(Antenor Mendoza Hernandez, fondly called as “Fr. Pops,” is a priest of the Apostolic Vicariate of Calapan, and currently on loan to the Military Ordinariate of the Philippines, where he now serves as division chaplain of the 5th Infantry Division, Philippine Army, based in Gamu, Isabela.)

It was in the last week of November 2020 when I “met” COVID-19, while I had so many things to do and so many requirements to accomplish. I felt my body was getting tired easily. I felt weak but I thought that was a normal reaction to the pressure of my work.

Suddenly I lost my appetite that even the taste of my favorite mushroom seemed unbearable. After about two days, I lost my appetite and I had loose bowel movement (LBM). Not consuming food and LBM made my body feel weaker.

In the succeeding days, I began to feel the symptoms of COVID-19. I had a dry and hard cough which was later traced to pneumonia.

I started self- medication. But when I could no longer bear the suffering I decided to go to the station hospital. There, my x-ray showed that I was suffering from severe pneumonia. Although I don’t have tuberculosis, my phlegm was red. I was told that was because of the severe infection and my lungs had lesions.

My oxygen saturation dropped to 84, way below the normal which is 96. I could not breathe on my own. For four days, medical oxygen helped me breathe. I lost count of the number of oxygen tanks I consumed.

Because I could not leave the oxygen mask off my face, I would wet my bed because I found it hard to move to go to the toilet which was almost two meters from my bed. I could not remove the oxygen mask because doing so felt like dying to me.

It was really a terrible experience. It was the most trying time of my life.

Being alone in the hospital room, I had no one to turn to. I would cry but I knew no one could hear me or sympathize with me. I calmed myself with the feeling of trust that God will hear my cries and prayers. Even today, I shudder every time I recall that experience.

Thanks to God and the medical team of the station hospital, I survived the ordeal.

Then the result of my swab test came and showed that I tested positive for severe COVID-19. I was in denial because as days went, I felt that I was recovering. The results made them transfer me to the COVID-19 health facility in SIMC (Southern Isabela Medical Center) baed in Santiago City, Isabela.

There, I went through more laboratory tests– x-ray, ECG, blood tests, urine tests, CT Scan, sputum, and many more. Doses of IV antibiotics and medicines were administered again. I was diagnosed with severe COVID-19 infection with co-morbidities.

From Dec. 12 to 29, I was confined alone in a hospital room. I celebrated the joyous season of Christmas alone. The doctors visited me once a day for 30 seconds for an update of my condition. Nurses entered my room to record vital signs and to remind me of my medication and laboratory schedules.

Seventeen days after the day I entered the hospital, I survived COVID-19 through God’s grace, prayers and medical intervention. I thank God for helping me beat the dreaded and scary COVID-19.

That was the longest I’ve stayed in a hospital.

After that, I changed my view on COVID-19. I thought it was just an ordinary illness, or the flu. I thought it wasn’t deadly. But now I know better.

We have to be extra careful to we stay healthy and to boost our immune system. What I went through was not easy.