"I understand that they had a prioritized list to follow but when you have to tests that's not available everywhere and if I would've gotten tested sooner I think my result would've been in sooner and I wouldn't have had to go through what I went through," said Charlotte Perrodin.
Perrodin, a Lafayette resident, says she was told she didn't meet all the criteria at the Cajundome, but she was able to get tested the next day at an urgent care clinic. Even before those test results came back, she was in the hospital and later in a coma.
"Shortness of breath is on the list, taste and smell, it's on the list. Those other days I waited was crucial, it was life or death for me because I was put on the board not to even survive," said Perrodin.
Before Perrodin's test results came back from the urgent care clinic, her symptoms got worse and her daughter called 911.
"She asked my daughter what were the symptoms and by that time I could hardly breathe. My temperature was 94, so she said she's suffering with hypothermia you need to call the ambulance, you need to get her to the hospital now, and all I saw was a little piece of the sun and then that was it," said Perrodin.
Once Perrodin made it to the hospital, she was in a coma for 20 days and stayed at Lafayette General Hospital for a total of 27 days.
"When I woke up the twentieth day, which was Easter Sunday, I stayed seven days after that with CAT scans, MRI, X-Rays, blood work. They tested me twice and I was negative for the coronavirus. I was able to get discharged," said Perrodin.
Perrodin is now home recovering and thankful she's a survivor. She wants to encourage everyone to take necessary precautions and not let their symptoms linger. Especially now, with testing more readily available.
"I think in a couple of more hours I would've been gone. As soon as you perceive some of the symptoms, go to the hospital. Don't wait," said Perrodin.
