SO MUCH TO SAY......

 I have so much to say, so much to write and because there is so much,

I find myself having trouble starting but I have to start somewhere before

all these wonderful (bragging again lol) thoughts get behind me.

Let me start out by saying....

I FAUGHT THE VIRUS AND AM WINNING!

I do not say this lightly or in any bragging fashion as what I had

was minimal compared to so many others, especially my

extended Guilbeau family, my daughter in laws daddy.

I am as of today, 57 years old and even with all I have

been though medically speaking, nothing, I mean nothing,

compares to the inability to breathe.

Very little is free today but oxygen is and when you know its there,

you know you won't be getting a bill for it but you just can't get it

in your body..... well it's scary. 

I had many ideas for me New Year of 2021,

I was making many personal changes but first was going

to be spending New Years Weekend in Miss. with two of my

4 sisters. We headed home on Jan 4th but I knew I was not well

days before we headed home. I was terrified, not for myself

but for my older sister, 16 years myjunior who almost died

of Covid months before. Thankfully she and my other sis, C did

not get Covid. When I returned home that Sunday evening I knew

I had a full raging Corona virus. 

Monday AM I drove myself to Ochsner Emergency room in Plaquemine.

there I not only tested for Covid but pneumonia with fevers climbing past 102.5.

MY oxygen level was hard to keep at 92 but I could go home as long as

I could keep my sats above 92 and monitor my temp.

I bunkered down in the cottage, thinking few days to rest and I would be okay.

Not the case. Each day I tried to tell myself I was better, until the Thursday

and I awakened not able to breathe and walk at the same time.

The Covid had also attacked the Guilbeau home and our Big Frank 

was very sick as well. Roddie picked me up rushed me back to Er 

and my o2 sats were 88! Never had I ever understood what a plastic piece

placed in your nose with clean, full oxygen being given to you was a God Send!

Of course I was afraid, but I knew I was not nearly as sick as many others.

A ct Scan showed double pneumonia and I decided on being admitted as

I knew I needed more help than I could get home.

I can write about 100 blogs on all I want to say, especially the

wonderful facility of Ochsners. Plaquemine Emergency room,

to O'niel Baton Rouge, everyone of any that has the Ochsner name

join the long list of my hero's. I had great nurses, my night nurse was great,

unfortunately I can't remember her name as some of the time

I have not many memories of the night.

I do want to speak of my day nurse, Oh my wonderful day nurse.

I don't want to break her anonymity but she does know I write a blog

and she was okay with speaking about our encounters.

I will call her Crys here.

I am a nurse, retired, mind you, but I am a nurse.

Before becoming sick I knew and thought of all those wonderful medical

professionals out there putting themselves and their families at risk

to help so many others trying to live and get back to their own homes and

loves. 

Never before had it impacted me to tears.

My Crys. she listened to me even when I could not speak.

She understood my fears without me saying them.

Once I could share a little more, she shared about her children,

including her baby two year old twins who had been babies

when this pandemic started. I think how brave, how brave she and her 

coworkers leave their own children and families home, putting herself

at risk just so she could try and get others back to their homes.

It is deep y'all. If you allow yourself to think about it, expecially as

you are fighting to breath, it will bring tears to your eyes.

Never did she complain never did she make even my simple requests

seem trivial. I knew she was busy but as I began to feel better, she took 

as much time as it took to explain all I needed to know.

One the second day, through tears I tried to explain to her just

how impactful she and her coworkers are to me. Our country fighting

against each other as they show up daily not worrying about anything

but getting us better. I explain that I am probably one of the least sickest 

and she made me feel like I was her only one she had to care for.

There are just no words to explain to a nurse how much she means to you.

I hope I did it a little bit. AS I left, I wanted to hug her.

I am a hugger, and this pandemic has taken this away from me but as

I was being wheeled to discharged, she told me she journaled and 

would love to follow my blog... we shared information and we gave air hugs.

I was choked up as I said to her,

"You have been one of the best parts of this whole experience."

I meant it, Ochsner, you are doing it right,

Crys, you and I will forever be friends.

You have not heard the last of us.

Thank you, thank you, THANK YOU!

More to come!