In this second installment of our two-part series, we continue with the first-hand stories of some who battled with, and overcame COVID-19. Whether harrowing or mild, their accounts remind us of the ravages of COVID on the body and its social, psychological, and emotional toll.
“Value every day God wakes you up”
“As I went to work that Tuesday, I felt fine but three hours into my shift, I started coughing,” Sister Nina Washington -Thomas remembered. She told her boss that she was not feeling well and returned home, where her flu-like symptoms quickly intensified with a high fever and body pains. She suspected that she had contracted COVID-19 and got tested.
Sister Nina described a frightening experience of being “extremely sick and hitting rock bottom.” She shared that she was bedridden, weak, and vomiting blood. Her symptoms were so severe that she temporarily lost her sight and hearing. Despite her desperate situation, she refused to go to the hospital saying, if she were to die, she would prefer to do so at home. But God was not ready for her. “My mom made every mixture she could think of to bring my health back. My recovery was very slow but sure.” recounted Sister Nina.
COVID-19 also affected her emotionally. Reflecting on her ordeal, she remembered crying daily because she could not hug her son or husband. She also recalled seeing the fear in her husband’s eyes. Talking to her son through the window kept her fighting in her weakest moments. Even though she has since recovered from COVID-19, Sister Nina continues to experience issues with her sight and has had to strengthen the lens of her glasses to assist her vision.
The experience of battling COVID has caused her to value every new day she is given. She encourages others to make their health a priority and to be educated on everything major happening around them. Lastly, she urges everyone to get vaccinated since she believes the severity of her COVID bout resulted from being unvaccinated at that time.
“Pray and trust God for your healing”
After attending a staff party in December 2021, Sister Noscila Layne started to feel a little sick and had a sore throat. A few days later, she received a positive COVID-19 diagnosis. Fear and anxiety began to set in since she has no family in the United Kingdom. She reached out to her sister, aunt, and church family in Guyana for prayers. Even from a distance, she relied on their comforting words and moral support through the dark days. She’s also grateful for a colleague who checked in with her and brought items to sustain her through quarantine.
She recalled experiencing shortness of breath and other breathing issues the very first week of her diagnosis. Sister Noscila was confident in her prayers. She did not think she would die but feared she would have to visit the emergency room for oxygen as her breathing worsened. After her breathing issues subsided, she was weak and was left with a terrible cough that persisted. She used her home remedy of honey, ginger and Tumeric to treat the cough that eventually went away. Sister Noscila expressed that the prayers of her family helped to take her through. Her encouragement as well is to “never give up, persist in prayer and trust God for everything.”
“Cherish each moment with your family and friends”
After testing positive for COVID-19, in March 2020, Sis. Joycelyn Pickett – Braithwaite never imagined embarking on a four-month journey to recovery. “The only thing that kept us going was praying and trusting God,” she expressed.
After experiencing sharp pains in her chest, her doctor advised her to go to the emergency room where she did a few routine tests. Since she has Asthma, the doctors attributed the pain to her preexisting condition and gave her pain killers. According to them, her chest muscle was strained, so she was advised to return home and exercise. Even though this was the doctor’s prognosis, she was sure what she was feeling was not Asthma. Nevertheless, she complied.
It was not until a family friend died of COVID-19, that she got tested and received a positive result. In addition to the chest pain, she started to experience fever like never before. She visited a local outpatient center where she did an EKG test and an X-ray. The EKG test came back normal; however, the X-ray revealed that she had pneumonia in her left lung, which explained the pain. She also remembered going to the bathroom and fainting. Her experience was so horrifying that at times, she thought she would have died. However, using antibiotics for pneumonia and consuming lots of liquids, including ‘bush’ teas, and light food, helped her through this challenging period. She recounted losing 20lbs during the recovery period from March to June 2020.
One of the major life lessons learned through her ordeal is to keep family and friends close. She expressed that sometimes life gets in the way, and we take things for granted. She urges us to cherish each moment with loved ones because of life’s uncertainties. “You can never be too careful,” she expressed.
Sis. Joycelyn advises others to take the necessary precautions to avoid contracting COVID-19. “Sanitise your hands, wash your hands and change your clothes when you get home before interacting with others or touching items in the home,” she emphasised.
The Moral of the Story
In reflecting, though each experience was unique, the recurring theme is the importance of being fully dependent on God. It is in challenging times that we recognise our lives are not in our hands, but God’s. Many of those who shared believed at some point that they would not survive, but at their weakest moments, God comforted and delivered them.
Whether we contracted COVID-19 or not, for all of us who survived the pandemic, it is a wonderful testimony of God’s goodness and faithfulness. Let us continue to be grateful for life and all the little things it entails – good health, our family and friends, our jobs, and a roof over our heads. Many have not been so fortunate; so many have lost so much.
As the pandemic slowly subsides, let us stay safe by taking all the necessary precautions- wearing a mask, sanitising our hands and our environment, and keeping our social distance, if required.
