Pembroke resident and volunteer firefighter Bob Ceiling is one of the over 260 Christian County residents who have contracted COVID-19 during this pandemic and he’s recovering at home following a lengthy stay in the hospital.
Celing retired from the Fort Campbell Fire Department 14 years ago and continues to serve with the Pembroke Volunteer Fire Department. He says he began feeling symptoms June 18 and went to Jennie Stuart Medical Center on the morning of June 21 with a 102.5 degree fever and a dry, unproductive cough.
One day later, Ceiling says he had to go on a ventilator and he wouldn’t come off the machine for a week.
He remained isolated from his wife with no visitors allowed during his hospital stay and he can remember some of the time on the ventilator.
When medications failed to help him make progress, doctors at Jennie Stuart gave Ceiling a plasma transfusion containing COVID-19 antibodies—which he was told wouldn’t have been possible earlier in the pandemic.
He was able to come home from the hospital on Thursday of last week.
Ceiling hauls local Amish in his pickup to make extra money and while it’s possible he could have caught the virus in that capacity, he says the truth is he’ll never truly know where he contracted COVID-19.
Ceiling’s wife has remained virus-free during the entire process.
He says everyone is free to make their own decisions, but he’ll be wearing a mask going forward and he’s willing to talk to anyone who has questions or who doubts the seriousness of the virus.
Ceiling is waiting on results from a recent coronavirus test to determine if he’s completely virus-free. He says he’s been doing prescribed exercises and breathing treatments and he’s getting stronger by the day.
His goal is to be able to again drive a Pembroke fire truck by the end of this year.
Listen to the entire interview with Ceiling below:
https://soundcloud.com/user-350001776/bob-ceiling-local-covid-19-survivor-speaks-with-whop-news