See our Advertiser Disclosure and Editorial Note here.
Not too long ago, my family spent a fabulous week at Baker’s Cay Resort in Key Largo. I’ll publish a detailed review soon, but for now, I give it thumbs up. If you have young kids, definitely consider splurging your Hilton stash on this resort.
Anyway, one of the wrinkles in my otherwise fabulous plan was the omicron tsunami just starting to overtake the US right before the trip. We did go, though I was a little nervous that we would pick up Covid there. Fortunately, we did not.
Instead, I ended up catching it in the local CVS, while taking my daughter to get her vaccine booster. Talk about irony! I’m 99% certain that’s how I got it, since I only left my house a few times that week. You know, to be extra careful. I also wore a tight-fitting KN95 mask, but it obviously didn’t help.
It only went downhill from there. My husband and daughter ended up catching Covid from me. Surprisingly, my non-boostered son is fine so far. Fortunately, I did a rapid antigen test right as I got mild symptoms, thinking it’s allergies. Alas, Covid finally caught up with me. But at least we were able to isolate, and didn’t get anyone else infected.
But wait, there is more. As I was getting ready to call my mom and tell her about my positive test, she called me. Apparently, my dad (who lives in Belarus) got Covid and ended up developing a severe double pneumonia in his lungs. As a result, he was about to get hospitalized and I literally had minutes to talk to him via Skype.
I can’t even describe the emotions going through my mind. If you’ve been in my place, you can probably relate. I guess, it was mostly helplessness and sadness at not being able to be there to support my mom. Honestly, one of the worst moments of my life. As my parents were bickering about something silly, I asked them to please hug each other and not waste these precious moments on nonsense. They complied.
I have relatives who work with Covid patients, so I knew my dad could deteriorate rather quickly, and it sure looked that way the first few days. He had to go on oxygen, and even lost consciousness at one point. The doctor’s prognosis was grim. As it was happening, my symptoms got worse, but I had to keep it together while talking to mom on the phone. This was literally the last thing she needed. Since I’m triple vaccinated, I was relatively certain that I would eventually get better, which I did.
There was one particularly rough night when I was running a fever, and kept obsessively checking my phone for updates on my dad. As a control freak, it’s hard to admit that some things are just out of my control. This was one of them. We had to be patient and hope for the best.
Fortunately, my dad is currently stable, and slowly improving. I’m cautiously optimistic that eventually he will pull through, though it may take weeks or even months. He still can’t breathe without oxygen after being in the hospital for ten days. We are very fortunate that there was a spot for him, though he had to share a room with five other patients.
He told us it’s now down to three, as the other two had to be transferred to ICU or possibly died. He wasn’t sure. Mom asked him if he talks to other patients, and he goes : “Why would I do that?” He is very anti-social, so sharing a room with strangers is a form of cruel and unusual punishment.
Despite my pleas, dad did not get vaccinated. There are several reasons for that, but the main one is listening to propaganda on YouTube. It’s run by a respectable Russian doctor who is an anti-vaxxer. In fact, dad is still convinced he made the right choice and that the vaccine would make things even worse. He is extremely intelligent and has a high IQ, he also is (usually) a critical thinker. But he also likes conspiracy theories and would not listen to me when I tried to give him cold facts based on statistical evidence. I tried, I really tried.
I’m not angry with my dad because I know he believes what he is saying. And I admit, I’m also happy that hospitals don’t discriminate based on vaccination status. I’m glad my dad has a chance at survival, and I will try again to convince him to get vaccinated. I will never give up. Fortunately, I was able to convince my mom and she had a mild case of Covid.
Aside from my own family, I’m not a person who gets into Covid vaccine debates. And to be fair, there is no guarantee that getting vaccinated would prevent my dad from being hospitalized. But it would surely improve his chances tremendously. At least we could say that he has done all he could, and that’s worth something.
Seeing what my mom had to go through this last week and a half makes me want to prevent this from happening to others. There is something to be said in getting vaccinated for your loved ones, even if one is skeptical of the benefit.
Throughout this whole thing, there were bright spots as well. I didn’t realize just how much my mom loves dad. He is her whole world. I always thought my parents have a totally dysfunctional relationship because they argue nonstop. But there is also a lot of love there too. I’m not sure why I didn’t notice it before.
