San Luis Valley CO-CEAL Community

Getting COVID-19 was the last thing on my mind. I took every precaution, so I thought. Well, taking every precaution wasn’t good enough. I got sick and it came from nowhere and I fell ill... fast!! Long story short. First day scratchy throat, nightmares, and some pain. Fifth day nightmares, cough, chills, fever, pain all over. Tenth day, wasn’t sleeping, couldn’t taste or smell. Looking at myself in the mirror, my lips aren’t blue, I’m fine. Coughing, in a state of delirium. Every adult in the household sick with it... COVID! At day 12 I decided I better get to the hospital. Well, I pinky promised I’d go. Outside was silver everything was silver. At some point getting to the hospital, I left my body. I felt better and as I kept going, I felt even better, I could breathe. At some point I felt I was in the presence of our Father. I knew then that I was dying or dead. I told him, I’m not ready. My boys, my mom, my dad. No, they aren’t ready. I was back in my car parked in front of the hospital. In the hospital room my oxygen was at 52%. A nurse started 4 IV’s! Put on the highest amount of oxygen; from 52% to 72%! Awesome! I still wasn’t out of the dark. You need to breathe Carol, said the Physician on duty. We are going to send you flight for life and put you on a respirator. Breathe Carol. I ended up in ICU for 8 days! Third floor full of people with covid. People being flown out flight for life. People choosing to die there. I’m not vaccinated. My choice. Most of my family and a whole lot of people I know got the vaccine because they know my story. It’s your choice!

My mother and my mother’s sister got the vaccine because they have rheumatoid and weak immune systems. I got my degree in biology and chemistry, all of these data are wonderful. I’m the person that doesn’t look at the big picture, instead I see the little things. I pray about it, and research about it. I’ve heard some good stuff that I will share. But I’m still not convinced. I fear: what if I’m wrong and these vaccines are really helpful. Do I do it for me, or do I do it for the rest of my familia?

We chose to go see a brother in law who was battling with needing a liver transplant. We did not put the pieces together that our nephew, his son had been exposed also in his workplace. Within 7 days my husband and I ended up with symptoms. We quarantined a total of 4 weeks due to fear of spreading the virus to our loved ones. Another family member caught it and went back and forth between two households spreading it among both. There were 20 total from one exposure with the virus. My Brother-in-law got tested on a Thursday but the way it was communicated in Spanish he thought he was OK, instead he was positive. As the days went by his breathing got difficult, then his wife learned that he was positive. After a few days he ended up in the hospital and was Intubated for over a week and we lost him, he was alone and his family members were all quarantined due to COVID. We can start this vision of vaccination in this world we share. I am using this experience to motivate me and others to help.

Hello, my name is Brisa Macías. My terrible experience with COVID-19 began on November 8, 2020. It started with a simple cough. By night I already had a very high temperature, I felt very cold, back pain and I was sweating profusely. I also had a headache that was unwavering! I remember the pain in my back was so strong that I was writhing in pain! That night I couldn't sleep. The next day it was still getting worse. I called my sister and told her that I was still feeling horrible. Then she took me to the hospital. When I got to the hospital I was still suffered with my symptoms, and I was struggling to breath. I am asthmatic and I thought it was just my asthma that was reacting. Although it came to light that I was positive with COVID-19. I was hospitalized for a day with oxygen, serum, and pain medication for 21 days. I was also required to quarantined together with my daughter.

The most challenging experience of COVID-19 was being a single mother and having a 6-year-old daughter to still care for. My daughter needed mom to play with her and Mom couldn't play or take care of her the same way she’s used to. Since Mom's back hurt (lungs), Mom couldn't get enough oxygen and Mom was weak. Mom wasn't the same because of COVID-19. At times I felt I couldn't take it anymore because of the pain. I thought I was dying. I would improve and would relapse again. My family struggled because they were worried about me but unable to be there for me. All I wanted was to hug and see my family. I was recovering little by little. I still have side effects. I’m still without smell or taste. I still get really fatigued doing physical activities. Little by little I will recover! It was the most challenging 21 days of my life! 

This experience with Covid-19 encouraged me to get my first vaccine in February 2021. Being a mother, daughter, sister, and educational worker; I felt the urgency to be protected against covid. I hope to continue to be healthy to continue supporting my family and my community.

In January of 2022, I got COVID-19 for the second time (Omicron). When hearing that I was positive with COVID-19 I was terrified! I thought that I would experience the same as my first battle with Covid-19! I immediately went to the doctor. The symptoms were similar but my experience was different. This time I had all my vaccines and received COVID medicine called (PAXLOVID). Luckily, I was only sick for seven days. It felt like a cold but stronger because of my asthma. I feel my recovery was much faster because I decided to get the COVID-19 vaccines and the medication. I am very grateful to God, who gave me one more chance in life. I am grateful to my family, friends, and community for supporting me through this difficult time.

