"Personalised care at Covid Management Centre"

I was at a performance in the concert hall in Sydney Opera House on a Saturday. During the first half I started to feel a tickle in throat and get a little cough. I looked up and saw an air conditioning vent on top of me and thought that was typical reaction. At the interval I raced out, got a bottle of water and then put loose jacket on and tucked it around neck to get through the second half which was the most important part of program to me. I got my mask on and got home as quick as I could after that due to others coughing around me.

I thought I caught a chill so didn't test that night but when I woke up the next morning I felt a bit hotter. I took my temperature and it was 38.1 when the highest I normally get to is 36.5. I did a RAT test, saw it was positive, threw some clothes on and raced down to a testing centre.

I needed more Panadol to keep my temperature under control, masks and more RAT tests, and more medication. I raced up to Woolworths wearing  and got a bit of extra pantry food I can eat and then raced home. That’s when I phoned and reported my positive test to NSW services.

The next thing I knew I had a phone call from the Covid Management Centre at Prince of Wales. I have enough conditions to make them aware of the risks of me having Covid. They had already looked up my background and knew I had some health conditions including autonomic neuropathy that was diagnosed some years ago along with hypothyroidism. They had all the information there so we went through all the things that are wrong with me, absolutely everything so they could double check all the information they had was right. They said an ED doctor would call me. 

I no sooner put the phone down from then that I had the ED doctor on the phone. The ED doctor went over my details, the medications I am taking and needed - he went through it all with me. I told him what I what I was doing and how I was managing temp etc.

The hospital sent me a prescription for antivirals to my phone which I sent to myself by email to print out and take with me. They arranged for a courier to bring a monitor (oximeter) which arrived too.

On the following morning, very early I phoned my local chemist who didn't have the antiviral medication but told me to try Priceline. Priceline did have it and I sent the prescription to them by email. Everything was ready for me when I got there.

I went and got it and came back and didn't need to leave the house after that. I had a phone call every day where we found lots of things we could laugh and chat about. I had a few calls with Cindy and Mohandis and they were delightful. We were having fun but they were very thorough. They listened to every question, making sure they had the answer to all of them. 

It makes such a change to speak to people and deal with people in health matters and feel like they genuinely care, phoning every day for a reason, and going through everything that's relevant to what's wrong with you. They were making suggestions and reminding me what to do. I am a very strong person but this service and having someone to talk to has helped my equilibrium and sanity,   

I can't remember everybody's names but everybody has been very, very helpful and I want to say thank you.