I was hospitalized for 13 days at the end of last year with Covid pneumonia. Every single time the doctor came in he would say "you're not vaccinated, are you? We'll have to talk about that when you're feeling better." He refused to give me the monoclonal antibodies until my 6th day in the hospital and wouldn't you know after I finally receive them my protein levels fell DRAMATICALLY and fast. Posts I made along the way on CaringBridge can be found here - https://www.caringbridge.org/visit/sharimcguire.
I couldn't believe the friends who reached out and attacked me for not getting the vaccine. One friend in particular has a sister who is an RN and this was my response to that person:
Covid has certainly been a divisive subject. I certainly never yelled at anyone while I was in the hospital and was sure to be overly kind and gracious to everyone who walked in my room from the floor sweeper to the nurses and even the doctor I didn’t like. I even had conversations with nursing staff about how much I appreciated the work they are doing.
Not all of them are vaccinated either and the ER Nurse told me I was the first non-vaccinated Covid patient she’d seen in quite a while. Things that make you go hmmmm.
The best way to share my perspective is to tell a story. Sam is brought into the emergency room via ambulance with gunshot wounds from a gang shooting. The doctor walks in to see him and says, you know Sam, you shouldn’t be in a gang and when you’re feeling better, we’re going to have a talk about that. Surgery would definitely help your wounds heal faster but I’m going to give it 5 days first to see how you do. If a doctor did that, he’d be sued so fast.
No matter the circumstances a doctor should always jumps into action to do his/her best to treat the patient regardless of the circumstances. Well, the doctor I didn’t and scolded me every time he saw me and withheld the Monoclonal Antibodies treatment for 5 days (his notes make no mention of it prior to that) when that is known to quickly help turn things around for people with Covid. Looking at my lab results, that was AFTER the absolute worst part of my stay in the hospital.
So, my point in my posts is that the doctor is not there to judge me as a person. He is there to make me well. Whether it be from a gang shootout, or I jumped off a bridge, or I caused a serious car accident or I chose not to be vaccinated. His care plan for me was affected by his personal judgment against me which is wrong.
Gratefully, I lived and am mostly well - hair loss and brain fog are my lingering symptoms/side effects. Praising God I made it because my family depends on me greatly to provide for us. And although all this craziness is unspeakable evil, I am comforted knowing God is in control and in the end, He wins.
Maple Grove, MN