THE TYGRRRR EXPRESS

The following is a timeline of events detailing my battle with, hospitalization from, and recovery from Covid.

Let the record show that I have while I have always been anti-lockdown and anti-mask (I have a breathing disorder that makes it harmful to wear a mask), I am not anti-vaccine. I did not get the vaccine, but that was due to procrastination. I had planned to get the Johnson & Johnson vaccine because it was only one shot.

I am pro-freedom and anti-mandates. If you want to wear a mask or get a vaccine of your own free will, fine. I am not fine with the government bullying you into doing so either directly or indirectly through corporate harassment or social justice warrior mobs. Those screaming at others to: 1) stay home…2) wear masks…3) get vaccinated…are often the ones who refuse to stay home themselves and repeatedly get caught at swanky events without masks. Leaders with the strictest edicts have repeatedly been caught violating their own edicts, covering it up, and lying about it.

Also, these same liberal screamers have spent the last few years harassing others over climate change, gender pronouns, systemic racism, and other nonsense…yes, I said it…nonsense. Leftists have turned into Isl@mists. They just like yelling. Now they have even adopted the Isl@mist tactic of burning down neighborhoods, buildings, businesses and cities where other people try to engage in activities such as breathing, existing, and God forbid, commerce.

Their hysteria notwithstanding, the Covid virus is real. It can be deadly. I found myself washing my  hands more frequently and using hand sanitizer. I reduced the level of handshakes and replaced them with elbow bumps.

My business travel was vital to my income.

Tuesday, July 26, 2021 — I flew from Los Angeles to Springfield, Missouri.

Thursday, July 28 through Saturday, August 7 — I was a vendor at the Ozark Empire Fair in Springfield in Southwest Missouri. I knew that Missouri had become a Covid hotspot, but living in fear is not the answer. My friend was also a vendor at the fair. We were both staying in his RV on the campgrounds along with his disabled son. It was 3 guys in close quarters. I had my own sleeping area but we had a common bathroom and shower. Everything was normal.

We had 5 days until the Missouri State Fair in Sedalia in Central Missouri. So I took a few days for myself.

Sunday, August 8 — Visited friends in Fremont, Nebraska and a synagogue and other friends in Omaha.

Monday, August 9 — Visited a synagogue in Leawood, Kansas. Drove that night back to Springfield, Missouri. Stayed with another friend.

Tuesday, August 10 — Spoke to a women’s group in Springfield and then returned to Sedalia and my friends at the camper in Central Missouri. We had August 11th off.

Thursday, August 12 through Sunday, August 22 — I was a vendor at the Missouri State Fair. I stayed in the RV with my friend and his son. At the beginning, everything was still normal.

Tuesday, August 17 — My friend and his son fell ill. For the next three days, he felt quite ill although his son got better. They did not have Covid symptoms, so we all assumed it was just a cold or fatigue. His disabled son has plenty of health problems as it is.

Friday, August 20 — My friend took himself and his son to the doctor. They tested positive for Covid. Upon hearing the news, I immediately vacated the RV. We had a mutual friend who lived only a few blocks from the fairgrounds. That friend and his wife already had Covid previously, so they welcomed me into their guest bedroom without reservations. My friend was supposed to drive me on Sunday the 22nd to St. Louis for my flight home on Monday the 23rd. Because of his illness, I changed my flight home from on Monday the 23rd from St. Louis to Kansas City.

Sunday, August 22 — Although I was tired, working a fair is tiring. I did not have any Covid symptoms. I was supposed to fly home on Monday, but I decided to accelerate the process while I still felt healthy. Another vendor who had previously had Covid drove me from Sedalia to Kansas City, Missouri when the fair ended.

I felt no need to get a Covid test in Missouri. I knew that in Los Angeles, I was within walking distance of UCLA Medical Center. If I had to quarantine, I would rather do so at home near the best hospital than in a town where I now was without a place to sleep. Again, I did not have symptoms.

