'I thank God every day that I’m still alive:' Milwaukee woman shares experience with coronavirus
MILWAUKEE (CBS 58) "I want everyone to see the face of a survivor and hear my story."
Adrienne Lathan has quite the story to tell.
"I had one day where they thought they were going to lose me," she said.
She said started feeling symptoms, of what she initially thought was a cold, on March 18. She called her doctor the next day. She said he told her to quarantine for a week and to call if the symptoms worsened. She called him five days later.
"I couldn’t barely walk, I was in a lot of pain," she said.
She went to the emergency room.
"Right away they admitted me, diagnosed me with pneumonia in both of my lungs," she said.
She said she also tested positive for COVID-19.
"It was really scary, but the entire time I focused on my son, who is 27, my grandson who is 7, because I know they need me as much as I need them," she said.
She was in the hospital for six days.
"I was released last week Tuesday from the hospital and on Saturday, I lost my dad," Lathan said.
She said her dad, Jerald Coleman, had numerous health issues that she believes led to his death.
"Congestive heart failure, hypertension, he was a dialysis patient," she said.
But Lathan said he did test positive for the coronavirus two days before he died.
"More than anything, he was a Vietnam vet, and he loved his family," Lathan said.
She had to say goodbye to him through Facetime.
Now home, but still on oxygen, she wants people to remember her face when they see coronavirus numbers.
"The numbers are high for people who are actually losing their lives to this, but there are people who actually survive and I’m one of those people" Lathan said.
Lathan works for Milwaukee Public Schools and says she hasn't been able to pinpoint how exactly she contracted the coronavirus. She hopes by sharing her story, people will realize it is serious, and to continue practicing social distancing and good hygiene.
"I really need our community to understand, this is really serious."