‘It seems like I’m reborn,’ paramedic says after long COVID-19 struggle

In a infirmary ICU for 2 months, heavy sedated and connected a ventilator, Las Vegas-area paramedic John Foster’s chances of surviving COVID-19 seemed slim. After helium woke up, for days helium thought helium inactive mightiness beryllium successful a atrocious dream.

“I had to larn to marque my caput work,” recalled Foster, 61. “It was foggy. It was hazy. I wasn’t definite if I was inactive successful a perpetual, terrible, depressing dream.”

Today, 20 months aft helium drove himself to the infirmary with a cough and shortness of breath, helium is enjoying spending clip implicit the holidays with household and friends earlier returning afloat clip to the enactment that helium present sees arsenic his life’s purpose.

“I person a full antithetic position connected life,” helium said. “To me, it seems similar I’m reborn. Not successful a unusual biblical way, but I person a 2nd chance. I spell to religion now, and I conscionable consciousness similar I’m present for a reason.”

After being admitted to Henderson Hospital successful aboriginal April 2020, Foster’s information rapidly worsened. Because of his aesculapian training, helium realized astatine 1 constituent that helium was astir to beryllium intubated — a process successful which a breathing conduit is placed successful a patient’s windpipe and attached to a ventilator to assistance with breathing. After that, helium remembers small astir his clip successful the ICU.

During the months connected the ventilator, his value dropped by much than 100 pounds, from 260 to 151, with “a batch of musculus wastage,” helium said.

As helium began his recovery, helium was transferred to Dignity Health Rehabilitation Hospital, wherever helium stayed for 3 months.

“I had to larn however to walk, talk, spell to the bathroom, bash math, bash English,” helium said, praising the unit astatine some hospitals. “I had to relearn everything.”

He besides had to conflict loneliness. Pandemic restrictions prohibited visitors during astir of his enactment astatine the rehabilitation facility. He watched TV, listened to the vigor and work newspapers and magazines to consciousness little isolated, helium said.

“In a infirmary surrounded by people, successful a assemblage surrounded by millions, it was inactive very, precise lonely,” helium said.

Las Vegas quality media reported Foster’s merchandise from the rehabilitation infirmary successful August 2020, a motion of anticipation for a assemblage struggling with the devastating virus.

To beryllium person to family, helium moved to Fallon successful Northern Nevada, wherever 1 of his sons works arsenic a Nevada road patrolman. His different lad is successful the Air Force and going into the U.S. Space Force.

‘The days are brighter’

In Fallon, Foster continued to retrieve mentally, physically and spiritually.

“To me, religion is simply a full marque caller thing,” helium said. “And it’s not that I had to go, it’s due to the fact that I wanted to go, and I get to spot radical present and recognize radical better.”

After his agelong bout of COVID, helium savors beingness more. “The days are brighter. The nights are brighter,” helium said.

“I don’t privation to dice but I’m not acrophobic of it. I cognize it’s coming again, but I don’t privation to miss out. Too galore things to see, excessively galore things to inactive do.”

Foster said aft immoderate archetypal uncertainty, helium got vaccinated and a booster shot, which helium believes, on with anterior infection, person protected him from reinfection erstwhile helium has been exposed to COVID-19 portion moving part-time paramedic jobs. However, helium powerfully believes that radical should person the close to marque up their ain minds astir vaccination.

He tries to absorption connected what’s bully successful the world. “I’ve been astir excessively overmuch atrocious arsenic a paramedic and done this experience,” helium said. “I similar to spot radical having fun, smiling, doing bully things for each other.”

His lingering symptoms person improved with time, helium said. He continues to person issues with balance, and sometimes has occupation recalling things from his childhood.

“Funny happening is, I tin retrieve everything I request to bash arsenic a paramedic,” helium said.

Early successful the caller year, helium volition beryllium returning to full-time enactment arsenic a paramedic successful Fallon, and besides volition beryllium teaching aboriginal paramedics astatine Western Nevada College successful Carson City.

“I don’t person a existent reply wherefore God wants maine here,” helium said. “But I deliberation it is to teach, to pb by example.”

Contact Mary Hynes astatine mhynes@reviewjournal.com oregon 702-383-0336. Follow @MaryHynes1 connected Twitter.