My flight home was not until Monday, the 23rd, but I did not want to wait. I could not get all the way home, but on Sunday night I was able to fly from Kansas City to Las Vegas. A friend of mine picked me up at the Las Vegas airport and took me to the hotel. He was the only person I had close contact with during my less than 12 hours in Las Vegas. I went straight from the airport to the hotel and back the next day.

Monday, August 23 — I flew from Las Vegas home to Los Angeles. A friend who already had Covid a couple months ago and recovered picked me up and took me straight home.

On Monday night, I began feeling very fatigued. I had muscle weakness. This felt like more than just exhaustion from working and flying. I immediately scheduled a Covid test for the next day.

Tuesday, August 24 — I tested positive for Covid. I went straight home and quarantined. For a couple of days I took Theraflu at night. I figured relaxing at home would be enough. I had my full sense of taste and smell. The only pain I had was muscle weakness.

Wednesday, August 25 — I was not feeling better but not worse either. That night a friend of mine said he would bring me a cocktail of drugs that his friends had previously taken. It could have been Ivermectin or Hydroxychloroquine. I have no idea. I never got the chance. He was going to deliver these drugs on Thursday afternoon. By then it was too late.

Thursday, August 26 — Everything changed that morning. I could not get out of bed. My muscles were beyond weak, including back pain. Trying to stand up made my feel like I would collapse. I eventually staggered back into bed but I knew I was very ill. I called 911 from my bed and they quickly arrived. I could not stand up or walk. The paramedics loaded me onto a gurney, out my building, and into an ambulance. They took me to Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center, which was again only a few blocks from my home.

The doctors gave me Remdesivir. It worked. By the next day, my fever was gone and would not return. However, I still needed to be hospitalized for several days. The doctors told me that they had zero interest in my vaccination status. They were going to save my life no matter what. While they were pro-vaccine, they were non-judgmental. Their only commitment was to getting me better. They said that the original Monochlomal blasters were not an option because those were preventative measures and it was too late for them. Had my condition been more severe, they may have tried them, but the medical staff felt the Remdesivir would be sufficient. They also gave me the steroid Dexamethasone in addition to something else for the cough.

I was on Oxygen for my entire five days in the hospital, but I was never on a ventilator. This was a very important discussion. I needed the oxygen but I did not need a ventilator.

Monday, August 31 — That evening I was well enough to go home. I was given another 5 days worth of steroids and plenty of medicine for the cough, which was waning. The back pain I had when  I got to the hospital was gone. I was tired, but otherwise definitely on the mend. I was now at home in quarantine.

The time of my quarantine was a mystery. At the beginning of the pandemic, Americans were told 14 days. Then it was lessened to 10 days. This meant I would be out of quarantine as early as Friday, September 3. However, people are hospitalized are supposed to quarantine up to 20 days, which would be Monday, September 13. This 20 days is a recommendation, not a law. The law was 10 days.

I found the solution. When the 10 days was up, I would take two separate Covid tests from independent facilities. If either of those tests were positive, I would probably have to stay in quarantine until September 13.

Wednesday, September 1 — I began to feel much better. I stayed in quarantine. I had my first post-discharge telephone consultation. The doctors were pleased with my progress.

Thursday, September 2 — I drove myself to a nearby Covid testing facility around 10:30am. By 11am I was back home in quarantine.

Friday, September 3 — I drove myself to a second nearby Covid testing facility around 11am. By 11:30am I was again back home in quarantine. Around 1:30pm I had my second post-discharge telephone consultation. The doctors seemed very pleased with my progress. They confirmed the differences between 10 day and 20 day quarantines, and that negative Covid tests would go a long way toward accelerating the process. Around 5:30pm I received the results from the first Covid test on Thursday. The results were negative.

At this moment I was legally allowed to end my quarantine. However, again out of an abundance of caution, I remained in quarantine pending the results of the second test. Those results were expected over the weekend. The testing facility said they would be open all weekend and on Monday even though it would be Labor Day. I was invited to a Jewish home for a Sabbath dinner Friday night. One Covid negative test was good enough for them. I politely declined, deciding to stay home and rest and wait for the second test as confirmation. I felt totally fine at this point.

