Well, what great news! You're going home to family! There's no better news! This pretty much makes my day. So thankful to our Loving Father for answered prayers. Starting with Rex's first text, " I just tested positive." This topic has morphed from confusion, to dire, to triumphant, and finally to giving God the glory! For me, it has been a "light in a dark time!" God bless all of you that have participated and given witness to the GOOD that exists in the hearts of men and women! I pray that many will see this topic and be blessed by it. There are times when TexAgs transcends every day life, and that's a good thing!

It's going to feel amazing sleeping in your own bed! Happy to hear it!

This thread is an emotional roller coaster!

Good going 32!!! Your wife sounds like a keeper!

She definitely is

I didn't sleep hardly a wink last night. I am still so anxious and literally feel like I can't sleep at all. I am hoping maybe this afternoon my body finally allow me to nap. Did anyone else have severe anxiety or insomnia?

When I first got home, I was pretty anxious the first few nights. I was almost scared to leave the hospital and go home. In the hospital they are always monitoring you and I was scared to leave that. My wife would wake up several times a night and check on me for the first few nights. Also, part of your insomnia is the steroids they have been giving you. Until they are out of your system, you won't sleep well. Hang in there, it will get better. Take it one day at a time.

Jbob thank you for the thoughts. I hadn't thought about the steroids causing it. I literally feel like a walking zombie right now as I think I slept maybe an hour last night

It is frustrating and it takes its toll on you not being able to sleep. Try to nap when you can is all you can do. It will get better soon enough, hang in there. Continued prayers for your recovery.

I haven't had covid but our family friend who is now in rehab did. One of the things he said that he was thankful for, shockingly enough, was the fact that he went on a vent. When asked WHY he said, "so I could sleep." He is telling a tale of horror of not being able to sleep out of paranoia.

I simply cannot image that at all.

I've been praying for you every night, and quite frankly, everyone who has gotten this dreadful disease.

You have to keep remembering that God is good. You'll get through this and we are here for you.

Rule Number 32 said:

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She definitely is

I didn't sleep hardly a wink last night. I am still so anxious and literally feel like I can't sleep at all. I am hoping maybe this afternoon my body finally allow me to nap. Did anyone else have severe anxiety or insomnia?

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I was blessed. I slept like a baby once I got in my own bed. I did sleep with oxygen for a few nights as a security blanket, even though by the time they released me, I was sleeping without it in the hospital. Your situation is different, so you may need it for more time.

Jbob is right about the anxiety easing up as time goes by.

I can tell I'm getting stronger, but it has been slow. It's more week by week than day by day. For example, one week I could take the garbage can out to the street, whereas I could not have done that the week prior.

If your anxiety is keeping you from sleep, please talk to your doctor about a short term anti anxiety med. You need all your energy going towards healing and that can't happen if you can't sleep.

Hello-
You don't know me, but I have been praying for you and your family for the last week. So happy to hear you are home.

For your anxiety and insomnia I would recommend the device below. It works great for me. They work with the military a lot. It requires a prescription but I think they can get you one as well. This is a non-drug alternative since you have enough meds racing through your body right now.

www.alpha-stim.com

I will be praying for your recovery. God bless.

Aston94

Been a pretty good day getting to sit with the family. Was able to take a short 30 minute nap this morning so that was good. Restlessness is still 100% my biggest issue, and I feel anxious with night time coming up. At some point in time my body will just give up and I'll sleep right??? I am determined to get a good night's rest soon.

I've been trying to get in with a PCP but no one is taking new patients. Have a video call in the morning to see if I might get accepted through the Methodist hospital for a PCP. Hopefully that goes through in the morning so that I can at least talk to a doctor about after care and what to expect.

Aston - I will ask the doctor about that device in the morning. That could be a godsend.

I was hoping to get a prescription for Ambien or something similar but none of the teledoc services are allowed to prescribe it. Bought some Tylenol PM for this evening to hopefully take the edge off.

Sorry for basically just using this as a journal right now but it helps just to put thoughts down somewhere

This is what I do to fall asleep. Might not help with major anxiety, but it does help me to stop thinking. I recite the states in alphabetical order in my head. I also recite the presidents. When I first started doing this I didn't have the lists memorized, so that was the first task. If I make a mistake I have to go back to the beginning. Keeps the mind occupied. Silly trick I know, but it works for me.

Yeah, it would have been better if they had given you a script at discharge.

There are several good free calming apps you can download. "Sleep soundly hypnosis" is the one I used for pregnancy insomnia.

Howdy Rule. Hey man, if you need to journal your thoughts or whatever, that is good. You have had a major life event, and anything or nothing is okay. We are here for you and for anyone who just needs to vent. "If you have done this for the least of mine, you have done it unto me."

That's what this thread is for! You do what you need to do.

Do what you can to see an MD, and make sure you are clear how miserable you are from lack of sleep. Bring your wife along to confirm how miserable you are. I am sure these tips above help, but knowing you have meds if needed can definitely give you peace of mind.

