Illinois COVID: On 2nd anniversary of 1st COVID case, double lung transplant survivor Brian Kuhns reflects on reinfection

CHICAGO (WLS) — Once we first met Brian Kuhns in 2020, he had simply come residence from Northwestern Memorial Hospital after contracting COVID and surviving a double lung transplant.

He wanted a wheelchair to maneuver and was confined to his residence taking 40 tablets a day. Now he’s strolling and dealing.

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“I’m working slightly bit I simply answering the telephones, you understand as a result of I’m fairly weak nonetheless,” he mentioned. “I can’t do what I used to do, you understand, so I do this for a pair hours, after which I am going, you understand, simply hanging at residence, man, ’trigger you understand I’m nonetheless anxious. I truly acquired the COVID once more.”

You heard that proper. This double lung transplant survivor contracted COVID for a second time simply this month, and was hospitalized for 2 days. After his lung transplant in 2020 his docs gave a grave warning.

“They mentioned if I acquired COVID once more, I’d in all probability die. So I used to be scared. I didn’t go wherever, you understand what I imply?” Kuhns mentioned.

Now, after recovering from COVID a second time, Kuhns is hospitalized once more at Northwestern with an an infection associated to his lung transplant. However he mentioned he’s nonetheless pushing ahead, and it is best to too.

Dangle in there,” he suggested. “Simply maintain going, simply attempt to get by means of it. There’s gentle on the finish of the tunnel.”

That’s what Northwestern Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences professor Dr. Sheehan Fisher mentioned as effectively. He advises to make a plan to handle persistent anxiousness over COVID as we mark two years because the first case was recognized within the U.S.

“Attempt to create a plan, weekly and month-to-month, of what forms of actions they’ll interact in, what forms of normalcy can they create. What, in order that they don’t need to decide, each single time, like as an alternative of just about reinventing the wheel each time, they will observe their guideline of what they really feel protected doing,” he mentioned.

Fisher additionally mentioned to depend on your family and friends for help like Kuhns does.

“If it wasn’t for them, I wouldn’t be right here, you understand? As a result of the helped me by means of all of it, acquired me again up on my ft. They did all the pieces,” he mentioned.