Saturday, September 4 — At 10am I took my final doctor-prescribed dose of steroid Dexamethasone. The cough was pretty much gone as well, but I continued to take the cough medicine in addition to Nyquil at night to help me sleep.

Sunday, September 5 — At 9am, the second Covid test result came in. It was negative. The nightmare was over. I was now able to end my quarantine. I no longer had Covid or was a threat to transmit Covid.

I was supposed to go on another airplane back to the midwest on Thursday night, September 8. The flight from Los Angeles to Kansas City would this time be for the Kansas State Fair in Hutchinson near Wichita. That would take place from September 10-19. Unfortunately, my health made doing this an unwise move.

America would be closed on Monday, September 6 for Labor Day. Then from Monday night through Wednesday night, I would voluntarily be shutting down for the Jewish New Year of Rosh Hashanahah. My flight would be right after the holiday ended, with no time to react. To race to the airport in that situation would be untenable. Plus, my friend I caught Covid from is still in quarantine. His son is thankfully better and he is getting better, but for me to fly in the middle of the night to meet an RV that might not even be there would be mind-numbingly stupid.

I have just been through a traumatic experience. I am definitely feeling better, but am not 100%. Working a fair for 10-12 hours per day for 10 days straight is just not something my body can handle right now. I need rest. I am still tired.

So I am canceling my trip to Kansas. It is my hope the Kansas State Fair will do the honorable thing and refund my money. They normally do not refund money, but Covid is a once in a century life and death pandemic. That is the polar opposite of normal.

I would love to do the Kansas Fair in 2022, but not in 2021.

So the plan is to spend all of September recuperating at home. Although I will ease into life, there are plenty of things awaiting me on different levels:

Sunday, September 5 — Reach out to every Jew I know to wish them a Happy Rosh Hashanah. I have to get this done by sundown on Monday night.

Monday, September 6 — Start of Rosh Hashanah. It runs through sundown on Wednesday, September 8.

Thursday, September 9 — NFL 2021 Regular Season kickoff game.

Saturday, September 11 — The 20 year anniversary of the 9/11 attacks. Somber ceremonies will be everywhere.

Sunday, September 12 — NFL Sunday Week 1.

Monday, September 13 — Raiders game Week 1 on Monday Night Football. My close friend’s birthday.

Tuesday, September 14 — Recall election involving the California Governor.

Thursday, September 16 — Yom Kippur. The holiest day in the Jewish Calendar. I fast for 24 hours from sundown on the 15th through nightfall on the 16th, health permitting of course. I have fasted on Yom Kippur every year since age 13, and should be able to this time. After consulting with my doctors, I will probably have water to guard against dehydration.

Monday, September 20 — The Jewish holiday of Sukkos begins. The ritual is to eat in an outdoor hut.

Saturday, September 25 — Another close person in my life has a birthday.

Tuesday, September 28 — The Jewish holiday of Simchas Torah involves merriment at synagogue. In big cities such as Los Angeles, this means hopping from synagogue to synagogue. After two years of subdued celebrations, this year it should be much closer to normal. This will officially close out the annual Jewish holiday season that begins with Rosh Hashanah and runs through most of September.

For now, it is just time to rest and thank God that I am free of Covid. May everyone else who has ever had this awful disease recover as well. May we one day soon live in a world where Covid is something we read about in the history books rather than experience personally. Most importantly, may panic and pain over a serious illness never be used again as an excuse by power-hungry government officials to suppress individual freedoms. Giving up freedom is far worse than death. The Founding Fathers understood this. As Ben franklin cautioned, “Those willing to give up liberty for temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety.”

I remain anti-lockdown, anti-mask, pro-vaccine, anti-mandate, and pro-freedom to my core. If you are pro-mask for yourself or anti-vaccine for yourself, I still support your right to make your individual medical decisions free from government interference or any other form of bullying.

I survived Covid, and I thank God, the staff at the Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center, my family, and my friends for that.

To the many people who texted, called and messaged me on Facebook and my cell phone, thank you all, God bless you all, and I love you all.

eric