KHTS Radio Santa Clarita Radio – Santa Clarita News
Carl Goldman, a Santa Clarita resident and owner of KHTS Radio, is continuing to chronicle his experiences as he recovers in a Nebraska hospital after testing positive for the coronavirus.
Back In The States With The Coronavirus – Day 15 (Wednesday)
Omaha is running low on Gatorade. I’ve been through all their rainbow flavors multiple times. Gatorade seems to be the only cure for the coronavirus (COVID-19). The orange Gatorade stain remains on my sheets, spilled days earlier. My medical team has offered to change my sheets, but I like it there. It’s become my battle scar, a friendly reminder of my challenge.
When I was a kid, my dad, who was a World War II vet, shared he had lice crawling in his hair and armpits while on the front lines in Italy. As he lay in his foxhole, his lice became a comfort to him because they represented another living thing. They were a good diversion from the death and devastation surrounding him. It’s one of the few things he ever shared with me about his wartime experience.
I am not about to compare my current challenge with our soldiers in World War II, but my Gatorade stain gives me a similar comfort.
News reports are sharing two elderly passengers on the Diamond Princess have died from the coronavirus, COVID-19. More than 600 from our ship now have the virus. Our vacation to Southeast Asia has now turned beyond tragic.
I am feeling better as I recover from my coronavirus. I no longer have a fever. My version of the virus is much milder. I am quarantined in the epicenter of the best care in the world in the biocontainment wing of Nebraska Med in Omaha.
The picture of me being carried down our 747-cargo plane and put on a stretcher at the Omaha airport has been on all the news channels. I am afraid it has become one of the photographic icons of this epidemic. If my wife, Jeri, had time to stage me better, she would have forced me to wear my Philadelphia Eagles hat because the little hair I have left on my head was a mess.
In fact, she would have a coronary each morning if she could see my hair now. I call it the “CDC-‘Doo” (Centers For Disease Control). My nurses laugh, sharing I should see their hair when they take off their very hot Hazmat suits at the end of their shift.
I keep my Philadelphia Eagles cap beside my hospital bed to quickly put it on whenever my wife, Jeri, FaceTimes me. I’ve had no comb or brush since entering the bio-containment wing at Nebraska Med.
None of that matters to me. My wife’s situation is much worse. Although she continues to test negative for the virus, Jeri is quarantined for 12 more days in a building a few blocks away. Her luggage is still lost somewhere at Travis Air Force Base, 1,657 miles away in California. The State Department and executives from Princess Cruises have been trying to connect with the right person at Travis for days. I suggested she reconnect with Senator Dianne Feinstein’s office for help. During our quarantine aboard the Diamond Princess, the senator’s office had graciously reached out to ask how they could assist.
Jeri is a trooper, going with the flow. I suspect she’s ecstatic I can’t see how her grey roots are progressing. It’s been well over six weeks since her last appointment with her hairdresser, Renee Kaehny. I believe she might be wearing HER Philadelphia Eagles cap when we FaceTime tomorrow morning.
Jeri has a treadmill, a medicine ball, a yoga mat and weights in her room. Life is now good because she finally received a hairbrush.
My exercise is more limited. I have to unhook so many monitoring devices from my body, I’m worn out even before I take my first step to my bathroom. I miss my Diamond Princess toilet, and the strength and dexterity required to flush it.
The toilet in my biocontainment room has its own quirks. It doesn’t have a heated seat, but when I flush, it releases about 40 times the amount of water our California toilet uses. It takes much longer to complete its cycle. It’s a good thing the California AQMD doesn’t know what’s going on in Nebraska.
I asked my nurse about my toilet, concerned my excretions might be contaminated. She assured me that was not the case with the coronavirus. However, she shared when they had Ebola virus victims in my quarters, they had to wait 10 minutes before flushing. I stored that piece of trivia for a future question on Jeopardy.
Later in the afternoon, the lead CDC doctor and his assistants wanted to chat with me. The computer screen in my room has a camera (one of two in my room watching me 24/7, so I am extremely careful when picking my nose), allowing patients two-way visual and audio contact between my room and CDC central command down the hall.
Government regulations require each patient to be notified every 72 hours that we are quarantined. A six-page, single-spaced small-font document was slipped through my door informing me of such. Only the feds could create something as unnecessary as this. I saved my documents for future reading, perhaps for a night with challenges falling asleep.
Our two-way communication worked fine. My CDC doctor was not wearing a Hazmat suit. He was obviously having a much better hair day than me or my nurses. He informed me when I no longer showed any signs of the novel corona virus, COVID-19, I would be tested again. If at that time I tested negative, I would be tested 24 hours later. Two negative tests would buy me my freedom. I would no longer be contagious, nor would I be a threat to spread the virus.
