- G
For those who didn’t know, I was hospitalized last Sunday (1/21/24) and was at the brink of death with:
Influenza A
Staph Infection
Penicillin-Resistant Viral Pneumonia
Bacterial Pneumonia
Collapsed Left Lung
Necrosis in Left Lung
MRSA Bacteria Entered Bloodstream
It was only through the grace of God and the phenomenal Medical Team at Whittier Presbyterian Hospital, including my Infectious Disease Doctor, Dr. McCarthy, that I’m alive to write this today.
It started off the previous Tuesday (1/16) as just a cough with phlegm, no fever, so I ignored it and kept going to work, coaching my pole vault team at La Cañada High School. By Thursday it felt like there was broken glass in my left lung and I couldn’t take full breaths (presumably lung had collapsed by then and necrosis had set in) but still no fever so I kept pushing through. By Sunday I woke up barely able to breathe and my family rushed me to the Emergency Room.
Had I gone a day later, I would not be writing this.
The doctors didn’t know what was killing me, my blood tests were a mess with mysterious readings, my body wasn’t responding to the initial treatments. Vancomycin was the final treatment before they ran out of ideas and luckily, my body responded. The bacterial load eating through my lung and poisoning my body began to decrease. The feeling of glass in my lung went away. My breathing normalized. And Saturday, January 27th, I was finally released from the hospital after my 7th day of treatment.
God is Good.
Although I’m not as close to death anymore, I’m unable to work as I still need to have daily in-home IV Therapy treatments for the next 6 weeks to finish killing the bacteria and keep it from spreading again. My family and friends have been so amazing checking in on me constantly, making sure I knew I wasn’t alone, filling me with prayer and hope. It meant the world and made a difference in my recovery. I never lost hope and never gave up, knowing so many loved ones were waiting for me to come home. Still got a long road ahead of me with follow-up doctors visits, in-home IV treatments and who knows what else.
I’m wondering though, if anyone out there can help me through this GoFundMe so that I can support myself while I’m unable to work. I have a license but no car and it will be difficult for my family to get me to where I need to be without them missing work or for me to transport myself using Uber as I have extremely limited funds. It’s hard to even ask this but after almost dying, pride is the least important thing to me.
If you read this far know that I love you and I’m glad you’re in my life. Can’t wait to see everyone in person again, you’ll be meeting a new version of me when you do!
Influenza A
Staph Infection
Penicillin-Resistant Viral Pneumonia
Bacterial Pneumonia
Collapsed Left Lung
Necrosis in Left Lung
MRSA Bacteria Entered Bloodstream
It was only through the grace of God and the phenomenal Medical Team at Whittier Presbyterian Hospital, including my Infectious Disease Doctor, Dr. McCarthy, that I’m alive to write this today.
It started off the previous Tuesday (1/16) as just a cough with phlegm, no fever, so I ignored it and kept going to work, coaching my pole vault team at La Cañada High School. By Thursday it felt like there was broken glass in my left lung and I couldn’t take full breaths (presumably lung had collapsed by then and necrosis had set in) but still no fever so I kept pushing through. By Sunday I woke up barely able to breathe and my family rushed me to the Emergency Room.
Had I gone a day later, I would not be writing this.
The doctors didn’t know what was killing me, my blood tests were a mess with mysterious readings, my body wasn’t responding to the initial treatments. Vancomycin was the final treatment before they ran out of ideas and luckily, my body responded. The bacterial load eating through my lung and poisoning my body began to decrease. The feeling of glass in my lung went away. My breathing normalized. And Saturday, January 27th, I was finally released from the hospital after my 7th day of treatment.
God is Good.
Although I’m not as close to death anymore, I’m unable to work as I still need to have daily in-home IV Therapy treatments for the next 6 weeks to finish killing the bacteria and keep it from spreading again. My family and friends have been so amazing checking in on me constantly, making sure I knew I wasn’t alone, filling me with prayer and hope. It meant the world and made a difference in my recovery. I never lost hope and never gave up, knowing so many loved ones were waiting for me to come home. Still got a long road ahead of me with follow-up doctors visits, in-home IV treatments and who knows what else.
I’m wondering though, if anyone out there can help me through this GoFundMe so that I can support myself while I’m unable to work. I have a license but no car and it will be difficult for my family to get me to where I need to be without them missing work or for me to transport myself using Uber as I have extremely limited funds. It’s hard to even ask this but after almost dying, pride is the least important thing to me.
If you read this far know that I love you and I’m glad you’re in my life. Can’t wait to see everyone in person again, you’ll be meeting a new version of me when you do!