Page 4 - The Wayne Dispatch

Overcoming COVID-19 feeling stronger day by day

By Carolyn Marnon most people who have to be hospital- normal things.”
It started with a really bad ized end up going in on Day 6 or 7 of A representative from the Michi-
headache. Susan Powers thought the the illness. gan health department has called
headache might be due to allergies. As a social worker for Starfish her to get her story. The rep told
That didn’t stop her from going next Family Services, Susan runs a teen Susan that of the 200 people she has
door to have corned beef and cab- parenthood program while working already spoken to that had the virus,
bage with her son and his wife for from home. She checks in with the Tylenol and Mucinex are what has re-
dinner. During dinner, her son men- young moms and reaches out via so- ally helped them all.
tioned he wasn’t feeling well and cial media. Although her daughter-in-law still
complained that he couldn’t taste the Susan says her lungs are healthy, has a bit of a cough and is still feel-
food. It was at that moment that she leads a healthy lifestyle and she ing rundown, Susan says “I can tell
Susan noticed she couldn’t taste it ei- tries to work out 3 days a week. Now, I’m feeling better because I’m looking
ther. she says, “I really appreciate truly at all these projects I want to do.”
The next day, Susan woke up feeling healthy now. My family calls She also says she hasn’t had to take
with a bad fever. She says she ached me an Energizer bunny.” any Tylenol or Mucinex for the last
everywhere. Since she and her son Luckily, Susan’s husband did not three days.
had not yet gotten flu shots, the fam- get sick from COVID-19. Although Susan has no idea where any of
ily thought they both just had the flu. they live in the same house, he iso- them got the COVID-19. She also
With a 102 degree fever, Susan was lated himself from her. mentions that she didn’t even know
also coughing, achy and felt ex- The worst part of having COVID- that not being able to taste food was
hausted. 19 was “being so tired and being a lit- a symptom that has been associated
She began emailing with her doc- Susan Powers tle bit afraid. You hear everything on with it.
tor about her symptoms. The next the news, and I was so afraid. The The Energizer bunny’s batteries
day, her doctor told her to go to March 16,” Susan says. The first fear of the unknown. I didn’t antici- are being recharged. It won’t be long
Beaumont Dearborn where she was week, Susan says she was so tired pate being sick for so long. I was sick before Susan is back in the commu-
swabbed for COVID-19. and sick. On the 12th or 13th day, for at least 10 days. I couldn’t do the nity living life at full power.
Her daughter-in-law then came she says she started to feel better.
down with the symptoms of the coro- She was no longer having to take a
navirus. Although Susan, her son nap all the time. She was no longer
and daughter-in-law were all ex- achy. She felt stronger and better
tremely sick, Susan was the only one every day, finally being able to go out-
who had a confirmed case. Due to side and walk along the river to
her age, she was able to get the test enjoy some fresh air and sunshine.
while her son and daughter-in-law She will soon be contacting the
were not in a high-risk category to Red Cross. Her doctor has been in
get swabbed. The confirmation came touch with the Red Cross who is pos-
11 days after she had been swabbed. sibly interested in using her blood
The whole time she suffered, she antibodies. This is a new process
was using Tylenol and Mucinex to that is being developed using the
help relieve the symptoms. Her fever blood of someone who has already
lasted four days. All of her joints had the virus. Susan didn’t know
ached. “I was just exhausted, and all much more beyond that.
I wanted to do was sleep. That must Although Susan was not hospital-
have been when my body was heal- ized, she did have to watch her
ing. I have not left the house since breathing. She said she was told that

4 · April 2020 · The Wayne Dispatch