4 minute read
Coming Back From COVID
One Brother’s Journey
by Joann Williams-Hoxha, Content Manager
When Brother William Gibson, 32°, returned home from the hospital after the fight of his life, he was amazed to discover “a couple of thousand” get-well cards from residents of his town of Clifton, New Jersey. Brother Gibson was a police officer with the Clifton Police Department for more than 30 years, retiring as a detective sergeant, and currently serves as a councilman in Clifton.
Brother William Gibson
Following a trip to Florida in mid-February, Brother Gibson returned home with his wife, Robin, and was not feeling well. His symptoms rapidly progressed from a cough and a temperature to telling Robin to call an ambulance as he was struggling to catch his breath.
The ambulance arrived quickly and with many first responders who knew Bill personally. They transported him to Hackensack Medical Center on March 26, 2020. The following day, Bill learned that he tested positive for COVID-19. While in the Primary Care unit, there was another patient in his room with COVID as well. By the next morning, that patient had succumbed to the virus.
By the fourth day at Hackensack Medical Center, staff moved Brother Gibson to the Intensive Care Unit, but he has little memory of what happened from day four through day nine of his stay.
“It was like a bad dream. The worst. First of all, no one’s allowed to see you,” Bill recalled, saying that he tried his best to communicate with his family via text. On Day 9, Bill called his wife and said, 'I’ve got to be honest with you; I don’t even know if I’m dead or alive.'
The seriousness of the situation was never lost on Bill, who said he has had a couple of good conversations with “the man upstairs” in the past, having endured a stem cell transplant for multiple myeloma in 1999.
“That stem cell transplant made me pretty sick, and I thought that was bad. That was nothing compared to coronavirus. This COVID-19 is no joke.”
Bill said he shared a floor with approximately 350 patients with coronavirus. Sadly, another man who shared a room with him in the ICU, whom he often heard praying, also lost his battle with COVID-19.
Brother Gibson said he was on a nasal cannula with maximum air plus a full oxygen mask over the top of that. Bill said, “I was getting 100% oxygen. They watch your pulse oxygen level. They like it at 95-100.” Hospital staff watched Bill’s oxygen continue to drop, from 90 to 80, and even lower.
Being the no-nonsense kind of guy that Bill is, he said, “I like to be told what’s going on. Don’t sugar coat it.” Brother Gibson appreciated that his doctor, Mina Shaker, MD, had that same sort of approach and gave it to him straight: “Bill, with low oxygen in the 80s, your organs start to get affected. If it goes to 75, we’ll have to put you on a ventilator.”
Thankfully, Bill’s lowest oxygen level was 76, and it never dropped any further. As the days passed, his condition slowly improved. On April 7, 2020, Brother Gibson left the Intensive Care Unit but not without a long road ahead.
'Give me six weeks, Doc; I’ll feel better and be able to rock and roll,' he told Dr. Shaker. Bill said the doctor laughed and told him, 'You realize this could take a year before you’re feeling better.'
His no-nonsense doctor was right.
“There are things that you take for granted. Simple things like walking,” Bill said.
When he and his family arrived home, he said his sons literally had to pick him up and carry him upstairs to his bedroom. He went from not being able to stand, to using a walker, then crutches, and finally, a cane. Bill describes his recovery progress as a continuous thread.
Brother Gibson and Sovereign Grand Commander David Glattly
Nearly a year later, Bill’s weekly physical therapy appointments continue. In addition, his doctors are keeping a close eye on his lungs to monitor the scarring. Still, he is so thankful for the love and support of all his family and friends, which he says is what keeps him going.
Brother Bill and his wife, Robin
He gives his wife Robin credit as she kept thousands of people up to date on his condition, from the mayor to the police department and everyone in between. Brother Bill is rocking and rolling again in his role as city councilman and has started tackling some items on his honey-do list at home.
After receiving hundreds of “Happy Birthday” messages on Facebook from his friends and family back in November, he responded with this simple message:
“Don’t take anything for granted. Here’s to a better 2021 for everyone.”
