Melanie Carmichael believes she survived COVID-19 thanks to a whole lot of positivity and because she was being cared for by people she loves.
Melanie shared her story alongside her husband, Kurt Carmichael — who also had COVID-19 — from her room at the Mission Regional Medical Centre In Mission, Texas where she is undergoing rehabilitation.
She said Kurt could fill in the blanks, because there is a lot of her story she still has trouble piecing together.
“I was intubated for two-and-a-half months, so that time is like I was paralyzed and not really conscious of what was going on around me for the most part.”
Born in St. John’s, Melanie, whose maiden name is Claxton, spent her high school years in Norris Point. The small Bonne Bay town and the people there hold a special place in her heart.
“Of all of Newfoundland, it feels like my home. I really love Norris Point.”
She later studied nursing at the Western Regional School of Nursing in Corner Brook. She graduated in 1995 and moved south, first to Brownsville, Texas, and later to Harlingen. where she has been an intensive care nurse (ICU) at the Harlingen Medical Centre for 17 years.
Melanie was not caring directly for COVID-19 patients, but she came in contact with someone with the virus during the summer.
On July 13, she woke up with a temperature of 103 F. Later that day, she was tested for COVID-19 and given some medication.
“I thought I would start getting better. I thought I would have a mild case. I had some medications to help me and then I just got worse,” said Melanie, 64, who also has asthma.
“I thought I would start getting better. I thought I would have a mild case. I had some medications to help me and then I just got worse."
On July 20, her COVID-19 test came back positive. Feeling really sick, she went to the hospital. Bloodwork showed a telltale sign of a blood clot and she was put on blood thinners to treat a pulmonary embolism.
She spent three days in the emergency room at Harlingen Medical Centre before being moved to a room on a floor. Before the week, was out she was moved to the ICU.
“I was actually scared at times, especially initially, but I couldn’t let myself think about that,” she said.
Cases peaking
When Melanie got sick, COVID-19 cases in their area were peaking.
Kurt, who is an ICU nurse at Valley Baptist Medical Centre in Harlingen, was caring for patients with the virus and he also became infected.
He got sick on July 28, but had a much milder case. After 10 days in quarantine, the 52-year-old was back to work.
But Melanie got worse, to the point she was asked if she wanted to be intubated. She said yes, and had a trach tube and a feeding tube put in, and was put on a ventilator.
“There were times when it didn’t look very good, like I wasn’t going to make it,” she said.
That left Kurt, who only left her when he was working, with many tough decisions to make and many difficult conversations to have with Melanie’s children and those caring for her.
“There were times when it didn’t look very good, like I wasn’t going to make it."
She coded — meaning she needed resuscitation — twice and Kurt recalls one very bad day when a doctor told him he didn’t expect Melanie would survive. For almost an hour after, he cried on the shoulder of one of the nurses, a former colleague of his.
“That was a hard day,” he said.
But Melanie hung in there and made it out. “And beat the odds," Kurt said. "Because statistics are grim. COVID patients, once they get put on a ventilator, a lot of times, it’s not a good outcome.”
After two and half months, the doctors started to wean her off the ventilator.
She’s been dubbed a miracle, with her recovery now progressing every day.
Melanie said she felt loved by everyone around her, from the nurses praying at her bedside to her family and friends, including those in Newfoundland, and all those who cared for her.
“I think that’s really what got me through, all the positivity and positive thoughts.”
After 108 days in hospital, Melanie left Harlingen Medical Centre on Nov. 5 and was transferred to the rehabilitation facility in Mission.
As she was wheeled out, nurses, doctors, other health-care workers and hospital staff lined the corridors to cheer her on.
“It really made me feel the love. It was quite amazing.”
“It was wonderful,” added Kurt who watched it all with tears in his eyes. “The sendoff that the hospital did was amazing.”
Through rehab, she’s learning to walk again. With the trach out, she’s also eating more and regaining her strength.
She’s uncertain how long it will be before she gets to go home, but she’s not counting the days. She describes herself as a tolerant person and will take it day by day.
“As far as how she’s doing at this moment? I couldn’t ask for more,” said Kurt. “I know she’s got a long road to go, but she’s doing wonderfully well, considering everything she’s gone through.”
“I know she’s got a long road to go, but she’s doing wonderfully well, considering everything she’s gone through.”
She doesn’t blame anyone for what happened, but does encourage everyone to wear a mask, to wash their hands and to clean everything.
As for a return to nursing, well she’s unsure right now.
“That part I’m going to have to think about. I can’t go back into a COVID environment.”
Diane Crocker reports on west coast news
Twitter: @WS_DianeCrocker