Using Radisson points to treat my parents to a trip to Lithuania in 2015
My mom isn’t able to visit my dad in person, so she told me she sends him love notes. The nurses asked her why, since we live in the age of cellphones. She told them it’s more special that way.
I worry about my dad, and whether he will be able to meet me in Montenegro this summer. I told him I’m planning to hire a fishing charter in Kotor as a treat. So he instantly perked up, and goes: “Ocean or river?” I told him ocean, and he said he prefers river fishing. Well, excuse me! But I figured he must be getting a bit better to actually care.
We are just one family affected by Covid pandemic, and I realize that all things considered, we are the lucky ones. So, call your parents if you can because life is so unpredictable. And please be careful over the next few weeks, as omicron wave tears through US. This too shall pass.
CLICK HERE TO VIEW VARIOUS CREDIT CARDS AND AVAILABLE SIGN-UP BONUSES
Author: Leana
Leana is the founder of Miles For Family. She enjoys beach vacations and visiting her family in Europe. Originally from Belarus, Leana resides in central Florida with her husband and two children.
Thanks for showing us that being fully vaccinated and wearing a mask doesn’t work.
@AL Well, we didn’t end up in the hospital, so I call it a win. That said, I do hope they improve the vaccines, so they have a sterilizing immunity against all variants.
I am glad to hear you have a trained respiratory professional you can talk to! And that is great news he can breath without supplemental oxygen!
@ Cari Hi! I wanted to ask how your husband is doing, In case you follow the comments.
Thank you for asking! He is doing pretty well. He still has the cough. He says he has had that since Jan 15th. Had a sore throat but that went away. Says that’s really all the symptoms he has is the cough. He has his next 6 month checkup at transplant center mid April, so we shall see if there has been any damage then. They could not find anyplace within 2 hrs drive with the mono antibodies IV stuff.
How’s your dad doing? Did you get any more details? I hope he has a fast easy recovery. That has to be terribly hard to not be able to easily go see him. We don’t always recognize and appreciate all our freedoms in the US. I hope you get good.news and are able to go see them in a few months.
@Cari I’m so glad your husband is doing better! The cough will likely linger for a bit ( it did with me), but should resolve eventually.
My dad is doing better. He is home, and does lung exercises regularly. So, we are cautiously optimistic. The damage is severe, but he may be able to reverse at least some of it. He even mentioned possibly getting vaccinated, though the main reason is the ability to enter Montenegro. I’m hopeful to meet my family in a few months, but have to wait and see what happens. The US embassy in Belarus is closing, so there will be no way for them to get a visa going forward. It’s super frustrating, and feels like Iron Curtain 2.0
Hope things get better for your family Leana.
@Leticia Thank you so much! Looks like my dad may be coming home tomorrow. Unfortunately, COVID destroyed 65% of his lungs, so it will be a long recovery.
Leana, Are you saying his lungs have permanent scarring on over half his lungs? I am truly sorry, that is so sad to hear. My husband had IPF which caused permanent scarring and eventually received a double lung transplant. So I have an idea of what your dad may be facing. If you would like to private message me on Facebook messenger or email me; I can give you some (hopefully) helpful suggestions.
Oh and BTW, just last night my husband tested positive for Covid using an at home test. His symptoms so far are mild, I am praying they stay mild! We are waiting to hear from his transplant nurse as to what they want him to do next…..
@Cari I’m so sorry to hear that your husband tested positive! Unfortunately, it’s very hard to avoid this strain. Please don’t panic, chances are, he will recover. I follow several COVID experts, and the consensus is that this variant is less efficient at replicating in lungs. Most likely it will be like a common cold for him.
As far as my dad, I’m not sure of the specifics of his situation yet. All I know is what the doctor told us based on his last scan. She was actually surprised at the extent of the damage. That said, he is still able to breathe without oxygen, so that’s good. I hope some of the damage can be reversed, but it will take time. Our relative (who is a respiratory therapist ) gave me some tips and suggested a device to expand his lungs. My mom found it in Belarus, and he plans to use it daily. Thank you so much for your concern, and I may reach out via Facebook in the future.
Hope your husband recovers soon!
