In Dec 2021 I tested myself at home for covid 3 days after Thanksgiving, 6 days after onset of laryngitis. Coughing increased until my oxygen dropped to 89 sat rate and on Thursday, a week after T Day, I called the ambulance. By the time I got to ambulance, it had dropped to 80 but went back up to 90 by the time I reached the hospital. I was admitted to the ER where I spent the next 5 1/2 days in a hard recliner, no access to a washcloth or soap, and limited out patient menu. I as immediately given a “covid cocktail” of Remdesivir for the next 5 days. The most alarming point was 24 hours after being admitted, the male nurse was surprised to see me “looking so good”. At 75 yo, I asked why he would say that. His response was that most people my age are on full face mask (high air flow) oxygent and within 2 to 3 days intubated (put on ventilator).

From that point on, I was terrified. My phone was not working. They claimed there were no plastic pitchers for water so I saved every cup. Day nurses were terrible, most ignored me, sometimes forgetting to bring in menu for a meal. I began squirreling away the 1 oz fruit cups in case I wouldn’t get food for the next meal. Dry sandwiches and some scrambled eggs were the best they had. Not allowed inpatient food. I grew very suspicious and realized the only thing I could control was how much water I drank and that I could get up and walk around every hours (I would go 4-5 hours without a soul checking). I finally discovered the “Guest” wifi and was able to email my children and my oldest who was my advocate.

I set about drinking water every hour as well as getting up, disengaging from oxygen, and walking until I couldn’t walk any longer.

On the fourth day, I was moved to across from the nurse’s station but didn’t hear or see anyone. The following day, my 5th in ER with no pillows in my hard rock recliner, breakfast tray was never picked up. Finally, at 10am I rang the bell. It rang for 4 hours. No lunch. At 2pm I was so frustrated, I went to the door, opened it, and stood in the hall. I saw no one. I called out “Anyone here? ….Anyone here?” Nothing but dead silence. Both ends of the hall were dark. It felt like a Stephen King movie set. Then I simply got mad and yelled “HELP! HELP!”

Then, and only then did a male nurse lean from behind a computer screen not 10 from me and asked, “May I help you?”

“For starters, you might try turning off the bell that has been ringing for four hours. Did you not hear it?” I missed lunch so asked for a menu, which never came and missed dinner as well.

During this entire time, after being lectured about not being vaccinated (at least 3x daily), I took the time to educate the nursing staff about the Nuremberg Trials and Code, none of whom knew any history whatsoever. Astounding to me.

By 5:45pm, a doctor whom I had never seen before, stepped in my room (wow, brave man, no mask) and stated “You don’t look so good. I may be able to help you breathe better.” Interesting since, I was past the worst and my oxygen was down to only 2 liters from 6 when I first entered.

“How do you propose to do that?” I asked. He replied, “We would like to put a tube down your throat to help you breathe better.”

“Absolutely not. Leave and don’t come back.” He left and that was the end of the Intensivist from the Intensive Care Consortium. I immediately texted my daughter telling her they were trying to intubate me and to get me out of this ER”.

A per diem night nurse showed up with an aid and when I told them I hadn’t been washed in almost 6 days they set to work. My skin under my arms would have had open wounds within 24 hours if those two had not come to my rescue washing me and finding peanut butter and crackers for me to eat.

Early next morning she was on the phone at 5am w Dr. Singh, demanding a treatment plan and my removal from the ER as well as a call with me at 8am. I spoke with her with the nurse assisting with the wall phone. She told me that my youngest was seeing that real food get to me and the doctor would be speaking with me at 10am. Saw the doctor (always through glass window) and he told me a plan was put in place now.

At noon a plate of marinated beef tips showed up and by 2pm I was wheeled into a room where I saw daylight for the first time in 5 1/2 days. The doctor continued to pressure me w Bipap machine. I told him I would try for 15 minutes (he wanted 4 hours). As soon as it was on, the pressure on my lungs was intolerable. I lasted 15 minutes and pulled it off. I asked the night nurse to remove the machine.

When my daughter picked me up to take me home from the hospital after 10 horrific days, she told me that the nurse said I was dreaming about the doctor coming in and wanted to intubate me. She stated that your mom was having a nightmare. She lied. Once I got my medical records, the consult was there.

Since that time I have learned of nurses leaving because of the protocols being used, particularly against those who choose not to be vaccinated with experimental drugs.

Once you are in a hospital “room”, you are stripped of your rights, your dignity, food, and access to water. You are on your own. But now, as we have learned, many didn’t not get left to die as I was, but were strapped to beds, deprived of food and water, given Remdesivir, plus multiple drugs, many contraindicated, and tortured.

I dedicate my story to those who were not so fortunate as I was. It is to them, I also dedicate the rest of my life to righting these wrongs and holding those responsible who were “just following orders”.