If you still have no luck, let us know, I am sure someone on texags "knows a guy"

Got a couple hours of actual rest tonight from about 10-12. Snoozed 10 mins here and there afterwards for a while. My mind goes some truly crazy places and I had a wicked little nightmare on one of my quick snoozes.

Decided to call it at 5 this morning to just watch some mindless tv rather than fighting it.

One good thing is I am not experiencing quite as much shortness of breath when just sitting. I am coughing up some phlegm still. Ready to get all of this sickness out of my lungs. Yawning has also proven to be an interesting experience as it feels like it just locks me up for a few seconds.

I know what you mean about the yawning.

The oxygen thing was a mess when I got released. Sent me home with one that was basically not continuing and only went to 3L. We had to call another company to bring us a new unit that goes up to 5L. They also brought us some small oxygen canisters that I guess I'm supposed to use when I go out eventually. I think he said they only last 3 hours though so I'm a little confused if I have to go somewhere longer than that.

Finally found a doctor willing to take me on as a patient so that is good. Going to see her Monday morning for follow up bloodwork. She also mentioned my paperwork showed a nodule in my throat that they hadn't told me about so I'll get that checked out too. I still cannot believe they just released me with essentially no plan for follow up care. Doctors also are not returning any of our phone calls trying to get questions answered.

This doctor has prescribed me Trazodrone to help sleep so I am kinda excited for that tonight. If I can just get a few solid hours I think it would do wonders for me. I'm already really struggling this morning trying to stay positive. The last couple of days I've been ok mentally most of the day.

That first week out of the hospital is tough both mentally and physically. It gets much better after that. Today marks 3 weeks since I've gotten out of the hospital. The first week I couldn't walk from my recliner to the bathroom without getting winded while on oxygen. I'm doing walks 4-5 times a day now, even at work. The other evening I walked just under a mile and didn't get winded at all.
Keep fighting but definitely make sure you are up and walking. Those first two weeks I walked up and down the hallway at home every hour on oxygen. Got to get your lungs working plus it helps prevent any blood clotting. Continued prayers for you and your recovery.

Jbob04 said:

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That first week out of the hospital is tough both mentally and physically. It gets much better after that. Today marks 3 weeks since I've gotten out of the hospital. The first week I couldn't walk from my recliner to the bathroom without getting winded while on oxygen. I'm doing walks 4-5 times a day now, even at work. The other evening I walked just under a mile and didn't get winded at all.
Keep fighting but definitely make sure you are up and walking. Those first two weeks I walked up and down the hallway at home every hour on oxygen. Got to get your lungs working plus it helps prevent any blood clotting. Continued prayers for you and your recovery.

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Glad to hear you are doing so well. Sounds like you are a bit ahead of me in your recovery, but not too far. I'm finally getting a nebulizer today, and I have some albuterol from the doctor to use with it, so hopefully that speeds up clearing out my lungs. They are definitely better than they were, but it's going too slowly for my liking getting them cleared out.

Glad you are doing well too Rex. I've been using an albuterol inhaler the past couple of weeks and my cough seems to have improved quite a bit. I am doing well, but like you, too slow for my liking. I'm ready to be able to go to the gym again and workout, I feel so weak. I still can't do any kind of physical work or I get winded really quick. I know it's a slow recovery but man I'm ready to be back. Continued prayers for your recovery, I know we will all get there soon. I'm just so thankful we are out of the hospital and on the road to recovery. It's amazing what this thread has turned into since you first started it.

Jbob04 said:

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Glad you are doing well too Rex. I've been using an albuterol inhaler the past couple of weeks and my cough seems to have improved quite a bit. I am doing well, but like you, too slow for my liking. I'm ready to be able to go to the gym again and workout, I feel so weak. I still can't do any kind of physical work or I get winded really quick. I know it's a slow recovery but man I'm ready to be back. Continued prayers for your recovery, I know we will all get there soon. I'm just so thankful we are out of the hospital and on the road to recovery. It's amazing what this thread has turned into since you first started it.

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It is amazing. I have thought the same. God took it and worked wonders.

Today has been rough. I have had a really high heart rate all day and my brain feels like it is running in overdrive. I've been unable to relax pretty much all day long. I am shocked at the mental aspect of this disease.

Did you guys have soreness across your back when you got home? My back has been very sore today. I'm sure some of it is the coughing but I haven't done that much.

I was pretty sore as well, due to coughing I assume. It went away after the first week though. Hang in there. I had bad days mentally too, but you gotta keep on fighting and change your mindset. I hated those bad days. I was so tired, frustrated, and angry. Your family needs you, so you have to work on getting your mind right and keep going.

Yeah my HR is all over the place right now. Still kinda trying to learn how to control it.

I just finally had my first decent night's sleep in 10 days. Trazodon or whatever it is the doctor gave me actually quieted my mind and allowed me to sleep probably 6 hours last night. Praise God!

Ive already been told today is going to be doing nothing but sitting and watching football all day as a recovery day after the rough one yesterday. Have I mentioned how awesome my wife is?