Jessie Fisch knew something was wrong when she woke up with what she describes as the oddest sore throat. “I felt it deep in my throat,” she says. This was early March of 2020. She recalls thinking to herself that she had caught COVID. Over the next few days to a week, Jessie’s symptoms worsened, and she ended up in respiratory distress. Jessie called her daughter, also a Physician’s Assistant, and she was transported to Central Vermont Medical Center, where she spent two weeks in the ICU.
Jessie experienced shortness of breath, appetite loss, and an inflamed liver. “I was really sick,” she says.
Jessie was eventually discharged to her home in Berlin with a plan for support and a nurse and physical therapist from CVHHH. While in the hospital, Jessie lost a lot of strength. She needed physical therapy to recondition so that she could do basic activities like walk from her bed to the bathroom and sit at her kitchen table to eat a meal without becoming out of breath.
With our help over two months, Jessie regained her physical strength and healed in the comfort of home. Now, she is back to doing some of her favorite activities – cooking and knitting. Today, Jessie says that she is feeling better.
Her memories of the experience are strong, and she recognizes the value of having CVHHH to help her at home. “I recognize how life altering home health care can be for some people.”
To read about our COVID response and vaccine outreach for homebound Central Vermonters, visit us here.