COVID-19 survivor claims he is ‘happy to be alive’ after extensive hospital keep

MUSKEGON, MI – Virtually two months after staying admitted to Mercy Wellbeing Muskegon with COVID-19, Rick Jones walked out of the healthcare facility on Monday.

“You men did it,” he said to a workforce of healthcare personnel applauding his discharge.

The 51-12 months-outdated Norton Shores male created signs or symptoms of COVID-19 in mid-November: a fever, system aches and shortness of breath. Soon after struggling to breathe for many days, Jones went to the healthcare facility pondering he just needed oxygen.

“When I bought here, I went downhill quickly,” he stated talking outdoors of Mercy Health and fitness.

Jones was moved to the intensive care device where doctors intubated him on Nov. 23.

Dr. MaryEllen Rosel, a hospitalist and inside medicine medical professional who addressed Jones, states when a patient reaches the issue of needing a ventilator, the odds of coming off it “really lessen.”

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Faced with a grim prognosis, Jones stated he was “at peace” when he mentioned goodbye to his spouse of 27 a long time, Marie Jones.

Following about two weeks in the clinic, Jones was removed from the ventilator only to be re-intubated a few of times afterwards. Clients who occur off a ventilator, Rosel stated, confront a 20% opportunity of needing to be intubated once more.

“We do see people that are hospitalized for a extremely long time period of time,” Rosel claimed. “(Jones) is unique in the sense that he type of experienced the worst of it.”

In mid-November, the COVID-19 pandemic was surging across Michigan. Muskegon County was hit notably tough and experienced a positivity rate more than 20%, overwhelming Mercy Health with COVID-19 clients.

When Jones was admitted, the clinic experienced carried out rigid customer restrictions.

For four months, Marie Jones only saw her spouse once — when a nurse named her at 3 a.m. on Dec. 12 and reported he was going to be intubated for the 2nd time.

“I would sit in the parking whole lot and just pray,” she said.

Her prayers were bolstered by several group teams and people the couple hadn’t seen “since significant school.”

Similar: Monday, Jan. 11, coronavirus details by county: 43 counties now have positivity charge of 10% or larger

Jones made gradual progress, currently being taken off the ventilator on Dec. 23 and rising from his mind fog on New Year’s Eve.

“I did not know if I was paralyzed or what was likely on, but I made the decision I didn’t die, so it is time to struggle,” he reported.

The 51-12 months-old commenced to stroll yet again with support from Mary Free of charge Bed’s rehabilitation device. But Jones recognizes he still “has a great deal of perform to do.”

As of Jan. 6, Muskegon County described 9,500 scenarios of COVID-19 and 262 fatalities from the virus. Rosel reported it’s “baffling” to doctors why some conditions are delicate, and other individuals are severe.

“We’ve had elderly individuals come into the hospital for a couple of days. They go residence and they do fantastic,” she stated. “And then we have a affected individual like Rick, who is a healthier, center-aged male who has a extended and in depth hospitalization.”

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Jones stated this practical experience has altered his standpoint on COVID-19. Following viewing friends get the virus and recover inside a week, he imagined it would be equivalent to the flu.

“That’s what I believed would happen to me,” Jones stated. “But I crashed. It bought me, and it received me superior.”

Jones credits the medical practitioners and nurses at Mercy Wellness for saving his life.

“I’m just joyful to be alive” Jones mentioned.

He’s wanting forward to going household, seeing his canine, paying out time with his 3 daughters and becoming wholesome sufficient to work out again.

“It’ll consider a tiny far more than some COVID to knock me out,” Jones reported.

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