Barbara Gould

It’s been many years since the beginning of COVID, but it’s not in the past for me. In March of 2020, after a flight from Atlanta to Denver, my husband and I both became ill. My husband, Allen recovered after a couple of weeks, but I did not. I was hospitalized at Boulder Community Health in April and within 3 days I was intubated and in a coma.  After about 3 weeks, I was not improving, and my doctors thought I needed a treatment called Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation. ECMO is a heart/lung bypass machine. It was my last hope. I was airlifted to UC Health Anschutz and placed on ECMO. Ultimately, I was intubated for 65 days with 15 of those days on ECMO. I was not expected to survive, but I’m so glad I did! 

Within a year, it was clear that COVID had destroyed my liver. It needed to be removed, and I needed a transplant. I had a live donor who shared 55% of her liver with me!  Livers regenerate quickly, and ours were back to full size within weeks! 

Life since COVID is very different than it was before. I’ve had to figure out a new way of living a meaningful, productive life. I have  PTSD, brain fog, vocal cord and lung damage, and other challenges post- transplant. These things are difficult, but mostly manageable. 

My life is wonderful! I’m able to do the social action work that has been so important to me. I have 3 beautiful grandchildren (all post COVID), a loving husband, and great friends. My life is one that is full of gratitude, a gratitude for which there are no words.