‘I Was 100% Wrong’: COVID Doubter Changes Tune While Recovering In ICU Bed

GREELEY, Colo. (CBS4) – One of the sickest COVID-19 patients successful Weld County, Colorado is sharing his communicative from his ICU furniture conscionable days aft the county recently ran retired of ICU beds owed to a spike of cases. Earl Henry, a retired operation worker, said his thoughts connected the severity of COVID-19 and the effectiveness of the vaccine drastically changed aft helium contracted the virus.

Now, hooked to machines that assistance support him live successful the ICU, Henry wanted to stock his communicative with KCNC-TV successful Denver successful hopes of encouraging different self-proclaimed skeptics to reconsider their stance.

“I, from the start, was a doubter. I was the caput of the doubters. I doubted the vaccines. I doubted everything the media was saying. I thought it was conscionable a circus,” Henry said. “Now I americium lasting successful the backmost of the enactment with my chapeau successful my hand. I person to admit, I was wrong. I was 100% wrong.”

Hospitalized successful the ICU astatine UCHealth Greeley Hospital, Henry admitted helium regrets not taking the pandemic much seriously. Thanks to the hardworking unit astatine UCHealth helium was capable to retrieve capable to stock his communicative of survival. “It is 1 heck of a large deal. It is simply a full batch bigger than I thought,” helium said. “You’ve heard the aged saying of the elephant sitting connected your chest? Well, I had a full battalion of them.”

Henry said helium started feeling sick past period and assumed it was simply conscionable a seasonal acold oregon the flu. However, arsenic symptoms accrued successful severity helium yet decided to beryllium evaluated astatine the hospital.

Thanks to the speedy actions of UCHealth’s staff, Henry was stabilized successful the ICU. He was capable to debar being placed connected a ventilator. However, that does not mean his conflict with the microorganism has been easy. “I wouldn’t privation this connected anybody,” helium said. “At 1 constituent successful clip I could’ve cared little if I woke up oregon stayed asleep.”

During his clip moving successful construction, Henry was buried live aggregate times. Dirt walls collapsed portion helium was successful them, and overmuch similar a boa constrictor, the ungraded gained a tighter grip connected him each clip helium exhaled. Henry said the ungraded would dilatory compression the aerial retired of him arsenic clip passed.

Much similar that experience, Henry said COVID-19 seemed to bash the aforesaid arsenic helium laid successful his ICU furniture gasping for air. Henry said helium was taking heavy breaths, however, it felt similar determination was nary oxygen. “That’s what it felt like. It virtually felt similar I was being suffocated,” helium said.

A self-proclaimed now-former skeptic, Henry regrets not being vaccinated arsenic soon arsenic helium qualified.

“After having it. If I knew what I cognize now, I would person changed a full batch of things,” helium said. “Go get the shot. A needle poke successful the dang limb beats the heck retired of 12 days successful the ICU and wondering if you are going to marque it to spot the adjacent morning,”

Henry believes if helium would person been vaccinated, helium could person avoided the full near-death experience. He besides said helium is unfastened to getting each 3 doses of the Pfizer vaccine.

Now helium is thanking his doctors and nurses for giving him different accidental astatine life, and to erstwhile again instrumentality to his favourite hobby. “I consciousness 110% amended than I did erstwhile this started. Way better,” Henry said. “I’d similar to spell fishing, I consciousness truly good.”