Unlike our virus test in Japan, the swabs taken in Omaha were more extensive. They have a lab on site, so results take hours, not days. Along with a swab going far into the back of my throat, a swab is yanked deep up my nose. One for each nostril. It is not a fun process. When my wife was tested, her swab went so far up her nostrils, it made her eyes twitch for many hours.
In the late afternoon, snow flurries hit Omaha. I could watch the flakes circling around my window, enjoying the sensation I don’t often see from my bedroom in sunny Santa Clarita, California.
The computer monitor from CDC central control was left on, allowing me to eavesdrop on their conversations. The audio was extremely loud, competing with the Democratic debate I was watching on TV. I am still deciding which one was more informative.
My fatigue hit me before the debate ended. I took my final sip of Gatorade, smiled at my orange stain and nodded off to Bernie Sanders’ thick accent assuring me my taxes would not increase.
Read All Of Carl’s Journals Here: Carl Goldman Coronavirus Journals
Part 3: Santa Clarita Residents Share First-Hand Experience Of Coronavirus Quarantine On Diamond Princess
Part 4: Trapped In The Coronavirus Quarantine Aboard The Diamond Princess: Part Four
Part 5: Santa Clarita Residents Share Emotions As They Prepare To Leave Coronavirus Quarantine Cruise: Part Five
Part 7: Santa Clarita Resident Diagnosed With Coronavirus Sets Record Straight: Part 7
Part 8: Santa Clarita Resident Battles Coronavirus After Diamond Princess Cruise: Part 8
Part 10: Living With Coronavirus: Santa Clarita Resident Continues To Share Story — Part 10
Part 12: Coronavirus Quarantine Continues As Santa Clarita Resident Recovers From COVID-19: Part 12
Part 13: Coronavirus Patient From Santa Clarita Continues To Clear Misconceptions About COVID-19: Part 13
Part 14: Third Member Of The ‘Four Amigos’ Tests Positive For Coronavirus: Part 14
Part 15: Santa Clarita COVID-19 Patient Continues Recovery In Nebraska After Contracting Coronavirus: Part 15
Part 16: Carl Continues To Test Positive For Coronavirus, Jeri Still Negative: Part 16
Part 17: Carl Still Tests Positive For Coronavirus, Jeri Prepares To Return Home: Part 17
Part 18: Jeri Cleared From Quarantine, Carl Continues Coronavirus Recovery: Part 18
Part 19: Jeri Back Home, Carl Continues Coronavirus COVID-19 Recovery In Nebraska: Part 19
Part 20: Coronavirus COVID-19 Patient Carl Goldman Continues Path To Recovery: Part 20
Read All Of Carl’s Journals Here: Carl Goldman Coronavirus Journals
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We continue to appreciate your positive attitude and updates. May the Lord continue to cover and protect you all. Carl — I think you and Jeri have a book about your lives in your future. Blessings, J & B
I love you column every day…praying for a quick recovery and a welcome home party!
Carl, as a retired Princess Cruises VP, I enjoy reading your articles chronicling your ongoing “adventures”. Being an MSU Spartan grad, I have no problem with you wearing your Philadelphia Eagles cap (after all their colors are predominantly green) but do you really have to be photographed wearing a University of Michigan shirt? Here’s hoping that you’re sufficiently better to be released soon and will be able to resume your good work back here in Santa Clarita.
Mr Goldman, Congrats on surviving COVID-19. Glad to hear they are keeping you hydrated and supplementing your electrolytes. I had a question. Are they giving you any Vitamin C? I suspect it could be a positive factor but have not read anything about it related to COVID -19 so far. I have been reading about Vitamin C and Sepsis/Septic Shock for over 6 years now. Have a foot and a half stack of studies printed out. Also a fan of Dr Paul Marik and his HAT Regimen for dealing with sepsis/septic shock, which by the way has never been subsequently properly clinically trialed. Anyway I leave you with a study from 1999 that suggests an 85% reduction of symptoms in flu/coronaviruses.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/10543583
The effectiveness of vitamin C in preventing and relieving the symptoms of virus-induced respiratory infections.
1000mg Vitamin C q1hr x 6, then 1000mg Vitamin C TID.
Would you know if they have tested your Vitamin C levels at any time?
Part of the theory would be that the coronavirus slowly lowers vitamin c levels, eventually impairing the immune system and at the same time destablizing the blood vessel linings therby impairing circulation and contributing to organ failures.
My guess would be that if vitamin c levels were measured and deficiencies corrected the advance of the coronavirus might be delayed long enough to allow more time for the body and the doctors to deal with it and end up avoiding ARDS and Septic Shock and ventilators. As a retired respiratory therapist at a cancer hospital I have seen many times what a battle that can be. If they offer you any fruit whatsoever, eat it!
I know you are in very good hands. Any help you could give me with my questions would be much appreciated.
