JESSAMINE COUNTY, Ky. (LEX 18) — A 49-year-old Jessamine county woman is home on oxygen with a fuzzy memory and a weak body after nearly a week in a coma and on a ventilator with COVID-19.
"I'm a miracle," Darla Nagy said. "There's no way I should have left away from that. There's no way, says that nurses the doctor everybody. They couldn't believe I was alive."
She said she didn't believe in COVID-19 before she went into a coma.
"I called it the political flu," Nagy said. "I thought it was a lie. I just thought they were throwing numbers out there for people to be scared and stuff. And it's not a lie, people, it's real. It's real."
Nagy admitted she smoked up until about 10 years ago and has rheumatoid arthritis fibromyalgia, osteoporosis, osteoarthritis and arthritis. She said she takes methotrexate which she explained causes her antibodies to be low.
She said when her symptoms started in early November, she went to CHI St. Joseph Health in Jessamine County, was told she had COVID-19 and sent home. Then she went to St. Joseph's Hospital in Lexington and said she was there for a few hours before they also sent her home.
Then on Nov. 14, her health took a turn for the worst.
"My son come and I was unresponsive in my room," Nagy said. "So, they called the ambulance. I don't remember none of it, and they took me to Central Baptist."
Nagy said she does not remember anything until Nov. 30. She then learned she had been in a coma, on a ventilator and had double pneumonia and was septic, in addition to having COVID-19.
On Dec. 2 she was sent home on oxygen where she said she has been depressed and exhausted.
"I can't remember stuff, and sometimes I can't remember my name, but I'm alive and they said, 'it'll get better,'" Nagy said. "He said it could take anywhere from six months to over a year but I'll (regain) everything -- my memory and stuff."
Nagy said now she is working on regaining her strength.
"I get tired so easy. So I can't do too much by the time I get up brush my teeth and stuff ... it takes me over two hours to even getting a shower," she said, noting that the first night she was home she sat in the shower for two hours not remembering which direction was hot or cold on the faucet.
Nagy said she hopes others will wash their hands, wear disposable masks and take care of each other after hearing her story,
"It's been a struggle. But I'm alive," she said. "And the Lord's brought me this far. Apparently my job's not done yet."
