(Editor’s note: Ron Rademacher is the voice behind Michigan Back Roads and a weekly contributor to Great Lakes News with his “Road Trip of the Week” articles. In December, he battled COVID-19. Below is his story.)

TIMELINE 

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It was just a typical “guys weekend.” Seven of us gathered for an annual ritual to retell old stories and jokes. The ages ranged from 45 to 71, and everyone had been vaccinated against COVID-19.

In fact, no one exhibited any Covid symptoms.

The whole reunion lasted 36 hours. Everyone went home on Sunday to prepare for the coming work week. On Monday afternoon, one of my friends texted me that he had tested positive for COVID-19.

I didn’t give it much thought. I had been living freely and was sure this wasn’t the first time I had been exposed to the virus. I was vaccinated, as well as my girlfriend, Kathy. I received the Johnson & Johnson shot; she chose the Moderna shot.

On Wednesday my first symptoms appeared – a scratchy throat and typical flu-like body aches.

Two days later, I collapsed into a state of pain and delirium that is difficult to describe. Kathy went down two days later. I slept all day, waking only to use the bathroom. Drinking fluids and eating took major effort. I remained in the delirium state for four days and then started coming out of it. Kathy came out of it at the same time and her recovery was much faster than mine.

RECOVERY

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After coming out of the delirium stage, I would wake up at the usual time and be conscious all day.

However, I experienced immediate after-effects. Those included extreme shortness of breath and fast heart rate. If I was  sitting in a chair and then stood up, I would have to pause to catch my breath.

Walking across a room required pausing and leaning on a counter while catching my breath and waiting for my heart rate to come down.

These spells were coupled with constant, overwhelming fatigue and no stamina. If I walked across the room all I wanted to do next was take a nap.

It was amazing how weak we were. Before the infection we routinely walked two  to three miles over rolling terrain a minimum of three times per week. Some weeks we took five of those adventures. Now even a few steps were exhausting.

Kathy and I didn’t lose our senses of taste or smell, but we had almost no appetite and it was an effort to consume even small amounts of food. We both experienced weight loss. Kathy lost a few pounds. I lost nearly 25 pounds over 8 days. This undoubtedly contributed to the overwhelming fatigue. After a couple of weeks, my appetite returned. The recovery continued slowly with shortness of breath and fatigue being the major ongoing problems.

DOCTOR VISIT

We met with our doctor after a couple of weeks for an examination to determine the extent of permanent respiratory or other damage. We both came through without problems. My friend who texted me was in the hospital and is now home on oxygen, still unaware of his long-term effects.

We told the doctor that we were confused. We both had received a vaccine yet were infected by someone who was also vaccinated. What should we do to protect ourselves in the future? He told us that for the next 90 days, we would have immunity to most  everything. After that, he told us we would have choices to make. Do we get the newest vaccine or booster shot? Should we wear a mask or not? Should we self-isolate or mingle? Everyone has these decisions to make.

The doctor added the one factor that probably helped us get through COVID-19 is our physical fitness. The excellent physical shape we were in probably mitigated the worst effects of the infection and he urged us to get fit again.

You can get fit too, and you can start today. Being in good shape can lower the chances of permanent damage or death.