Coming Together As One Big Team

After many members of their family contracted COVID-19, Jerra and Jason Giacomoni are thankful for the many people who helped them when they needed it most

by JILEEN PLATT

photo by ALAMOND PHOTOGRAPHY

Jerra and Jason enjoy a night out on October 9, right before Jason left to go to South Louisiana for storm restoration.

Jerra FaceTimes with Jason while he was in the hospital in the COVID unit.

This family photo was taken at CHRISTUS St. Michael Health System on July 20, 2020, right after Jason was released from the hospital.

“It’s a minor setback for a major comeback.”  

Nurses told Jerra Giacomoni these words in early July 2020 when her husband, Jason, was placed back on mechanical ventilation after an attempt at extubation.  Jason was in the COVID unit at CHRISTUS St. Michael Health System.  It had been 13 days since Jason had been diagnosed with COVID-19, five days since he had been admitted, and two and a half days since he had first been intubated.

“I was devastated,” explains Jerra.  “I was so excited because he was off, and then I found out he had to be back on.  It was such a letdown.”  

Adding to the devastation at that time was Jerra’s father, John Allen Powers, Jr., passing away two weeks prior due to complications with congestive heart failure.  “I had lost the man I first loved, and I didn’t want to lose the second one … I needed [my husband] back home and healthy.

“My dad had been in the hospital for 20 days, a short transfer to rehab, and then back to the hospital,” explains Jerra.  Her father was brought home with hospice care on June 22 and died at home, five hours later.  It was the day after Father’s Day.

“It was a very emotional week for us.  None of us were sleeping well, and we were super busy with arrangements,” states Jerra.  “I had a headache and felt completely drained.”  Looking back, Jerra remembers someone bringing over a meal with green beans.  “I could not taste them.”

After physically feeling like they had been “run over by a truck,” Jerra and her sister determined that something else might be the cause.  On June 27, they both tested positive for COVID-19.  “I was devastated and humiliated.  I had to tell all these people that came to show their love and support [at the funeral] that we had COVID and could have exposed them,” Jerra explains.

Events surrounding Jerra’s father’s death, rosary, memorial service, and all that happens when families and friends gather to mourn, created a setting in which they unknowingly contracted and passed COVID-19 to each other.  

Over the next several days, family and friends of the Giacomonis felt varying symptoms of COVID, including their children, Madison and Mason, who had only a runny nose.  Jason Giacomoni, unfortunately, was one of the worst.  By July 5, he had a fever of 103.  “I wanted to eat, but I couldn’t because I couldn’t breathe.  I was gasping for air … I didn’t realize it would get that bad,” states Jason.

All but two of the family members in this photo (taken last Thanksgiving) tested positive for COVID-19. Pictured are: (front row) Axel Diaz and Sarah Hurst; (second row) Madison Giacomoni, Allen Powers, Mason Giacomoni and Katie Diaz; (third row) Sherry Powers, Sheree Giacomoni, Jerra Giacomoni and Armando Diaz; (back row) Travis Stone, Mark Giacomoni and Jason Giacomoni.

Jerra drove Jason to CHRISTUS St. Michael.  “Walking to the ER door was the most physical activity I’d done in days,” explains Jason.  “I was given a wheelchair … I felt like I was suffocating.”

Due to COVID restrictions, Jason entered the hospital by himself.  After x-rays and blood tests, Jason showed an elevated white blood cell count and was diagnosed with pneumonia in both lungs.  Later, he was transferred to a bed in the medical ICU COVID unit.

Early on the morning of July 7, Jerra was notified that medical staff had sedated and intubated Jason.  “They told me that Jason had been put on a ventilator,” states Jerra.  “I was in shock!  When you think of a ventilator, you think of life support … how did it get so bad in so little time?”

Jason started at 85% oxygen and continued to fight a fever.  Hydroxychloroquine, Dexamethasone, three antibiotics, Vitamin C, Zinc, three sedation medications, and various other treatments were administered.  He had an arterial line to monitor blood pressure, a feeding tube, and a PICC line to give multiple IV medications simultaneously.  Eventually, Jason was given plasma from a recovered COVID patient.

Nurses answered Jerra’s questions about any updates.  “They made me feel so content and calm … I knew he was in caring and loving hands.”  One nurse, Brittany, helped take care of Jerra’s father in the ICU and was now helping Jason.  “She asked if we wanted to FaceTime with Jason,” states Jerra.  While Brittany held the phone, Jerra saw Jason for the first time in days.  “It was a moment of overwhelming shock to see your husband, your best friend, the father of your children … being hooked up to a machine that is breathing for him!” exclaims Jerra.  “There were so many tubes.”

