My name is Mandy, and I’m a survivor of Covid-19. It’s truly a miracle that I’m here today to share my story with you. At one point, my kids were called in to say goodbye to me, and within 24-hours I surprised everyone and woke up! My road to recovery has been a long one, but after numerous medical setbacks and over $2M in medical bills, I’m here today to make the most of my second chance.
I hope my story can save someone from going through what I did, or help them navigate through their own experience by sharing the knowledge I gained through mine. I don’t see what I’ve been through as a tragedy, but instead as a blessing. It’s crucial to my recovery that I maintain a positive, focused mindset. It’s all about mindset. From the moment I wake up to the moment I go to sleep. Everything is up to me. My emotions, my thoughts, my perception, my reactions. My successful recovery is dependent on the right mindset.
“I am thankful for my struggle, because from it I have found my strength.”
Get the vaccine. Wear the mask. Do whatever you need to, to protect yourself. No loss is greater than the loss of your life. I put off getting the vaccine because I worked a lot of long hours, and I just kept saying “tomorrow”. As so many people did, I got tired of wearing the mask and I got careless. My supervisor and I both showed symptoms at the same time, and even now I don’t know which of us got it first or who we got it from, but she was out sick for 2 weeks, but I;m still fighting covid today. I was in property management, and we work with the public in many ways. Helping people find a new apartment home, or contractors that come in to make repairs, and delivery drivers are constantly in and out of our office.
Today I am trying to survive on limited disability income, but I can’t pay all my bills. Covid has taken away my ability to work; my ability to support myself and my kids. I'm currently in the process of moving back in with my parents, who are near 80 years old, because I can’t financially support myself and need physical assistance to complete daily tasks. I fully understand the frustration everyone is feeling, trying to live our daily lives somewhat isolated, so differently than what we’ve always known, but the annoying precautions are so much better than the alternative.