Wishing your dad a full recovery. My son got covid and his Dr. was able to prescribe Ivermectin and hydroxychloroquine, etc. for him. As soon as he took these he quickly improved. So, there are many people getting better without getting vaccinated and their immune systems are much stronger than a vaccinated persons. I find it disingenuous to automatically call anything different from the narrative misinformation. No one wonders why a Dr. (and many Dr.’s) risk their careers to inform people of alternatives. Just as your personal choice was taken by you whether to travel or not, it should be other people’s choices whether to inject an experimental vaccine into their bodies and to find alterntives if possible. There is always more than one way to handle anything and certainly there can never be a one size fits all when it comes to our health. Glad you are all feeling better and got through covid. The fact that you can still get covid and spread it should speak volumes but to many it does not. Again, it is a choice.
@mc I definitely agree with you that vaccination is a personal choice. Whether I like it or not, my dad has a right to make decisions when it comes to his own body. As far as the overall benefit of vaccines goes, the information is out there for anyone willing to look. The indisputable fact is that Hospitals are full of unvaccinated Covid patients, not those who have been harmed by vaccines. Again, this isn’t what I’m saying, but what data shows. That said, some people don’t respond well to vaccines and some died as a result of taking a shot. The number is small, but still. And I will also agree with you that current vaccines (formulated based on original strain) don’t seem to stop infection or spread, though do usually protect against worst outcomes. In life there are no guarantees. One has to look at the odds and make their own decisions. To me it’s a no-brainer.
Praying for your dad.
But… I, respectfully, disagree when you say you are doing everything to prevent this from happening to your dad (or others’ dads).
Going to Baker’s Cay while the pandemic is still ongoing is NOT doing everything you can…. it’s doing what you want. I know it had nothing to do with your dad’s case, but it still has relevance for others. You guys could have been carrying the virus there and not have even known iteanwhile spreading to everyone else’s father.
Praying for your father.
@Lori I have said many times that the decision on whether to do certain types of travel is a personal one. We have waited until everyone in our family was vaccinated, so I decided not to cancel. Also, almost all of our activities were outdoors, and we drove to the resort in our own vehicle. That said, I agree with you that there was a certain amount of risk involved. And honestly, there will be risk involved in everything we do for years to come. I’m not saying it was a perfect decision , though I didn’t make it lightly. I don’t pretend to know all the answers.
But as you have correctly pointed out, this isn’t about me. The point of my post was to show the potential consequences of skipping vaccination.
Russian doctor on YouTube who speaks English? Interesting. Any links to that channel? Of course no
@Leo Umm, where did I say he speaks English on his channel? You do know that there are a lot of Russian-speaking channels on YouTube, right? I can’t provide a link, since I’m only going by what my dad told me. Either way, I fail to see your point. It’s not about Russian or American vaccine disinformation propaganda. It’s about influential and well respected individuals in medicine who are pushing their agenda despite mountain of available evidence to the contrary. That’s the most dangerous propaganda of all, and my dad has succumbed to it to his own detriment.
So sad how people get attacked because they care for others around them and don’t want to see anyone get terribly sick and possibly die. Our society seems to be getting more hateful and selfish every year. Sending you another virtual hug for encouragement!
I am so sorry to hear you and your family all were infected. It is so discouraging when you tried to be so careful. It feels overwhelming at times to try to avoid it. I worry about my immune compromised husband. We have been lucky so far, but I am not sure when our luck will run out. I work at a school and we have so many sick teachers and children it is frightening. I am happy to hear your dad is recovering. I hope you are able to meet them on a future vacation. I am sending you and your family a virtual hug! Cari
@Cari Thank you for your kind words! I can only imagine how scary it is for you right now. My husband has health issues as well, though not as serious as your husband. But he has diabetes and takes immunosuppressants as well. He is doing better each day, but it took him longer than me to turn a corner. I felt terrible for giving it to him, but such is life.
You can only do so much, so try not to worry excessively. You probably already know that, but your husband is actually qualified to get a fourth dose of vaccine as long as it’s been at least five months since the third one. Obviously, talk to your doctor. And if you do decide to get it, do it in a drive thru site. Avoid indoors!
@Cari You are doing all you can. It may sound extreme, but I would encourage your husband to wear a real tight-fitting N95 mask plus eye goggles when indoors, at least for the next three weeks. This wave will pass soon enough, so hang in there. Also, there is enough evidence now that omicron variant isn’t as dangerous as delta. So even if he gets it, chances are, he will recover.
