(KWWL) -- Those who've tested positive for COVID-19 are more than just a number, just as those who've recovered are more than a statistic. More than 10,000 Iowans have beaten the virus.
While experts say 80% of people who get the virus will be just fine, the others are at risk for severe complications. Eastern Iowans Justin Weber and Val Swinton are among the latter.
"He told my wife if i'd stayed in bed that night, she'd woken up to a corpse. I was that close." Weber said, referencing the doctors who initially treated him in Grundy Center.
Doctors intubated Weber there so that he could survive the transfer to Allen Hospital in Waterloo.
Val Swinton, the first case of VOVID-19 in Butler County, has had a rough go of it since he contracted the wirus. When he's home, physical therapists have been coming to his home for treatment.
"She says you know, with everything you've been through you should write a book." Swinton said.
The virus has taken a toll on both of their bodies and it will likely be months before they feel like they did before the pandemic. A harsh reality is that they may never feel the same again as the long term effects of the virus are still being determined.
"The littlest thing I do just wears me out." Swinton said.
He was discharged from MercyOne Medial Center in Waterloo in mid-April to a crowd of healthcare workers. Swinton, who spent a period of time on ventilator with doctors saying he may not make it, says he hasn't processed his brush with death.
Following our interview, Swinton returned to the hospital where doctors found a buildup of fluid in his lungs, believed to be from the pneumonia he developed during the first hospital stay after he was discharged from MercyOne. Swinton says they're working to remove that fluid.
"I'll be forever indebted with gratitude and my utmost respect for them," said Weber, tears in his eyes when he talked about his caregivers at Allen. "This is only the fifth time I've cried in 54 days."
He spent nearly two months at the hospital and was the first patient with COVID-19 to be admitted. He left on May 20th amid dozens of hospital workers who cheered as he left and lovingly embraced his wife. It was a moment that came after a weeks long struggle.
"It was a long process for him, to make it through the ICU and then out onto the floor," said Dr. Karl Terwilliger, who, among other things, is an anesthesiologist who first treated Weber when he arrived at Allen. The two had never met when he wasn't in a coma until our cameras interviewed Weber. Terwilliger was in awe at how well Weber seemed.
They treated Weber through a process called "proning," a process where staff regularly turn the patient to keep the blood oxygenated.
"Before he came to our floor, he'd only gotten out of bed once and only walked a few steps to the chair," said Heather Locasha, an occupational therapist and the Inpatient Therapy Manager at Allen.
When someone falls critically ill, as Weber and Swinton did, they need time to practice basic functions because while a ventilator can be life saving it is also traumatic to the body. When both men began therapy, neither could really walk, eat, get dressed, or even go to the bathroom on their own.
Denise Little is part of the team at Allen who worked to change that.
"We have to teach them their new limits, so we can challenge them." said Little.
A day in therapy varies from person to person whether its strengthening the body, the mind, or both
"Everyday you try to make something a little bit harder for them," said Little. "He went from needing two people to get him out of bed and even just sit on the edge of the bed. The next time its getting him to sit up by himself or get him to stand at this table."
Locasha says therapy is so individualized, even more so by the wide array of symptoms brought on by COVID-19.
"A lot of them, I've noticed, have been needing speech therapy. They've been having trouble with their swallowing, the ability to eat safely." said Locasha. "A lot of them have been needing physical and occupational therapy."
The challenges don't end when they leave the hospital, neither for the patients nor their families.
"Well, at first he was pretty demanding," Swinton's wife, Deb, said with a laugh. Swinton smiled and confirmed that he tested her patience.
When he first came home from Waterloo, Swinton was still very weak and needed assistance with preparing food and getting around. While swinton's been working to build his stamina --
"The first goal is to be able to walk around the block," said Swinton when we asked about his goals with therapy. During our interview, Swinton said he was about a third of the way there.
He's had some setbacks though, including developing pneumonia and a broken ankle that occurred during a fainting spell.
"All of this is going to amount to something good, it's too strange not to," Switon said.
A man of God, the Clarksville pastor sees his fight with COVID-19 and his recovery as a potential ministry. He seemed excited to find out what that could be.
Weber and Swinton both say the power of social media brought in prayers from all over the globe.
"I believe, that there's power in prayer. So, I believe it was a miracle. I was really glad when he came back." Deb Swinton said.
The road of recovery has given the men have a lot of time to reflect.
"This is nothing, nothing to flirt with." Weber said.
Swinton said a healthcare provider told him he likely had plenty of COVID-19 antibodies, something medical professionals have been hoping could treat the virus in the most serious patients through a person's plasma.
"I said, 'Can I share my plasma? Because I have these antibodies,' and the nurse said 'No,' she said. Number one," Swinton paused. "That's another problem. I get really emotional. She said 'Just take care of yourself first.' So, that's what I'm doing."
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May 28, 2020 at 09:26AM
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ROAD TO RECOVERY: The story of two Iowans bouncing back from COVID-19 - kwwl.com
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