• I’m happy I’ve received my second dose, I hope this will make the workplace and the world better.
  
  
• I honestly did not have a choice when I did get my vaccine due to the fact that my little brother was diagnosed with cancer in January 2020. I was very hesitant and scared to get the vaccine but I had to. 2020 was a very tough year for me and my family but we are doing better now. My brother is a brand new person now and we’re all stronger as a family.
  
  
• We got our vaccines in July, within 2 weeks. I have always felt like I influence a lot of my family members therefore, I wanted to make sure to get as much information as possible before I got the vaccine. We like to travel to Mexico and other places. I figured this was a defense while traveling. My daughter has asthma and this is one way of protecting her. This to me was one less chance of getting sick. It was personal for me, but it influenced (trickled) to the rest of my family.
  
  
• I attended a birthday party via Zoom, my mom was telling me about those who have been vaccinated, why aren’t you? You know if you’re not vaccinated, you’re not coming to see me. You work with clients. How would you feel if you didn’t know you were infected, working with those clients. It is a tough choice, but when the elders of the family laid it down, I had to do it.
  
  
• I remember when I was young and polio was affecting people, time went on and people got shots. And I didn’t get the flu shot, but recently I’ve started getting them. Eventually it all catches up with you. I’m fearful that this will mutate into something we can’t cure. Let’s try to beat it before it beats us.
  
  
• I feel all our at risk communities from our region need to know about this. We should also make sure travelers through our area are aware as well. We are closing tourist season going straight into hunting season with people from across the country visiting the SLV. I believe signage on our roads might be an effective way to do this. It would be interesting to have access to an electrical sign with real time facts, stats and figures to anyone passing through.
  
  
• The son of the first man who died in Center, his mom got vaccinated and by the time she got her second vaccine, she had contracted COVID again. He was not ready. 2 weeks ago he said he was ready, and it was due to a bible verse about baptism and how it moved from adults down to children and babies. “I’m getting there and I’m ready.”
  
  
• During the 2020 pandemic shutdowns, our family was extremely careful. My husband is diabetic and his dad is also diabetic. In March of 2020, my husband took my father-in-law to the doctor in Pueblo. The doctor said take him straight to the ER right now. My husband took his dad to the ER in Pueblo and was not allowed to get down with him. He left him at the hospital in Pueblo and wasn’t allowed to see him for weeks. My father in law had to have his leg amputated and was later put in a nursing home in Alamosa where we visited by calling him on the phone and talking to him outside of his window. We drew unicorns and dogs on the sidewalk with chalk so that he could look out the window and see them. Of course, it rained the next day and our chalk drawings vanished.
  
  
• My husband would be one of two of his dad’s primary caregivers, so our family had to take care not to get covid. We didn’t celebrate holidays with family, we ordered our groceries, we were super careful. My husband took his dad to his appointments. We kept our circle small with our family unit and my husband’s dad.
  
  
• Remote schooling was hard for our students and for our family. I worked in Antonito and my kids went to school in Manassa. We made the tough choice to move the kids to my school. I was confident in our plan to return to school. Students were separated and everyone wore masks. Our school screened students and for the most part, everyone followed the rules. It was nice to have the kids in my school. It was refreshing to see their faces on those long days where nothing seemed to go right. Our family managed to get through the school year without getting covid. After my husband and I got vaccinated we felt a little more comfortable going out and about.
  
  
• When the 2021-2022 school year started, we decided to keep the kids in my school. Let’s just stay in the same petri dish, I thought. The kids love their new school and are thriving. This year it has been more difficult to get students to keep their masks on. Some of the older students say, “but I’m vaccinated.” Some people are just tired of it.
  
  
• A few nights ago, my middle daughter started to feel sick. She was running a fever all weekend. Fred was going to be in Pueblo at 8:00 am on Monday, so I asked my school principal if I could work from home. She offered to test my daughter. We drove up to the school and the principal did the test. The principal called my phone and said, I am gathering your girls, your daughter is positive. My daughter pulled her hood over her head and turned toward the car window and cried. She cried all the way home. When we got home, I asked, “Hita, why are you crying?” She said, “everyone hates remote learning, and I am the reason that we are going remote.” I asked her if she wanted a hug and she shook her head, “no.” That was heartbreaking because we both wanted to hug, but I think she was afraid to get me sick.
  
  
• She spent much of the next couple of days sick and alone in her room. Today we bought her a care package. She is finally feeling well enough to go to school and she is joking around a little bit. She says that it is lonely in her room, but she doesn’t like wearing a mask around us because she has trouble breathing. All of our kids were quarantined for a week because they are too young to be vaccinated. They will have to test negative before going back to school. My middle schooler cried when I told her that she couldn’t compete in tournaments this weekend. Her birthday is tomorrow, and we won’t be having any friends over. Of course, this is nothing compared to what others have gone through. We have a tremendous amount of support from our family and from the school.