LUBBOCK, Texas (CNN Newsource) – 99-year-old Anna Jo Thomas was released from Covenant Health in Lubbock after being hospitalized with COVID-19. She was hospitalized for a week and was sent home with a large celebration and a birthday cake.
Thomas turns 100-year-old on Sept. 19. but it has been a stressful week for Thomas and her daughter Marilyn Dixon.
When Dixon’s mother was admitted to the hospital, staff and caregivers were concerned for her because of her age.
“The doctor called me and she told me, she said, ’It’s very serious. She’s probably got 50/50 chance of making it.’ And I kept thinking to myself, this is not how I wanted the end of my mother’s life to be… like this with being alone,” said Dixon. “And then, you know, I collected myself and I thought, okay, if anybody can beat this, Mother can, I know she can. And sure enough… here we are!”
Marilyn says Anna Jo was exposed by her driver, after quarantining for around 15 days and showing normal temperatures, she went to a beauty appointment.
“And I ran a little errand. I was sitting in the parking lot in her hairdresser comes running out and tells me that she has collapsed. They’ve called 911. Of course I run in, she was on the floor,” Dixon said.
EMS Services arrived taking her to the hospital where they discovered 15 minutes after taking a test that she was positive for the coronavirus. Dixon said her mother said she didn’t feel any symptoms, but maybe she was used to brushing symptoms off as you do when you’re older.
“Her chronological age might have been 99 but physiologically she was much, much younger than what she was. And then, you know, we went through her history and we started treating her with medication that is required. We did some lab work and she made me realize that she NEVER, gave up or was really ill,” Dr. Prakash Shrestha said.
Dr. Shrestha says Anna Jo’s story gives the message that having a positive COVID-19 test isn’t always a tragedy.
I’m glad that she did very well. She responded to our treatment, you know, with the with all the support from caregivers and with the grace of God, she did very well,” said Dr. Shrestha.
