CARDINGTON — Drivers and passengers in a 50-vehicle caravan honored Linda Ullom Friday, May 1, paying tribute to the Cardington resident who is successfully recovering from COVID-19 at her home.
The 71-year-old retired LPN said she was treating herself for bronchitis and a cold for about two weeks, but “I was afraid of pneumonia so I called my doctor.”
Returning her call the doctor said he was sending the squad to transport her to Morrow County Hospital where testing was done for the virus. Confirmation of the positive testing was made when it was sent to a Columbus hospital.
She was admitted to Marion General Hospital and placed immediately on a ventilator in Intensive Care where she remained for 20 days. “I don’t remember anything from the time I was placed in the squad,” she said.
Her fever reached 101.6 degrees.
Released from ICU on April 24, she was then moved to a step-down unit which allowed her husband and son to talk to her by phone. After four days in the unit, she was released to her home.
“They were all super good to me over there,” she said, of the hospital staff, adding that the drug they gave her was Tocilizumab.
“I am learning to walk again,” she said. “ My legs are real tired, but I have no pain.” She uses a walker and will be undergoing physical therapy and some occupational therapy.
The 1966 Cardington-Lincoln High school graduate glows when she speaks of her family, one son in Florida and one son in Georgia and their children,who include several multiples, twins and one set of triplets. A third son,Tim, lives at home.
She is overwhelmed with the amount of greetings and well wishes she has received in the form of cards, gifts and other well wishes and thanks them “from the bottom of my heart.”
She offers this advice to others: “Wear the mask … don’t be so eager to get out and around everybody, stay safe and stay home.”