Over the next several days, Jason’s need for oxygen varied but typically stayed around 60%.  His temperature finally normalized, and his vitals stabilized.  By July 11, his sedation medicines were lessened, and he could squeeze nurses’ hands to communicate.  By the next day, while still on a ventilator, he wrote messages on paper to “talk” to his family on FaceTime or to express his thanks to medical staff.

Two days later, a physical therapist helped Jason sit on the side of his bed – a big achievement for Jason and very challenging.  On July 14, his oxygen was reduced to 40%, and he was on minimal ventilator support.  The next day, he was taken off mechanical ventilation entirely.  

“I was moved to a regular COVID isolation room for four days,” states Jason.   At that point, aware of his surroundings, Jason struggled with the seclusion.  “The social bond we share with people is what holds us together as humans, and not being able to receive that from my loved ones was heartbreaking,” Jason explains.  “I needed my wife to hold my hand to tell me we were going to make it.  I needed that unconditional love from her.  I needed her warmth.”  And while FaceTiming is excellent to see and hear loved ones, Jason felt that it made the distance seem further.  “I couldn’t feel that warmth … with a screen on my phone.”

Sickness and reduced movement took a toll on Jason’s body.  “I had to learn how to walk again … it was hard to find my feet,” states Jason.  He improvised while sequestered in his room in the COVID unit.  “I walked the square floor tiles back and forth.”  

Jason also had concerns about his breathing.  “When I was on the ventilator I felt like I had to relearn how to breathe … and even more so after I was off.  I remember asking [the nurses] to watch me breathe and wondered if I was doing it right.”

On July 20, Jerra, Madison, and Mason drove to the hospital to pick up their husband and father and bring him home.  “It was the first day we had seen him in real life in 14 days!  We had tears in our eyes … we got him in the car and hugged him,” exclaims Jerra.

A lineman for the past 15 years, Jason is thankful that he was able to return to work and give back to many people during Hurricane Sally and Hurricane Delta.

During the lengthy hospital stay, Jason lost 30 pounds and significant muscle mass.  “The first few days home I rested,” remembers Jason. “Soon after getting home I started walking the neighborhood … I didn’t want to just hope I would get better.  I wanted to work hard and do my part.”  Getting back to normal as quickly as possible was a priority.  “We walked as a family twice a day,” states Jerra.  After she went back to work, Jason and the kids walked together every morning, and the family walked in the evening.  Jason started jogging by himself, then running around the block two to three times as he continued to recover and gain strength.

When asked about his experience, Jason speaks of gratitude.  “We are so grateful to all who helped us … friends, family, and many we don’t even know,” states Jason.  Jerra posted their story and asked for prayers on Facebook, resulting in 1,000 comments and over 500 shares.  “We had food brought to us … our neighbor mowed the lawn … my family was taken care of when I was incapacitated,” exclaims Jason.  “There are really good people in Texarkana.”

Jason has enormous gratitude for those who helped at the hospital, too. “The care and downright love I received from incredible therapists, nurses, doctors … even the people that clean the rooms, cook the hospital meals, and keep the hospital’s equipment functioning … I am very blessed and grateful to those people that helped me get back to my family,” expresses Jason. 

“[The medical staff] also got me back to doing something that I am passionate about, and that is being a power lineman,” states Jason, who has worked as a lineman for 15 years. He is currently employed by Primoris T&D in Shreveport.  Jason loves his job, sincerely finds joy serving others in that capacity, and finds a true camaraderie with his crew as they restore power near and far. “The most amazing thing to me is coming together as one big team to restore something we can’t live without.”

Jason was unable to work for 12 weeks during his illness and recovery, in part due to a 14-day quarantine and also because his employer was cautious about returning to strenuous work in hot weather.  As soon as Jason was back to work, his crew was sent to the Gulf to help restore power after the devastation of Hurricane Sally.  “I was very fortunate to get my life back to be able to provide for my family … and to give back to so many people during a hurricane is such a rewarding experience for me.” Jason recently returned from helping out after Hurricane Delta, as well.

Jason continues to experience some effects from his illness. “I still have some fatigue.”  In addition, he experiences some “brain fog” and anxiety that he’ll get COVID again.  “It was a very traumatic experience.”

Jason certainly had a setback in his life when he suffered the effects of COVID and was hospitalized.  But just like the encouragement that nurses told Jerra at the beginning of Jason’s battle … “It’s a minor setback for a major comeback.”  Jason is definitely here, serving Texarkana and beyond, and making a MAJOR comeback.