As I said previously, I’m sure you’ve all seen the ads about RSV. And a lot of us ignored it, even though we’re in the age category that RSV can really be dangerous. We’d talked about getting the vaccine, but hadn’t gotten around to it. We had time. Until we didn’t. 

But when he started having severe breathing problems to the point of him having to be transported to the hospital, we knew it was serious.

By the time medical help arrived to transport him, his lips were turning blue and so were his fingers. Fortunately we’re very close to the hospital and got there quickly, although to me it didn’t seem like it. He was put on oxygen and started slowly to get some of his color back but still having breathing problems.

The bottom line is, evidently the RSV triggered his asthma and other breathing issues. There was fluid in his lungs and around his heart most likely aggravated by the RSV as well. He was put on IV antibiotics, and steroids, given a breathing treatment and admitted to the hospital. 

The first two nights he slept maybe a total of four hours, between being constantly monitored by the nurses, taking his vital signs every 4 hours, and giving him breathing treatments as well as IV antibiotics, along with blood draws several times a day. The first day he said they took 16 vials. Now I find that hard to believe, but as sick as he was… There wasn’t much chance for him to sleep. Plus his almost constant coughing didn’t help, nor did the fluid in his lungs and around his heart.

He was continually on oxygen up until the next to last day he was in the hospital. 

They had to give him several insulin shots because the amount of steroids he was on to help calm down his lungs raised his sugar level too high.  

I’d like to share the post he made on his Facebook the first day he was in the hospital.  It really says it all:

“This respiratory infection is fairly new [actually it’s been around a long time but this new strain is different] and highly contagious, too. Deborah and I discussed several weeks ago that based on our age and my complicated health issues we needed to get our vaccination shots.

Well, you guessed it. I was exposed and diagnosed with RSV. I was taken to Sentara Princess Anne Hospital immediately via ambulance and admitted last Sunday, and here I remain trying to clear up this Infection for the past 5 days, and facing more time here till I’m well enough to go home. 

We had no idea that this RSV infection can trigger other existing health issues such as my current lung problems, and particularly certain heart problems. I’m in good hands with all the specialty doctors with all the testing and procedures to clear out this RSV Infection.

Please keep us in your prayers and thank you for all my family and friends for visiting.  Now go get your vaccination so you don’t wind up being hospitalized too.  Love you guys & Merry Christmas!”

After that posting, he had to have restricted visiting hours in the afternoon in order to take a nap to give him more rest. He wasn’t able to walk the halls to try and get his strength back because of the contagion risk, so all the exercise he could get was walking around his room, which wore him out. 

Finally after four days we were told if he could maintain an oxygen level of 90 or above without having continuous oxygen, and if he could walk for 6 minutes without having any,  he could be sent home on Friday.

Fortunately he did make it home Friday afternoon. Although the walking combined with the ten minute drive back home exhausted him, and he immediately fell asleep on the sofa.

He’s trying to rest as much as possible while at the same time trying to get his strength back. It’s a slow process and even just taking a shower wore him out. Going out for a quick fast food lunch (at his request) resulted in his having to take a 3 hour nap when we got back home.

It’s obviously going to take several days, or more, for him to be able to even think about going back to work.

Please, as I’ve said before, whether you have underlying health issues or not, if you’re over 60, get your RSV vaccination, and if you start having any breathing issues get help immediately. Trying to be “brave” and saying you’re ok isn’t the right thing to do in this case. This stuff is nothing to fool around with. And for him, it’s also aggravated his heart issues.

Hopefully with rest and the medication he was sent home with we can soon resume our normal Christmas activities, although they may be a somewhat toned down version this year. We’ll just have to see.

At least he’s out of the hospital and on the road to recovery from this stuff!