Featured photo: Saunceria Wade
Written by Tanya Terry
Flint Resident Saunceria Wade’s luck started to turn around when she recently became one of five recipients of a free Dell laptop given by the Flint Courier News, made possible through Comcast. Comcast and the Courier gave the laptops away as part of a contest in which contest entrants told the Courier why they needed the laptops. The winners were notified around Cyber Monday and interviewed before the Christmas holiday.
Wade, who is 51, told the Courier she needed the laptop for upcoming telehealth appointments.
Wade first contracted COVID-19 about a year ago. At that time, she experienced shortness of breath.
“It wore on me a little bit, but I seemed to come out of it eventually,” Wade added.
Wade contracted COVID-19 again in August 2022. Her son contracted it first, and her daughter also tested positive for it. She was trying to take care of both of them, while taking precautions.
“We did separate in the house, but that wasn’t good enough,” Wade stated. “I eventually ended up getting it again.”
The second time, Wade had an even harder time with breathing and shortness of breath. She was prescribed medication. Still, Wade’s condition seemed to be getting worse, day by the day.
She eventually also developed body aches, headache, fever, sweats, chills, fatigue and a sore throat.
Though these symptoms eventually started going away, Wade then noticed her heart was starting to beat rapidly when she had shortness of breath. Wade, who was working for GM, was unable to work.
“I’ve been out of work since August. I work in a factory, so there is a lot of walking that I do. I wasn’t able to do my job.”
Wade started experiencing shortness of breath regularly.
“I was feeling really faint and like I was going to pass out all the time.”
Wade would get out of breath when walking from her bedroom to the kitchen, despite continuing to take prescribed medication.
One morning, Wade did not feel well at all. She decided to go to her doctor’s office. She was called to the doctor’s room to wait while the doctor met with other patients.
“All of a sudden, my heart started beating like never before. I didn’t know what was happening.”
Wade took her cell phone and called the front desk.
“At that time, they got the ambulance. When the ambulance came, it was confirmed, my heart was beating uncontrollably. My blood pressure was really, really high, and I was rushed to the hospital.”
Wade was placed in observation for a few days. She was given medication to get her blood pressure and heart rate under control. Then, she was sent home.
“At the time, I was scared to go home.”
Wade stayed at home one day.
When she returned to the hospital the next day, she was placed immediately in the intensive care unit. She spent about five days in intensive care before she started getting better. She kept receiving medicine and had several tests and scans done.
“It was scary because at times I could see my heart rate risings.”
A combination of medicines helped get Wade’s heart rate down and at a steady pace. She was discharged from the hospital at the beginning of October.
Wade was told she had developed a rare condition because of COVID called myocarditis. Once again, she was scared to be going home.
At one point, Wade thought she was going to die!
Wade’s 20-year-old daughter has been a great help to her, however. Wade usually rides in a cart at the grocery store while her daughter shops with a regular cart, though she has managed to visit the grocery store by herself a few times.
“I’ve been trying to stay strong and stay in a good spirit without letting everything sink around me because everything has changed.”
Wade has three children. Her youngest son, who is 16, was diagnosed with autism. Wade wants to be there for all her children and takes her medication on a schedule, including Paxlovid for COVID-19 and metoprolol. She said she takes about nine medications.
“I make sure I do everything I’m supposed to do because it was just that scary. Also, when I go places, I wear my mask now. You hardly ever catch me without my mask on.”
She warns others “everything is not back to normal” although she realizes people, including her, got tired of wearing masks and got especially tired during the lockdown.
“Take extra measures to keep you and your family safe.”
Wade believes her iPad may have been stolen from her car. So, she had been using her kids’ devices when needed.
Wade also pointed out her family relies on her.
She said it was “awesome” to receive a laptop from the Courier, made possible by Comcast. She hopes her family will worry less about her getting the care she needs.
Wade believes having the laptop will help her take care of herself so she can live the healthiest life she can in 2023!
