eventually contract Covid. Once a scary thought is my reality of today. As an immunocompromised individual, I take extra precautions with a strict protocol known to non-spleen patients.
I wish all people with a weakened immune system to stay vigilant regarding their health. Please ignore all of the Covid hype sticking to tried and true methods. Covid has not gone anywhere. Do not believe otherwise.
And for all people who knowingly have Covid, please be mindful of others. You may want to carry on as business as usual, disregarding your health status, but the problem is that your ignorance may affect someone else. Again, I speak from experience closing out my fifth day infected.
Thanks for reading — Marilyn 😊
Please read a related article by Scot Butwell
