Lower Mainland resident Cathy Gibbs wasn91裸聊视频檛 feeling well, but she didn91裸聊视频檛 think it was anything too serious.
She91裸聊视频檇 recently been to dinner at the house of a neighbour who was part of her 91裸聊视频渂ubble91裸聊视频� 91裸聊视频� a limited number of people she didn91裸聊视频檛 have to be socially distant with during the current coronavirus pandemic.
91裸聊视频淎ll of a sudden, after dinner, she [the neighbour] got unwell,91裸聊视频� Gibbs described.
Shortly after that, the neighbour phoned Gibbs.
91裸聊视频淪he said she had been exposed to COVID and now I had, too,91裸聊视频� Gibbs recalled.
91裸聊视频淲e were responsible and it still got us.91裸聊视频�
The Langley City woman decided to self-isolate at home.
She developed a persistent cough.
READ ALSO:
91裸聊视频淚 just kept getting sicker and sicker,91裸聊视频� Gibbs recalled, but she didn91裸聊视频檛 think it was too serious.
But her daughter, Tammy, could hear the difference in her mother91裸聊视频檚 voice when they spoke on the phone.
Tammy, who lives in Edmonton, phoned the local ambulance service.
91裸聊视频淪omeone91裸聊视频檚 got to check on my mom,91裸聊视频� Tammy said.
When Tammy explained her mom wasn91裸聊视频檛 in Edmonton, but in B.C., the Alberta paramedics connected with their B.C. counterparts, and an ambulance team arrived at Gibb91裸聊视频檚 door to check her health.
91裸聊视频淭hat91裸聊视频檚 when I found out I have pneumonia [caused by COVID-19],91裸聊视频� Gibbs recalled.
91裸聊视频淚 just didn91裸聊视频檛 realize I was as sick as I was.91裸聊视频�
A nurse at hospital later told Gibbs she was lucky that her daughter called when she did.
After about a day and a half at Langley Memorial Hospital, Gibbs was transferred to Surrey Memorial Hospital (SMH).
Gibbs recalls the paramedics applying defibrillator pads to her chest for the trip, in case she suffered a heart attack en route, and how they drove with sirens on the whole way.
91裸聊视频淭hey weren91裸聊视频檛 taking any chances, that91裸聊视频檚 for sure,91裸聊视频� Gibbs commented.
She is full of praise for the paramedics and medical staff at both hospitals.
91裸聊视频淚 can91裸聊视频檛 say enough.91裸聊视频�
READ ALSO:
At 72, Gibbs was enjoying an active retirement after several years as Langley MLA Mary Polak91裸聊视频檚 constituency assistant, as well as Polak91裸聊视频檚 predecessor, Lynn Stephens.
On the one-year anniversary of her retirement, on Monday, Aug. 31, Gibbs was at SMH, hooked up to oxygen and a blood pressure monitor, and several other medical devices 91裸聊视频� unable to get out of bed without assistance.
To help her lungs recover, 91裸聊视频淚 have to lay on my stomach for two hours a day,91裸聊视频� she told the Langley Advance Times during a telephone interview from her ICU room at SMH. She91裸聊视频檚 one of the 10 in B.C. who top doc Dr. Bonnie Henry has listed in ICU with COVID this week.
Gibbs isn91裸聊视频檛 sure when she will be coming home.
91裸聊视频淚 think it91裸聊视频檚 too early to say.91裸聊视频�
She said medical staff seemed happy with her progress to date.
91裸聊视频淚91裸聊视频檓 actually doing pretty well,91裸聊视频� Gibbs said. 91裸聊视频淚 can actually sit up in a chair. My energy is coming back and the COVID 91裸聊视频榝og91裸聊视频� has lifted.91裸聊视频�
Gibbs91裸聊视频� advice to people who doubt the seriousness of the coronavirus pandemic; 91裸聊视频渋t is real91裸聊视频� and even in a small bubble, it is possible to be exposed.
She posted a message online to say she hopes young people are getting the message.
91裸聊视频淚 know that this virus has affected your life, it91裸聊视频檚 affected everyone,91裸聊视频� her Facebook posting read.
91裸聊视频淵ou can be grateful that you won91裸聊视频檛 get as sick as I did, if you get it. I know you are young and you want to live you life, I get that. I am old, but that doesn91裸聊视频檛 mean that I want to die, do YOU get that?91裸聊视频�
Since she posted to Facebook about her trip to the ICU, dozens of people have flooded her page with messages backing her fight to recover.
91裸聊视频淚 am so overwhelmed with the show of support I can91裸聊视频檛 even find the words,91裸聊视频� Gibbs posted.
91裸聊视频淭hank you hardly seems enough, but that91裸聊视频檚 what I have. Thank you and love you all.91裸聊视频�
dan.ferguson@langleyadvancetimes.com
Like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter
