Mike's Story
Mike Johnston is still in disbelief that more than three years after the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, his own bout with the virus nearly took his life. But that’s exactly what happened to the 45-year-old husband and father of six from Virginia Beach, Virginia.
Mike spent two months in two hospitals, first fighting to live, then fighting to get back to doing things that once seemed like nothing – brushing his teeth, feeding himself or getting dressed.
A year later, Mike says his life is “mostly back to normal but I am still working on endurance. I spent most of the last year recovering.”
Mike recalls it was the day after Christmas that he and his wife, Lina, both got COVID.
“He came into the bedroom one night and I was like, ‘You are not the right color,’” Lina said.
Since Lina also was ill, she asked their daughter to take Mike to Sentara Virginia Beach General Hospital where he was diagnosed with double lung pneumonia and acute respiratory distress syndrome. Fluid had gathered in the tiny air sacs of Mike’s lungs, preventing oxygen from passing into his bloodstream and moving throughout his body.
He was admitted and a week later, his condition further declined. Mike was transferred to the intensive care unit, intubated and connected to a ventilator. He remembers struggling to breathe – and desperately wanting to survive.
Mike spent the next three weeks in a medically induced coma. He was on and off the ventilator, needed high amounts of oxygen and eventually underwent a tracheostomy – a slit in his windpipe with a tube that connected to the ventilator – to make it more comfortable for him to breathe.
Mike was still critically ill but medically stable. He was ready to begin the next phase in his recovery. He and Lina chose Select Specialty Hospital – Hampton Roads for its experience in caring for patients with challenging pulmonary conditions.
On arrival, Mike no longer needed the ventilator but still relied on supplemental oxygen to breathe. He was fed through a tube in his stomach, couldn’t talk or walk, and even thinking clearly was still a challenge at times. His goal was to get strong enough to go back home with his wife, children and pets.
A physician-led team of nurses, therapists, dietitians, pharmacists and other health care professionals collaborated on a plan to help Mike get there.
Respiratory therapists began lowering Mike’s oxygen settings each day so that his lungs had to do more of the work, helping to rebuild his stamina.
For weeks, Mike was unable to speak because his tracheostomy tube diverted air away from his vocal cords. On his second day at Select Specialty Hospital, a speech-language pathologist connected a special valve to Mike’s tracheostomy tube that pushed air through his vocal cords.
Mike reached an important milestone. He could speak again.
“Being able to communicate without having to play charades was nice,” he jested. His wife, kids and friends had gotten good at reading his lips but his parents, not so much.
“It took me either repeating the same thing again and again or trying to point to what I wanted (on a board), except I didn’t have the coordination yet to point,” Mike said, which made communication even more frustrating. The speaking valve was a game changer for his quality of life.
Mike also passed a test that evaluated whether he could eat and drink without aspirating. He began to consume food by mouth again, starting with soft foods and progressing to a normal diet.
Mike’s illness left him so weak that initially, he needed to catch his breath after seemingly simple movements such as transferring from the bed to a chair or standing for a few seconds. He worked with physical and occupational therapists on exercises to regain strength.
“Select (Specialty Hospital) really encourages patients to be independent again,” Mike said.
As an example: “Every morning they came in to my room and said, ‘Do you want to sit on the edge of the bed and eat your breakfast?’” Mike said. Balancing his weight on the edge of his bed was one way to regain core strength.
As his strength improved, Mike was able to stand and eventually, take steps. Activities that were once part of his daily routine – grooming, dressing and feeding himself – now were part of his therapy.
He appreciated the continual encouragement from his care team.
“If I needed to be pulled up in bed, they taught me how to pull myself up,” Mike said. “Day by day as I felt more motivated, I took the initiative to do more on my own and they really supported me.”
Mike said he reached a recovery turning point when he walked a lap around the whole unit.
“That’s when I really felt like I was getting better,” he said.
He owes much of his success to the presence and support of his family and especially his wife. “I don’t know if I would be alive without her. She helped motivate me every day.”
Two-and-a-half weeks after admission to Select Specialty Hospital, Mike’s tracheostomy was gone. He was walking, talking and eating. He was so happy the day he discharged and ate a Chick-fil-A sandwich in the comfort of his own home, surrounded by his family and pets.
Mike’s lungs are scarred from his illness and for months, a physical therapist and nurse visited his home as he continued to regain strength and overcome his need for oxygen. Today, he can breathe completely on his own and he’s back to work.
“I really had a good experience at Select and I attribute that to the staff,” he said. “They took great care of me.”