The Beginning

 Hi there, this is a true story of my journey, thus far surviving West Nile Virus. My name is Bonnie and I'm 70 years old.

In August of 2023 I apparently was bitten by a mosquito carrying the West Nile Virus.  I was in a coma for 4 weeks.  As I began to wake up, I had no recollection of the events leading up to this. I was also diagnosed with encephalitis and was septic.  I was hallucinating big black rats running across the ceiling and it was snowing black snow. I remember screaming and screaming. My family told me they could see my mouth moving but there was no sound coming out. I vaguely remember the doctor telling me I had given them quite a scare.  

I had my 70th birthday while in the coma. The nurses were so sweet to me, they bought me a stuffed teddy bear and drew a "Happy Birthday" on the wipe off board.  The other thing I remember is my friend Gail
who was at my side, praying for me. I don't remember much those first few days. I was confused, I couldn't communicate other than to shake my head and the pain.  Oh the stomach pain, It seems the sepsis attacked my gallbladder, and when I was well enough to leave ICU, I left with a drainage bag and transferred to a nursing home in the City of Cortez, where some of my family lives.I had to wait till November for the gallbladder surgery, cause I was to weak for the surgery.

The first week in nursing home was a nightmare, I was expected to go to the bathroom on my own, to wheel myself to the dining room, to transfer myself to the wheel chair and start physical therapy.  I just couldn't I was too week.  I really began to understand that the staff didn't know how to deal with me.  I was still in alot of pain, wasn't hungry, and certainly couldn't stand on my own.  One of the night nurses came in to check and drain my bag, and I started to pitch a fit, the room was filled with staff, couldn't figure out why I was in such pain, finally I called 911 and the long and short of it, I was finally taken to Mercy Hospital in Durango and diagnosed with a severe UTI and a Bleed.  Spent 2 days there, where the staff there really listened to me, even some remembered me from ICU.  I begged them not to send me back, but was told family wanted me here. That's a whole other story.  So here is where I am. 

    

Comments

  1. John McPApril 18, 2024 at 12:06 PM

    Dang Bj!! I didn't know about a 4 week coma! That almost sounds like a hibernation! Well done, you bear!

    Keep pushing it but you probably don't need to jog to the dining room..... yet!

    ReplyDelete

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