Leana,
I am so sorry for your family and especially you father. I always love to read about your family European adventures and every time you can reunite with your family it makes me smile. It makes me so mad reading about fake news and how it does affect families. My best friend is going insane because of fake news and it breaks my heart.
This dark times shall pass and we will talk about points, hotels and fun places to visit.
Take care and warm wishes.
Tania
@Tania Thank you for your sweet moment! It made me smile. As someone who has family on another continent, I’m sure you can relate to my predicament. I’m really hoping I can pull off a family reunion in Montenegro this year. However, between my dad’s health (he may need an oxygen tank going forward) and potential military conflict with Ukraine, my plan may not materialize. I have to make peace with that reality, and be grateful for being able to communicate with my family over Skype.
I am also so thankful for technology so I can see my family and my son can interact with them. It is very hard to manage family overseas and I can’t not even put myself on your shoes regarding the political situation in Belarus. I traveled to Brazil in August and it was very stressful, but I am so glad a took a window of opportunity while the contagion rate was lower than now. But I am so grateful for this hobby because I was able to to create so many memories with my family while traveling together. Because of my Hyatt status I got free breakfast, lounge access and a nice upgrade to quarantine while in Sao Paulo / Brazil. I hope your father’s health improves so you can visit Montenegro and spend time with him.
Offering up a prayer for all of you
@Michelle That’s very kind of you! Thanks.
I’m so sorry to hear about this. It’s nearly impossible to determine where you caught the virus. With Omicron you can catch it 14+ days after exposure. We live in a very rural area with few cases so many people don’t wear masks but everyone does at CVS and Walgreens. It’s risk management. The only reasons people go there is because they are getting a vaccine, getting medicine because they are sick or getting tested for covid because they are sick. It’s a dangerous place to go for sure.
@DaninMCI I think it’s worth it to try to outrun this virus for as long as possible. If nothing else, it would give one a better shot at access to Paxlovid and other therapeutics, which are scarce at the moment.
But realistically speaking, most regular folks won’t be able to avoid it, despite their best efforts. I’m almost positive I got it at CVS, based on average incubation period. I’ve read it’s 3 days on average, though I’m sure it varies. My husband and daughter got it 3 days after me, so the timing matches up in our case. It was either CVS or grocery store, but the crazy thing is that I wore a tight-fitting KN95 mask both times. This variant is a beast. The only silver lining is I hope we got durable immunity from this whole debacle.
I wear two KN95 masks. But hear other stories like yours where they inevitably get it. I wonder if a strong enough viral load ‘cloud’ through our eyes is enough to get infected.
I’m so glad your dad is improving. What a scary experience.
@MarkM It’s entirely possible. The only thing I can suggest is staying home for the next few weeks if you can, until this wave subsides. As in getting groceries and meds via delivery, avoiding meeting friends etc. This is especially true if you are medically vulnerable, as omicron can wreck havoc on your body even if you are vaccinated. For me, it felt like a bad flu, and my husband is still congested after six days. He is slowly getting better, but it’s been a tough week. I can’t imagine what it would be like without the vaccine+booster.
@Amy Thank you! He will have a tough road ahead, and may have to be on oxygen for months (maybe permanently). But it’s better than the alternative.
I am so sorry . Don’t feel guilty about your dad he’s an adult and made his own decision . Unfortunately so many people believe the disinformation that is on the internet and it’s impossible to convince them otherwise . As a physician I try to have honest conversations w patients about vaccinations but many people already made up their mind and no matter what I tell them they don’t care . We have to respect their wishes even if it leads to death.
I am glad you are doing better . Please take care of yourself , this shall all pass
Thank you for your kind words! I keep thinking that maybe I could have done more to convince him, but it’s pointless to obsess over it now. My husband even wrote him a note ( I translated), pleading to accept the vaccine, to no avail.
Much of it has to do with his distrust towards government in Belarus. The information about cases and Covid deaths has been hidden or manipulated over the course of the pandemic. So, as a result, when the authorities started pushing Sputnik V vaccine, many were skeptical. I found enough verified evidence from other countries that Sputnik V neutralizes delta ( the variant that he likely got), but my dad’s mind was made up at that point. There is so much Covid vaccine disinformation circulating in Eastern Europe, it’s all I could do to convince mom. And she only did it so I would leave her alone.