I have written to Dr Paul Marik and he suspects his regimen could be a useful adjunctive treatment for COVID-19. However not sure if he has any contact with the people dealing with it.
Wishing you well and hoping for an uneventful speedy recovery for you .
Would be happy to correspond further if you wish.
Sincerely,
Robert L Schmidt
Hart High Class of 1969
Retired Respiratory Therapist.
God Bless!
I enjoyed your column. Get well soon and give us good news.
God bless you!!
This is what happens when a first class newsman has some time on his hands! GREAT updates, Carl. We can only hope Jeri continues to share your upbeat sense of humor! Keeping you both lifted; hang tough!
Dear Carl: Relaying your situation in a blog has been good therapy for you and quite informative for the rest of us. I am truly sorry that you, your wife, and the other passengers are going through this. I think when you are released from the hospital, you should continue the blog and talk about adapting back to civilization. You and Henry Mowry are competing for blog time. I’m sure you’ve been thinking about what meal you’d like to eat first. As you mentioned, Gatorade will not be part of your daily routine.
Keep your spirits up and get well soon!
In your wildest dreams and you sound like someone who could have wild dreams…did you ever think this is how you would become famous. You are a trooper …stay strong as well as your wife. You got this and I love reading your stories. I actually look forward to the update but would rather have you safe and sound than entertained.
Thank you so much for writing everyday and keeping us informed so we hear the truth. I love your sense of humor. I’m happy to feel so connected to you. I wish you a speedy recovery and can’t wait for you to be back in Santa Clarita which I’m sure you do also. My prayers are with you and Jeri. Looking forward to how u are doing on the 21st.
I hope they are feeding you real food and not just Gatorade!
Hi Carl! Glad to you’re getting well. I’m sure there are many Santa Claritans worried about you and glad to see you recovering. Love your always upbeat podcasts. Hang in there and get well soon!
Wow what a great spirit you have. We were on a Princess Cruise to Hawaii when the virus hit Diamond Princess, we had to return to Hawaii when a passenger became ill, not contagious, just ill. Most passengers were troopers, but there are always a subset of complainers. You are definitely the kind of person I would want to travel with!
Humor and positivity are welcome company. Thanks for all the info, best wishes for a complete recovery.
We were late getting back by half a day and Princess really did an amazing job of taking care of us too. Quality folks!
Hi Carl!! Honestly, you look really healthy now. Good skin color (maybe from your onslaught of tints of Gatorade). Funny how the little things become important when that’s all you have to humor your day. Mr. Orange Spot. I’m going to feel a loss when they take him away. Hang in there. Keep writing. I’m hoping Jeri doesn’t see your post about her gray hairs…you may want to stay in quarantine a little longer ??
Good read Carl. If there was anywhere in the world to have and recover from the coronavirus you’re probably in it right now!
Would be curious what you learn from the nurses/docs as to what they expect to see in the US. Are they worried this will be widespread/serious and parts of the US will become like Wuhan? Think it’s being overblown?
Keep posting and recovering well. Cheers.
So glad to see you looking so well Carl! I can see why you’re such a success in business and family. Your humor through difficulties and gift for writing show how you’re a glass half full guy! You and Geri ever make it to Carmel, we’d love to host you and Geri at our beautiful home! Wishing you a wonderful recovery and know you will see something positive to come from this challenge too! ❤️Jody
Hey Carl. Love your stories. Kudos for staying positive. When I was in the Army I was in the hospital for 3 days with a fever of 104. Kool-Aid was the drink back then. Every couple of hours they would have me down a container. Loved the strawberry flavor. Gatorade came along a few years later. Keep your spirits high my friend. Hope to see you soon.
Dear Carl. We are all thinking of you and sending healing thoughts for full recovery. Stay Positive and Thank you for keeping us posted. From all of us at Stevenson Ranch Library. With Love Leena
God bless you!!
Get well soon??
Get well soon !!
To the boss: get well quick & stay well!!
Our prayers…
Jim & Sheryl
Dear Carl,
We are all praying for your recovery. Wow,
you will have to write a book now! Regards to Jerri.
She is one tough lady! We are doing a
Non-Profit Hour taping with Janice on Monday.
Keep the updates coming. We are checking on
your progress everyday. And praying that Jerri
does not come down with the virus. God Bless.
Saw Jeri on Fox News and looked you up. Great blog work. It must be tough being essentially hospitalized. No one wants to be sick. Stay positive, it’s not what happens that matters, it’s how you react.
Can you answer a few questions (I just started reading at day 9, so sorry if you’ve already addressed these))?
1) How sick were you? Wiped out, nausea, fever, congested, etc. I’m thinking one of the dangers is people not feeling too ill.
2). How are they treating you? Medicines? Or just food, liquids, rest?
All the best, get great soon. Gary