Rural Dexter woman recalls COVID-19 journey

Friday, August 21, 2020
Marilyn Jackson of rural Dexter relaxes on the front porch of her home after a 34-day ICU hospitalization due to COVID-19.
Submitted Photo

“The last thing I remember is getting seated in a wheelchair and then being wheeled down the hall,” recalled Marilyn Jackson of rural Dexter. “When I woke up, it was 10 days later.”

Jackson still finds her COVID experience somewhat surreal and marvels at how it caught her completely off-guard. Still more astonishing to her, is that she survived.

The ICU staff confided to me that I was their morale booster,” Jackson said with a smile, “because I had survived to tell my story. They told my daughter Julie Richardson that I was among the top four worst COVID cases they had treated, and I was the only one who went home directly from ICU.”

Jackson’s hospital journey ended on July 18 — 34 days after she was helped into the wheelchair. The nightmare began, however, 43 days prior to that.

“On June 6, I wasn’t feeling well,” Jackson said. “I was diagnosed with a urinary tract infection and given antibiotics. I didn’t improve much and developed diarrhea, which I did not recognize as a COVID symptom.

Jackson continued: “I have always had trouble in that area, and with the antibiotics, I just assumed it was a combination of the two.”

Jackson says that when free COVID testing was offered in Dexter, a few days later, she and her husband David both took advantage of the opportunity. She said they were tested on Wednesday and were notified the following Friday that they were both positive. Two days later Jackson developed breathing problems, and the next day, June 15, her husband took her to a Cape Girardeau emergency room.

“Initially,” Richardson recalled, “they told Dad to hang around Cape because they would evaluate her, ‘pump her up,’ and send her home. In less than an hour he received the call that she was being admitted.

Richardson continued: “At first she was given a regular room, but by the next morning her condition had deteriorated. A nurse called and told me that Mom had agreed to go on a ventilator so she was being moved to ICU.”

The first two days in ICU were awful, Richardson recalled.

“It was nothing but continual bad news, and at one point we were told that they were just taking it hour by hour,” Richardson said. “The nurses were so good to talk to us, though.

“My sister Erin Brown and I took turns calling. Every six hours one of us would check on Mom—just to know something. Even if there was no change to report, the nurses would give us whatever time we needed to ask questions.”

Jackson’s breathing problems quickly developed into Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome (ARDS). According to mayoclinic.org, ARDS occurs when tiny air sacs in the lungs fill with fluid. The fluid prevents the lungs from filling with enough air, resulting in inadequate oxygen levels reaching the bloodstream. Organs are then deprived of the oxygen they need to function.

The Mayo Clinic report said many people who develop ARDS do not survive, and the risk of death increases with age and severity of the illness. To combat ARDS the ICU team began proning Jackson.

“Proning means that for 18 hours she would lie prone, or on her stomach,” Richardson explained. This put less pressure on the lungs and helped them recover. Then, she would be flipped over to her back for six hours.”

Richardson went on to say: “They did this for about 10 days without much change. We were on a roller coaster. She would improve on her stomach, then regress when they turned her over. Finally, on day nine or ten, we received some encouraging news—they were able to turn the vent down to 50 percent because she was starting to breathe on her own.

“It was a miracle,” Richardson said. “Once she turned that first corner, it was as if someone flipped a switch. She continued to improve and by Friday they had removed the vent.”

Jackson says she was pretty much in a blur those first few days of consciousness.

“At first,” Jackson laughed, “the nurses couldn’t convince me where I was or how long I had been there. My memory picked up right where it left off—being wheeled away from the emergency room.”

Richardson added: “Because of everything she had endured, the nurses wanted her to rest and avoid stimulation; however, by Saturday morning I was told I could bring her phone and glasses. Even when she’s sick, she can be pretty persuasive.”

Jackson explained that confusion and disorientation are typical symptoms of ventilation and proning.

“It was four or five days before I was thinking clearly and could completely comprehend everything that had happened,” Jackson recalls. “My ICU doctor had estimated it would last three days at the most, but it took me a bit longer to fully regain my wits.”

In addition to antibiotics and steroids, once Jackson was on the mend, physical therapy was added to her daily regimen.

“I was so weak, I had to learn to walk again. It was a wonderful day when I was able to use the walker by myself,” Jackson said. “I was anxious to get out of ICU because my room did not have a window, and I wanted to see the sunshine. First, however, I had to have two negative readings for COVID, and that took some time.”

The ventilator was removed on June 26, but Jackson continued to test positive and did not receive her first negative reading until July 16. Two days later her second negative was received, and she was given permission for dismissal.

“My nurses were wonderful,” Jackson said. “I couldn’t have asked for better care. One even brought her iPad so that I could Facetime with the grandkids. When I left, they gave me flowers, a balloon and gifts including a sun hat, beach ball and sunglasses because I told them fairly often that I wish I could see the sun.”

Jackson said every precaution was taken in ICU to keep her virus from spreading, and the procedures remained until she received the second negative test result.

“Whenever anyone entered my room, they had to suit up before they came in, and remove it all before they went out—there was that much danger of transmission/contamination. They put on a gown that wrapped around twice, two pair of gloves, booties over their shoes, a regular mask, plus a face shield.

“Everything went into a hazardous waste container that was only removed by the nurses. Even my meal service was disposable and went into the blue trash bag.”

Jackson went on to say that when she was discharged, the same sort of anti-contamination procedure had to be followed.

“I was required to have 24/7 care,” Jackson explains, “so I went home with Julie. When I got to her house, I had to disrobe and put my clothes in a bag for immediate laundering. Then I had to shower and redress. Even the interior of her vehicle had to be sanitized, as well as my iPad, glasses and phone.”

Jackson stayed with her daughter and family for five days—until her physical therapist determined that she no longer required around-the-clock supervision. On July 23, 38 days after she left to go to the emergency room, Jackson returned to her husband and her home near Aid.

“All my personal care items had to be thrown away, and David disinfected the entire house,” Jackson remarks. “Since we both had been positive, everything we had touched was considered contaminated and had to be either thrown away or sanitized and disinfected.”

Now, nearly a month after finally returning to her home, Jackson said life is beginning to take on an air of normalcy.

“I’m still taking physical therapy three times a week,” Jackson explained. “My balance has returned and I’m getting stronger every day. I’m able to do some housework each day, and my breathing is almost back to normal. I don’t use the walker at all now, and overall, I’m feeling good.

“My physical therapist cleared me to drive, so I have been doing that for a couple of weeks. I haven’t gone any farther than Dexter and Bloomfield, and I run any errands on therapy days. I mostly just stay at home.

“My near-death experience with this virus has made me a firm believer in the importance of wearing masks,” Jackson said. “Before this, David and I were not habitual with our masks; however, my personal exposure to Covid has made me realize just how important they are.”

In reflecting on her unexpected journey through the COVID nightmare, Jackson praised God for her amazing recovery.

“I feel God was with me through it all,” Jackson said. “And I am grateful that His work with me is not finished.”

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