August 23,2021. I knew I was feeling ill 4 days prior. I took a long weekend and thought if I just rested I would feel better. I was feverish, coughing, and very tired! On Monday the 23rd I decided I best stay home from work. My place of employment asked me to get tested for Covid which I did. I went to the Immediate Care for a test and I was positive for Covid. I saw the Immediate Care doctor. She asked if I was vaccinated and I said no. She didn’t ask any questions. After checking me over she wrote me a few prescriptions and told me to go home and get better. I mentioned to her I felt very dehydrated and might need fluids. She asked if I would like an ambulance and I agreed. This Dr. asked me twice “Are you sure you need to go to the hospital?

Upon arrival at the Northwestern Medicine ER in my home town of McHenry Illinois, I was taken to a private room area in the ER. The ER nurse knew I was diagnosed with Covid. I was treated very rudely right from the start. The ER nurse had an attitude. She did start an IV with fluids and I started to feel better. When I asked to use the washroom I was able to get out of the bed and not only once did I use the washroom in the ER I walked over twice! The ER was crowded and I was shocked they let me walk around all these people! After what seemed like forever, the ER doctor came into my room and said there is no reason for me to be here. “There is NOTHING wrong with you.” He said “You have been on your cell phone this whole time. I am releasing you.” I called my daughter and told her I was coming home. The next thing I knew the not so kind nurse and the ER doctor were by my room ready to release me and they mentioned the vaccine. I told them I have not and will not get vaccinated. They both looked at each other and the ER doctor said we should admit you. He suggested I be put on steroids for the cough. Only for a day or two. I live alone and most of my family live out of state so I agreed. A day or two will not hurt. Get rid of the cough and that’s that. At this point I didn’t know anything about Remdesivir. I knew that one doctor gave me prescriptions to recover at home and the ER doctor who actually was the red flag to this hospital prison stay I was about to experience for the next two weeks. I will never forget the ER nurse and the ER doctor looking at each other and whispering….then I was admitted.

I stayed in the ER for hours. Finally taken up to a private room. IV and fluids were still pumping in my arm. I was very hungry. They gave me snacks and I slept. Tuesday morning I was given vitamin C and Zinc. The IV was still intact and I ate very well.

I was asked many times who lived at home with me and is there family in the area by the incoming Dr. who I would have to see every morning for two weeks. At this point I was to get a steroid treatment which turned out to be Remdesivir. During the visit with this Dr., she asked in a very indignant manner why I was not vaccinated. I said I didn’t want it and I don’t believe in it. She then asked me again in a very mean tone “WHY AREN’T YOU VACCINATED”? I told her in the same tone she asked me…because I don’t want to be! My immune system is great! She informed me at this point she is not sure when I will be released. I said tomorrow and she said she doubts it. Her visits were at least 5-7 minutes long.

The steroid treatment I thought I was getting that morning was actually Remdesivir. Nothing was ever explained to me about the side effects. The nurse started the treatment and I screamed as the burning sensation ran all the way down to my toes and burned my crotch area which hurt so bad and it happened all at once. The nurse was scared as well. In a matter of a few minutes the burning was gone. The nurse said she had to look into it.

Speaking of nurses, I think I had only two nurses that were regulars. Otherwise I had a different nurse most of the time. At night they were quite loud and sometimes my door would be open and masks were not worn. I thought that was odd.

My dry erase board was not written on for two days. Finally a nurse wrote I was on Remdesivir around the 3rd day. The hospital kept this from me. Then I heard the news about a woman in Chicago who was admitted to the hospital for Covid and they put her on a respirator and Remdesivir and died. I was shocked and scared. My daughter was not allowed to come up to see me. I felt like I was fighting for my life now. A nurse told me not to worry the same treatment helped her brother!

I am a healthy 62 year old woman. I was walking 4 miles 3 days a week. I hike. Watch what I eat and am a positive person. I still didn’t know about the effects of Remdesivir. I would get up at night and during the day to use the bathroom. I ate three meals a day. I would push a chair in the sunlight just to get some vitamin D. I would eat my dinner in a chair. I paced the hospital room, even to the point the nurse watched me pace. I took the oxygen off when I went to the bathroom, brushed my teeth and washed my face. But yet this doctor said I would be needing something stronger, possible venting. My daughter in IL started to voice her opinion with the hospital. My friend in CA told me to stay off the ventilator at all costs. I said I didn’t need it and I needed to go home.

Everyday I told the Dr. I wanted to be released and she would not let me. I can feel the frustration with some of the nurses as well. They knew I should go home. I started getting shots in the stomach for blood clots. One male nurse who I believe wanted to teach me a lesson jammed the needle hard into my stomach that I screamed and cried. He laughed.  After this I thought for sure they had plans to put me in the mental ward. I fought them and wanted to go home. I cried every morning when I woke up. I started to feel depressed. I called some co-workers and told them every morning I wanted to go home. The lung doctor came in the first week on Wednesday, turned off the oxygen and told me I would be going home in a day or two. The same afternoon the Dr I saw every day turned the oxygen back on and said I would be staying longer. I thought this was nuts.The machine that monitored my oxygen level was played with everyday. mostly at night by the nurses. Not sure if the machine was broken or if they were manipulating it. For the remainder of my hospital stay I continued to get Remdesivir treatments which burned all the time, Baricitinib and shots in the stomach. The Doctor had no bedside manners. I was promised to be released on Wednesday 9/01 and the Dr. told me the government would pay my hospital bill!! I packed everything and was ready to go home only to be told I wasn’t. My spirit was broken and I cried hard. A nurse who I had never seen before came into my room and sat and talked with me. She washed my hair and I felt a little better.