Surviving COVID

In the world of the cynic, “No good deed goes unpunished.” In the world of Karen and Bill Sydow of Sidney, serving a friend in need resulted in their own illnesses.

The symptoms caused concern because they aligned with the general description of the nuvo coronavirus symptoms.

“I was exposed when I took care of someone who came home from a hospital, not here,” Karen Sydow said.

She said her friend likely contracted the virus while in the hospital because of how quickly after coming home she tested positive. She started coughing her second day home from the hospital and her doctor wanted her to be tested. Her test confirmed her positive.

Karen's experience is a little different. She and her husband Bill are in their 60s and have no outstanding health issues. When she spoke with her doctor, the doctor recommended she quarantine at home.

“Bill and I talked about it. This is where we are: if we get sick, we'll deal with it,” she said.

She said when she and her friend entered a medical building, they wore masks, but not while in the car.

She and Bill initially thought the symptoms were allergies. She developed a sore throat, a “horrible” headache the first week, slight temperature, wheezing and dizziness. By the end of the first week, most of the symptoms had dissipated; most, that is, except the coughing. The coughing continued for about another 10 days, as did a lack of energy.

“It was interesting, all the step-by-step,” she said. “When I exert myself, I had trouble breathing. I'm still dealing with the tiredness.

She said the frustrating issue in the experience is to go to the hospital and request hydroxychloroquine and be told “no.” She said she was told “it would kill me.”

“She (clinical nurse) told me it was a virus and go treat it with cold medicine,” Karen said.

She and her husband Bill said they have friends in Texas who used hydroxychloroquine and recovered much sooner.

'They did feel better in two days,” she said.

Instead of the two-day recovery, they applied the night-time cough medicines as recommended, extending their recovery period.

Bill describes his experience tiredness, with a dull headache for a couple of days.

“I was tired, but I was able to walk,” he said.

He stayed at the house per quarantine instructions, but still did tasks around the home that would quickly wear him out.

The bottom line, according to the Sydows, is they got through it.

“We lived though it. It was a virus,” Karen said.

She did she they do not have any significant underlying health issues. She added they each person reacts differently.

For them, it was a spiritual decision as well.

“Bill and I, we just never felt fear,” Karen said.

She credits their lack of fear to their faith in God.

“I'm still dealing with the tiredness and breathing,” she said.

She said while sometimes the breathing is more difficult than normal, it is not stressed.

“It's not prideful. Its just the way we feel,” Karen said.