'You know your body:' Fayetteville woman urges others to advocate for themselves after COVID-19 battle that put her in coma
A COVID-19 survivor is speaking out after a month-long battle fighting for her life.
Fayetteville resident Maurichia Turner is sharing her story hoping others realize that, despite the positive cases of COVID-19 going down in our state, the risk is still real.
"I need people to take it real serious because it's not a joke. And even though I was being real safe and I still got it," Turner said.
When turner was first diagnosed with COVID-19, she didn't have any symptoms.
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She's high-risk as she has severe asthma, and didn't want to take any chances so she went to the hospital.
"They did a chest x-ray, and they told me it was crystal clear."
After a few days, she starting having symptoms.
"I just couldn't breathe at all, none of that medicine was working."
She went back to the hospital but she says she was just given some more medicine and sent home to quarantine.
"At that time, they say 'well, you have pneumonia at the top and bottom of your lungs.'"
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She went home and tried to rest but her conditions only got worse.
"I couldn't walk. I couldn't breathe. I couldn't talk I couldn't do anything," she said.
This time she was rushed to a different hospital and admitted right away.
"I was at the end, I could not breathe," she said. "The doctor told me, 'you could die if you do not let us treat you.'"
Turner says she went into a coma.
"I was intubated for two weeks. I woke up and I didn't know where I was. I didn't know what was going on. I was just scared," she said.
Her case was so severe, no family was allowed in.
Her wife Pamela and 3-year-old daughter could only sit at home and wait for daily updates from the hospital.
"This was very hard and you know I would always try to keep it together," Pamela said. "You know, for the sake of our child because I didn't want to cry in front of her."
Slowly, Turner got stronger.
One thing that helped Turner fight was the daily FaceTime calls with her family and she wanted to get better so she could be home with them.
"I couldn't say anything, I had tubes in my mouth tubes in my nose, and I haven't seen them in a long time so it was, it was very hard to be in," she said.
She says the staff at Cape Fear Valley Medical Center was also a vital part of her fight.
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"I fought hard, and Cape Fear helped me fight. I'm here today because of them," she said.
After a month-long stay, Turner finally left the hospital.
Her side effects of COVID-19 still linger. She is on oxygen around the clock, plus other medications.
However, the Turner's are thankful she beat it.
"The doctor said I was a miracle," Maurichia said.
They now hope others realize just how scary COVID-19 can be.
"Pay attention to your body. You know your body, pay attention if it doesn't feel right. If it doesn't look right, go to the doctor and get tested," she said.
That's why officials urge you still practice the three W's and be vigilant.
