Sunday, August 1, 2021

First Cancer, then Chemo, now Covid

Round #33

Having just completed Round #33 of my chemo this previous Friday (July 23), I knew that the weekend was going to be hard.  All weekends post chemo are hard, especially on Sunday, but this one somehow felt even worse than normal.  One of the possible contributors was the new drug Zometa, which I receive now every 3 rounds (those evenly divisible by 3) to help treat bone problems caused by my cancer.  The nurse at the infusion center did warn me that the Zometa may cause "flu-like symptoms" and to not immediately freak out if I was experiencing a slight fever, chills, or muscle and joint aches.  Affirmative on that, I was definitely feeling crappier than normal.  But Monday was right around the corner and I always start feeling better on Monday.

Case of the Mondays

I woke up Monday feeling very little improved from the previous day.  No matter, I made the "commute" to my work desk in the Living Room and put in a full day.  It wasn't until later that afternoon that I took my temperature for the first time: 100.1.  So slight fever, but probably still the Zometa.  I remarked at dinner that evening how food, and even water, wasn't tasting right anymore: it all had a metallic taste.  My fever later increased to 101 and then 102.  I eventually popped some Tylenol to knock it down so that I could sleep that night.

"Go to the ER"

With Tuesday feeling like a continuation of the previous days' symptoms, and still running a slight fever, Holly urged me to reach out to my Oncologist.  The nurse there quickly called me back and told me to "Go to the ER".  Holly drove and stayed with me the entire time in the ER.  I figured they would give me some much needed fluids, run some tests to identify the source of the infection, and send me back home in short order.  One of the first things they noticed, however, was my oxygen saturation was in the lower 90's and eventually fell as low as 89, at which point they put me on supplemental oxygen.  Chest x-ray was clear, breathing sounded clear, blood work was fairly normal, though cultures were pending.  A respiratory panel was ordered and, much to our surprise and that of the ER Doctor, came back positive for the SARS-CoV-2 virus.  Though breakthrough cases had been rare with "normal" Covid, they are becoming more common with this new Delta variant.  And for the immuno-compromised such as myself, they are even more common yet.  The best it seemed I could hope for was that the vaccine would help "prevent serious illness and death".  I was about to test that theory.

High Risk, High Reward

Though my symptoms were not yet serious, an Internist explained to us that the first several days of Covid often present with mere "flu-like" symptoms.  The concern, however, was that it can then transition into something far more consequential that can invade the lungs, heart, and even brain.  Given my recent chemotherapy and general inability to mount a sufficient immune response, the doctor did not hesitate to admit me to the hospital and begin treating me with the antiviral drug Remdesivir.  I was to receive 5 daily doses of this IV drug in all.  The goal of this drug is simple: prevent Covid from transitioning to its serious phase and possibly even reduce my overall recovery time.

"Say Your Goodbyes"

The real sobering moment came when they were ready to transfer me from the ER to my isolated hospital room.  The orderly casually said "Say your Goodbyes", so Holly and I said a quick and trivial "Goodbye".  It wasn't until seconds later, after my ER bed had rounded the corner and Holly was out of sight, that it hit me: could that have really been my last "goodbye"?  Oh my God!  What if it is?!?  Little did I know that these same fears were racing through Holly's head right then too.  Covid is a bitch and so many lives and relationships have been lost without ever having the chance to say a heartfelt goodbye.  My advice is to say "I love you" today as you might not have that opportunity tomorrow.

Covid Tracker, Magnetism, and 5G Signals

My insider look at Covid treatment and vaccines has led to some startling surprises.  While laying in my hospital bed, I felt a barely perceivable bump on my chest that didn't feel like part of my body.  After digging around a bit, I found this:
Magnetism and 5G Signal
Covid tracker, magnetic sensors, 5G signal

Could I indeed have found the much talked about (but never seen) "tracker" that gets imbedded with your vaccination?  I was skeptical at first, but kept an open mind as I investigated further.  I noticed that the tracker had certain wires coming out if it that were attached to sensor-like objects elsewhere on my chest.  But how in the world did these "sensors" possibly stick to my chest in a vertical position?  They must be magnetically attracted to the tracker implanted during my vaccination!  And if that's not convincing, just look at the monitor as it is clearly showing a 5G broadcast signal.
The investigation continued to the backside of the tracker where my preliminary observations were confirmed:
"COVID" tracker
Right there, in plain English, I found the manufacturer name starting with "COVID", a tag labeled "Biomedical Engineering", and a hand-written date coinciding with my vaccination date!  Even the most ardent skeptic has to take pause here as the conclusion is obvious and inescapable: COVID TRACKERS ARE REAL!

Not Out of the Woods Yet

My fever broke during my first night at the hospital and I was able to come off of supplemental oxygen later that morning.  I was eventually discharged on Saturday (7/31) and sent home, where I must remain quarantined for 14 days from the onset of symptoms.  Holly and the boys have all tested negative for Covid and the boys are definitely keeping their distance (i.e., camping out with their gaming PCs in the basement).  I'm still somewhat weak and not completely out of the woods quite yet, though some sense of "normalcy" has returned.  I have also had to promise to not drink out of the milk and cream containers directly and to not steal sips of Holly's wine when her back is turned.  Such are the sacrifices one must make while quarantined.

Beware: Delta Variant Lurking

In closing, I just wanted to sound the alarm about the new Delta variant.  It spreads more easily than Ebola as well as viruses that cause MERS, SARS, smallpox, seasonal flu and the common cold.  Folks, this is real stuff and it is truly dangerous!  Having said that, I do not wish to live in isolation forever and I'm not particularly fond of wearing masks.  During Covid, we have still gone out to restaurants and all, but we've tried to always be careful.  We've gotten our entire family vaccinated, eat outdoors at restaurants whenever possible, and try to apply some common sense reasoning to every situation.  
In fact, the weekend prior to getting ill, Holly and I took a trip to Jacksonville where we ate outside at several restaurants.  My mistake though was ignoring how the Delta variant is surging down there currently and not realizing how vulnerable I actually am, even during non-treatment weeks.  We went down there primarily to look at houses and neighborhoods that we could move and retire to in a few years.  Little did I know that I nearly "bought the farm" in Georgia instead.
So love on your friends and family while you can, enjoy life at every moment, but be more vigilant now than ever before!  We are all not out of the woods yet!

2 comments: