1 00:00:00,508 --> 00:00:03,780 (upbeat music) 2 00:00:03,780 --> 00:00:04,930 - Hello everybody and welcome 3 00:00:04,930 --> 00:00:06,960 to another episode of "Tinker Talks." 4 00:00:06,960 --> 00:00:08,310 I am your host, Mark Hybers 5 00:00:08,310 --> 00:00:11,930 and today we are doing a dual podcast for you. 6 00:00:11,930 --> 00:00:15,199 We are doing an audio version as well as a video version 7 00:00:15,199 --> 00:00:19,000 because we have a very important and special guest today 8 00:00:19,000 --> 00:00:21,920 with us to talk about something that we've been talking 9 00:00:21,920 --> 00:00:25,450 about for a very long time, but we're not out of the woods. 10 00:00:25,450 --> 00:00:28,920 And so, I think we've been going on about 10 months 11 00:00:28,920 --> 00:00:32,840 into the pandemic now and I think we had all kind of hoped 12 00:00:32,840 --> 00:00:35,220 that we would be long past this 13 00:00:35,220 --> 00:00:36,500 or at least moving through it. 14 00:00:36,500 --> 00:00:39,920 But as it turns out, cases are still going up 15 00:00:39,920 --> 00:00:41,260 and so we're we're still having 16 00:00:41,260 --> 00:00:44,700 to battle this pandemic known as the coronavirus. 17 00:00:44,700 --> 00:00:47,830 So, today we're actually gonna turn the microphone over 18 00:00:47,830 --> 00:00:50,010 to the installation commander and allow him 19 00:00:50,010 --> 00:00:54,410 to conduct a conversation at a senior executive level. 20 00:00:54,410 --> 00:00:55,643 And so with that, 21 00:00:55,643 --> 00:00:58,610 I am gonna turn this conversation over to my boss, 22 00:00:58,610 --> 00:01:01,040 the installation commander, Colonel Paul Filcek 23 00:01:01,040 --> 00:01:02,810 and he is gonna talk to the director 24 00:01:02,810 --> 00:01:06,630 of the Air Force Sustainment Center contracting director, 25 00:01:06,630 --> 00:01:07,810 at Mr. Anthony Baumann. 26 00:01:07,810 --> 00:01:09,920 So sir, over to you, thank you both 27 00:01:09,920 --> 00:01:11,250 for joining us here today. 28 00:01:11,250 --> 00:01:12,630 - Thank you Mark. 29 00:01:12,630 --> 00:01:14,980 Ladies and gentlemen of Team Tinker, 30 00:01:14,980 --> 00:01:18,650 let me start with kind of baseline 31 00:01:18,650 --> 00:01:21,800 on who Mr. Anthony Baumann is. 32 00:01:21,800 --> 00:01:24,010 Being the director of contracting 33 00:01:24,010 --> 00:01:25,610 for the Air Force Sustainment Center, 34 00:01:25,610 --> 00:01:29,720 he's basically a member of the senior executive service, 35 00:01:29,720 --> 00:01:32,670 a general officer equivalent in charge 36 00:01:32,670 --> 00:01:34,250 of the contracting vehicles 37 00:01:34,250 --> 00:01:36,700 for the entire Air Force Sustainment Center 38 00:01:36,700 --> 00:01:40,140 that affects five wings, three installations, 39 00:01:40,140 --> 00:01:44,380 and the three aircraft depots across our Air Force. 40 00:01:44,380 --> 00:01:47,230 It's a very prominent responsibility 41 00:01:47,230 --> 00:01:49,690 and he's a very prominent senior leader 42 00:01:49,690 --> 00:01:52,800 in Air Force Sustainment Center business. 43 00:01:52,800 --> 00:01:55,530 With that, his message on COVID, 44 00:01:55,530 --> 00:01:57,290 given that credibility alone, 45 00:01:57,290 --> 00:02:00,140 would be valuable to us at Team Tinker. 46 00:02:00,140 --> 00:02:02,890 But more importantly, Mr. Tony Baumann 47 00:02:02,890 --> 00:02:06,020 is a survivor of COVID-19. 48 00:02:06,020 --> 00:02:09,410 He recently went through a severe bout 49 00:02:09,410 --> 00:02:11,790 of COVID that threatened his life 50 00:02:11,790 --> 00:02:13,770 and because he can offer that perspective, 51 00:02:13,770 --> 00:02:15,360 we didn't wanna lose this opportunity 52 00:02:15,360 --> 00:02:17,990 to have a conversation with him 53 00:02:17,990 --> 00:02:19,400 about what he went through 54 00:02:19,400 --> 00:02:22,410 and what it means as a safety message 55 00:02:22,410 --> 00:02:23,660 to the rest of the force. 56 00:02:23,660 --> 00:02:28,660 So with that, Mr. Baumann, let me start with a thank you 57 00:02:29,040 --> 00:02:31,810 for wanting to pay forward this way. 58 00:02:31,810 --> 00:02:34,000 You're in a very important business 59 00:02:34,000 --> 00:02:36,550 and that business can't stop. 60 00:02:36,550 --> 00:02:38,000 AFMC has the slogan 61 00:02:38,000 --> 00:02:40,430 that we do our wartime mission every day. 62 00:02:40,430 --> 00:02:43,030 Each and every one of us in the command 63 00:02:43,030 --> 00:02:46,150 and on Team Tinker has to execute the mission 64 00:02:46,150 --> 00:02:48,230 in defense of our nation and for our families 65 00:02:48,230 --> 00:02:49,420 and everything that we hold dear. 66 00:02:49,420 --> 00:02:51,420 We can't stop doing what we're doing. 67 00:02:51,420 --> 00:02:53,840 You worked up to the day that you thought 68 00:02:53,840 --> 00:02:54,800 that you had COVID, 69 00:02:54,800 --> 00:02:56,180 you'll go through that a little bit, 70 00:02:56,180 --> 00:02:59,020 and then returned to duty as soon as it was safe to do so 71 00:02:59,020 --> 00:03:01,010 and for that, I think we all applaud you. 72 00:03:01,010 --> 00:03:02,290 Thank you very much. 73 00:03:02,290 --> 00:03:04,100 But, I think you have a compelling message 74 00:03:04,100 --> 00:03:06,060 and I'd like you just to step us through it. 75 00:03:06,060 --> 00:03:07,970 Probably first and foremost 76 00:03:07,970 --> 00:03:10,110 with those early stages and what you went through 77 00:03:10,110 --> 00:03:11,460 and what was going through your mind. 78 00:03:11,460 --> 00:03:13,120 But, anything you wanna talk about, 79 00:03:13,120 --> 00:03:15,070 the floor is wide open so go ahead. 80 00:03:15,070 --> 00:03:15,903 - Great. 81 00:03:15,903 --> 00:03:17,513 Colonel Filcek, I appreciate this opportunity 82 00:03:17,513 --> 00:03:18,813 to have this conversation. 83 00:03:21,000 --> 00:03:25,080 We've followed a lot on COVID through the last 10 months 84 00:03:25,080 --> 00:03:27,670 and it really hits home when you have it. 85 00:03:27,670 --> 00:03:29,350 And it really gives you a different perspective. 86 00:03:29,350 --> 00:03:31,800 It makes you go back and reassess what you've done. 87 00:03:31,800 --> 00:03:34,330 Because from the beginning of it in March, you know, yes, 88 00:03:34,330 --> 00:03:37,050 we knew we had a mission to accomplish, 89 00:03:37,050 --> 00:03:38,410 paramount was making sure I could keep 90 00:03:38,410 --> 00:03:40,720 my workforce safe in doing that. 91 00:03:40,720 --> 00:03:42,440 So fortunately, we had done 92 00:03:42,440 --> 00:03:44,450 some telework activity last year 93 00:03:44,450 --> 00:03:47,460 which demonstrated that we could perform in that mode 94 00:03:47,460 --> 00:03:49,490 and we immediately sent everybody home. 95 00:03:49,490 --> 00:03:50,870 Meanwhile, we looked at the workplace, 96 00:03:50,870 --> 00:03:51,920 how do we keep it safe? 97 00:03:51,920 --> 00:03:53,370 How do we lay in PPE? 98 00:03:53,370 --> 00:03:56,410 How do we make sure that when it is the right time 99 00:03:56,410 --> 00:03:58,470 to bring people back, we're able. 100 00:03:58,470 --> 00:03:59,670 Now, I wanna make it clear, 101 00:03:59,670 --> 00:04:02,000 from my workforce perspective and kudos to them, 102 00:04:02,000 --> 00:04:04,180 we never locked them out of the building, 103 00:04:04,180 --> 00:04:05,810 but we gave them all the protocols 104 00:04:05,810 --> 00:04:07,170 'cause some of the systems, frankly, 105 00:04:07,170 --> 00:04:09,140 they needed to come in and get their updates 106 00:04:09,140 --> 00:04:10,650 and do their things. 107 00:04:10,650 --> 00:04:14,790 But, essentially we were in full telework mode 108 00:04:14,790 --> 00:04:17,700 and that went, frankly, all the way up until June. 109 00:04:17,700 --> 00:04:19,480 So, we thought we had the right protocols in 110 00:04:19,480 --> 00:04:21,630 and me being based on it, trying to protect, you know, 111 00:04:21,630 --> 00:04:24,780 based on focused on the protocols 112 00:04:24,780 --> 00:04:26,570 because of my workforce and trying to keep them safe, 113 00:04:26,570 --> 00:04:28,030 I lived them. 114 00:04:28,030 --> 00:04:30,760 Practiced social distancing most more than anything 115 00:04:30,760 --> 00:04:32,450 and I think we were doing that effectively. 116 00:04:32,450 --> 00:04:35,770 So, from my perspective, I was minimizing my risk. 117 00:04:35,770 --> 00:04:39,040 If we were in close proximities we always had masks. 118 00:04:39,040 --> 00:04:42,240 When you go out in town, I'm taking wide births before, 119 00:04:42,240 --> 00:04:45,130 we really demonstrated, we really need to do masks 120 00:04:45,130 --> 00:04:47,240 and you have mask mandates and such. 121 00:04:47,240 --> 00:04:48,810 So, I think I'm doing everything right. 122 00:04:48,810 --> 00:04:49,960 And even in my circles, 123 00:04:49,960 --> 00:04:52,440 which I have a certain set number of circles 124 00:04:52,440 --> 00:04:54,010 that I navigate in, 125 00:04:54,010 --> 00:04:55,970 I worked hard not to cross contaminate them, 126 00:04:55,970 --> 00:04:59,390 which if I did get COVID should make contact tracing easy. 127 00:04:59,390 --> 00:05:01,750 And that was the idea of if I was with somebody 128 00:05:01,750 --> 00:05:04,730 in close proximity, I'm trying to wait two to five days 129 00:05:04,730 --> 00:05:07,480 through symptom periods, if you will, to appear, 130 00:05:07,480 --> 00:05:10,600 just to make sure that if I was at risk 131 00:05:10,600 --> 00:05:13,300 and something happened, I didn't bring it to somebody. 132 00:05:15,819 --> 00:05:17,590 And I will mention this a little bit later, 133 00:05:17,590 --> 00:05:19,370 but there's no worse feeling than 134 00:05:19,370 --> 00:05:21,880 to potentially expose somebody 135 00:05:21,880 --> 00:05:23,230 and I experienced that too. 136 00:05:24,624 --> 00:05:28,130 So, I thought we were doing everything right 137 00:05:28,130 --> 00:05:30,670 and I actually had been back in the office. 138 00:05:30,670 --> 00:05:33,010 I was working about three days a week in the front 139 00:05:33,010 --> 00:05:36,150 and then keeping my deputy and my technical director engaged 140 00:05:36,150 --> 00:05:37,310 with a one day a week thing, 141 00:05:37,310 --> 00:05:39,480 keeping us out of the office the same time, 142 00:05:39,480 --> 00:05:42,650 not exposing people, again, good protocols. 143 00:05:42,650 --> 00:05:46,650 In June, I came back and I started working full time 144 00:05:46,650 --> 00:05:48,900 'cause for a while I had to cover down behind Mr. Stamey 145 00:05:48,900 --> 00:05:49,880 when Mr. Stamey left. 146 00:05:49,880 --> 00:05:51,430 So, I was preparing to do that. 147 00:05:52,511 --> 00:05:54,900 And I did that in July and in August 148 00:05:54,900 --> 00:05:56,383 until Mr. D'Angelo took over in the office. 149 00:05:56,383 --> 00:06:01,120 So, I'm here every day and I had a good regimen, but again, 150 00:06:01,120 --> 00:06:02,820 I'm able to keep all the distances 151 00:06:02,820 --> 00:06:04,663 and everything was working well. 152 00:06:05,900 --> 00:06:07,350 In comes the end of October 153 00:06:08,540 --> 00:06:10,560 and you remember the ice storm. 154 00:06:10,560 --> 00:06:13,420 So, I will never forget it because of the ice storm. 155 00:06:13,420 --> 00:06:15,670 In fact, my house was without power for five days 156 00:06:15,670 --> 00:06:17,500 which made this whole thing kind of difficult 157 00:06:17,500 --> 00:06:22,467 to assess upfront and maybe a little difficult to handle. 158 00:06:23,380 --> 00:06:26,490 So, Monday, the ice storm hit. 159 00:06:26,490 --> 00:06:30,610 I worked Monday, I worked Tuesday, I worked Wednesday. 160 00:06:30,610 --> 00:06:35,380 It was Wednesday evening that my house was about 57 degrees 161 00:06:35,380 --> 00:06:38,770 with no power in it and I was chilled. 162 00:06:38,770 --> 00:06:41,393 I still had sweatshirt on or whatever, 163 00:06:42,867 --> 00:06:46,990 a sweater and pants, but I'm still chilled. 164 00:06:46,990 --> 00:06:49,540 And I said, this doesn't feel right. 165 00:06:49,540 --> 00:06:51,653 I took my temperature and it was 101.8. 166 00:06:52,790 --> 00:06:53,840 So, there's my symptom. 167 00:06:53,840 --> 00:06:56,123 I'm like, wow, I'm running 102 fever. 168 00:06:57,220 --> 00:06:59,540 So, I'm like, okay, 169 00:06:59,540 --> 00:07:02,540 my first hope because of the weather changes, 170 00:07:02,540 --> 00:07:05,750 maybe I have strep and I'll call it COVID denial, 171 00:07:05,750 --> 00:07:07,960 but just that they're all kind of possibilities. 172 00:07:07,960 --> 00:07:09,250 I'm a healthy guy. 173 00:07:09,250 --> 00:07:12,240 I don't have underlying health conditions. 174 00:07:12,240 --> 00:07:14,070 I've had two surgeries in my life. 175 00:07:14,070 --> 00:07:16,520 One was orthoscopic and one was tonsillectomy 176 00:07:16,520 --> 00:07:17,510 at five years old. 177 00:07:17,510 --> 00:07:21,940 - And you work out five times a week. 178 00:07:21,940 --> 00:07:23,650 - Well, I was up until COVID. 179 00:07:23,650 --> 00:07:25,740 I was working out five times a week in a gym 180 00:07:25,740 --> 00:07:30,740 with my workout buddy and I figure I'm healthy. 181 00:07:31,230 --> 00:07:34,340 So, I thought that I was at low risk for COVID, 182 00:07:34,340 --> 00:07:36,030 but I will tell you it can hit it anyone 183 00:07:36,030 --> 00:07:38,040 because one of my sons lives in Atlanta. 184 00:07:38,040 --> 00:07:39,750 He had a mild case of it. 185 00:07:39,750 --> 00:07:41,120 Actually contracted it in the hospital 186 00:07:41,120 --> 00:07:43,490 when his wife was giving birth to their third child. 187 00:07:43,490 --> 00:07:45,980 So, you don't know where you're gonna get it. 188 00:07:45,980 --> 00:07:47,550 - Right. - Or when it's gonna hit. 189 00:07:47,550 --> 00:07:49,360 And that's what it makes it difficult. 190 00:07:49,360 --> 00:07:52,510 I've actually kind of likened it to the flu on steroids. 191 00:07:52,510 --> 00:07:56,810 It's hyper contagious, but it's so much harder to track. 192 00:07:56,810 --> 00:07:58,810 But similarly, what makes sense to me 193 00:07:58,810 --> 00:08:00,540 is the things you would do if you had the flu, 194 00:08:00,540 --> 00:08:03,030 or a bad cold, or running a fever, 195 00:08:03,030 --> 00:08:04,720 'cause a lot of it's the same with COVID. 196 00:08:04,720 --> 00:08:06,940 It's the isolation, it's the protection, 197 00:08:06,940 --> 00:08:08,430 it's the distancing. 198 00:08:08,430 --> 00:08:11,490 So to me, the protocols arguably made sense. 199 00:08:11,490 --> 00:08:14,510 And consequently, I thought it was good business 200 00:08:14,510 --> 00:08:17,960 and not withstanding that's what we were going to do. 201 00:08:17,960 --> 00:08:19,640 So, I checked the fever, I have a fever. 202 00:08:19,640 --> 00:08:23,420 I went to a med stop on Thursday and got a COVID test. 203 00:08:23,420 --> 00:08:24,580 Couldn't get a rapid test. 204 00:08:24,580 --> 00:08:26,750 They only actually do so many of those 205 00:08:26,750 --> 00:08:28,160 and so if you think you have COVID, 206 00:08:28,160 --> 00:08:30,260 one of the things you need to do is schedule an appointment 207 00:08:30,260 --> 00:08:31,340 to get one of those rapid tests 208 00:08:31,340 --> 00:08:33,650 'cause you can get that back in 15 minutes. 209 00:08:33,650 --> 00:08:35,840 But, I went late morning. 210 00:08:35,840 --> 00:08:37,590 They say, "We're not giving any more this morning, 211 00:08:37,590 --> 00:08:38,740 but we can give you one, 212 00:08:38,740 --> 00:08:41,240 results will be back in two to five." 213 00:08:41,240 --> 00:08:43,080 So, it was actually Sunday, three days later, 214 00:08:43,080 --> 00:08:44,157 I got the phone call that says, 215 00:08:44,157 --> 00:08:47,820 "Hey, it's a mess up, your test turned out positive." 216 00:08:47,820 --> 00:08:51,253 And I'm like, great, not what I wanted to hear. 217 00:08:52,200 --> 00:08:54,260 Well, the difficulty was this is Sunday 218 00:08:54,260 --> 00:08:56,633 so remember my fever started on Wednesday. 219 00:08:57,780 --> 00:08:59,510 I couldn't break the fever. 220 00:08:59,510 --> 00:09:03,720 Never in my life has a fever never broken. 221 00:09:03,720 --> 00:09:07,070 Rarely would I ever see a fever go past three days. 222 00:09:07,070 --> 00:09:08,450 Most of what I've heard with people 223 00:09:08,450 --> 00:09:10,500 who've had the mild cases of COVID, 224 00:09:10,500 --> 00:09:12,507 maybe it's three days a fever it's up and back 225 00:09:12,507 --> 00:09:15,880 and a lot of times it's 99.5, somewhere in that range, 226 00:09:15,880 --> 00:09:16,840 it's a lower grade. 227 00:09:16,840 --> 00:09:18,830 I'm running 102. 228 00:09:18,830 --> 00:09:21,877 In fact, one day it hit 103.3. 229 00:09:21,877 --> 00:09:26,590 - No, I think we were communicating on day five or six 230 00:09:26,590 --> 00:09:29,720 and at that point most doctors will tell you 231 00:09:29,720 --> 00:09:32,240 that's extremely dangerous to be running over 100 232 00:09:32,240 --> 00:09:33,620 for that many days. 233 00:09:33,620 --> 00:09:34,970 - Well, it is. 234 00:09:34,970 --> 00:09:37,700 So, a research guy because of my business, right? 235 00:09:37,700 --> 00:09:41,060 I went out and looked, 104 it arguably starts damage 236 00:09:41,060 --> 00:09:42,530 to the brain risk. 237 00:09:42,530 --> 00:09:45,170 So, when I hit 103.3, I'm sitting down in the shower letting 238 00:09:45,170 --> 00:09:46,820 a lot of cool water run on me, 239 00:09:46,820 --> 00:09:48,190 bringing the body temperature down, 240 00:09:48,190 --> 00:09:50,820 went back out and I hit it back below 102. 241 00:09:50,820 --> 00:09:52,850 There were a couple of times it dropped right below a 100 242 00:09:52,850 --> 00:09:55,600 on a random test because I'm testing throughout the day 243 00:09:55,600 --> 00:09:57,150 and then it popped back to 102. 244 00:09:58,440 --> 00:09:59,610 I figured, okay, three days. 245 00:09:59,610 --> 00:10:00,920 So, here's Tony. 246 00:10:00,920 --> 00:10:03,550 My body's good, I can handle this. 247 00:10:03,550 --> 00:10:05,250 I figured five. 248 00:10:05,250 --> 00:10:08,020 I hit day five and I still have fever. 249 00:10:08,020 --> 00:10:10,720 The fever actually didn't break until Wednesday morning 250 00:10:10,720 --> 00:10:12,470 about three or four in the morning, 251 00:10:13,570 --> 00:10:15,123 I broke into a cold sweat. 252 00:10:15,990 --> 00:10:18,087 And so, stubborn Tony would've said, 253 00:10:18,087 --> 00:10:20,870 "Finally, I can make it through that." 254 00:10:20,870 --> 00:10:25,050 And I'm here today because that didn't happen, 255 00:10:25,050 --> 00:10:29,820 because Tony believes that had he been stubborn 256 00:10:29,820 --> 00:10:30,653 and stayed another day, 257 00:10:30,653 --> 00:10:32,390 there was a lot more going on in his body 258 00:10:32,390 --> 00:10:34,240 that he didn't know about. 259 00:10:34,240 --> 00:10:36,620 Tony probably wouldn't be here today. 260 00:10:36,620 --> 00:10:39,513 And so I can... - Wow. 261 00:10:41,694 --> 00:10:43,570 - It was a frightening experience 262 00:10:43,570 --> 00:10:45,190 because I wasn't scared all the way up 263 00:10:45,190 --> 00:10:46,873 until I couldn't break the fever. 264 00:10:48,370 --> 00:10:50,240 And it was actually on, 265 00:10:50,240 --> 00:10:52,670 that was on Tuesday night, Wednesday morning 266 00:10:52,670 --> 00:10:56,100 and I think it was Tuesday somebody brought me an oximeter 267 00:10:56,100 --> 00:10:57,870 and said how's your oxygen doing? 268 00:10:57,870 --> 00:10:59,120 And it's actually my guy who's doing 269 00:10:59,120 --> 00:11:00,400 all my contact tracing for COVID. 270 00:11:00,400 --> 00:11:01,730 He says, "Do you know what your oxygen is? 271 00:11:01,730 --> 00:11:02,810 I'll bring you an oximeter. 272 00:11:02,810 --> 00:11:05,040 I'll put it out in front of your door." 273 00:11:05,040 --> 00:11:06,170 And I tested the oximeter. 274 00:11:06,170 --> 00:11:10,820 My oxygen was running around around 90. 275 00:11:10,820 --> 00:11:14,493 They like the oxygen to be running at 95 plus. 276 00:11:15,569 --> 00:11:17,050 85, bells and whistles go off 277 00:11:17,050 --> 00:11:18,970 in the hospital on the monitors. 278 00:11:18,970 --> 00:11:21,950 And they say at 79 you're actually at high risk 279 00:11:21,950 --> 00:11:24,290 of actually damaging the organs. 280 00:11:24,290 --> 00:11:27,630 So, I started doing it and I'm like, well, I'm 90 281 00:11:27,630 --> 00:11:31,430 and I did some reach out and everyone's looking at 90. 282 00:11:31,430 --> 00:11:35,080 Well, on Wednesday morning, I get phone calls. 283 00:11:35,080 --> 00:11:37,140 I always do an eight o'clock tag up even through COVID. 284 00:11:37,140 --> 00:11:39,430 I wanted to keep up with my guys. 285 00:11:39,430 --> 00:11:41,160 Colonel Jason Whittle and Mary Wade. 286 00:11:41,160 --> 00:11:43,420 Mary's my tech director, Colonel Whittle my deputy, 287 00:11:43,420 --> 00:11:46,120 outstanding job running contracting. 288 00:11:46,120 --> 00:11:47,760 Don't need me around me. 289 00:11:47,760 --> 00:11:50,820 Me staying plugged in was kind of a mental thing for me 290 00:11:50,820 --> 00:11:55,820 to kinda stay engaged and still feel some value, 291 00:11:56,490 --> 00:12:01,350 but we had our conversation at eight o'clock 292 00:12:01,350 --> 00:12:04,210 and they got off that phone and they said, 293 00:12:04,210 --> 00:12:06,000 he's not making sense. 294 00:12:06,000 --> 00:12:08,330 He's not completing his thoughts. 295 00:12:08,330 --> 00:12:09,730 He's not coherent. 296 00:12:09,730 --> 00:12:11,703 - Something you could never notice on your own without that. 297 00:12:11,703 --> 00:12:13,140 - You won't. - Right. 298 00:12:13,140 --> 00:12:13,973 - You won't. 299 00:12:13,973 --> 00:12:16,220 My exercise buddy, Steve Irwin, 300 00:12:16,220 --> 00:12:18,980 and Steve's in protocol up at the airbase wing. 301 00:12:18,980 --> 00:12:20,830 And Steve was my go-to guy. 302 00:12:20,830 --> 00:12:21,810 We just had a code. 303 00:12:21,810 --> 00:12:23,180 You type go I'm at your house, 304 00:12:23,180 --> 00:12:25,310 I'm picking you up and I'm running you to the hospital. 305 00:12:25,310 --> 00:12:27,490 So, we had our emergency set up, 306 00:12:27,490 --> 00:12:29,390 I'm a single guy, I'm living home. 307 00:12:29,390 --> 00:12:31,710 All my kids are grown and gone. 308 00:12:31,710 --> 00:12:33,360 So, it's just me. 309 00:12:33,360 --> 00:12:34,940 Friends took care of me. 310 00:12:34,940 --> 00:12:36,660 And that's kinda the big thing I think about it 311 00:12:36,660 --> 00:12:38,890 in the wingman concept yet, 312 00:12:38,890 --> 00:12:41,580 these guys just were there. 313 00:12:41,580 --> 00:12:43,913 And so, Steve had the go button. 314 00:12:45,360 --> 00:12:47,910 Everybody knew how to get in touch with each other. 315 00:12:47,910 --> 00:12:50,370 Brenda Kimbrell is my executive assistant 316 00:12:50,370 --> 00:12:52,787 so she takes care of me up in the office 317 00:12:52,787 --> 00:12:54,717 and the four of us were on the phone that morning 318 00:12:54,717 --> 00:12:58,190 and they said, okay, he is not right. 319 00:12:58,190 --> 00:13:00,360 They talked to Steve and Steve says, "Yep, 320 00:13:00,360 --> 00:13:01,890 well he's kinda mad, he thinks he's got it. 321 00:13:01,890 --> 00:13:02,730 He's got his things, yeah, 322 00:13:02,730 --> 00:13:04,360 we got a code we're watching." 323 00:13:04,360 --> 00:13:07,760 And they said, "Well, we need to get him to the hospital." 324 00:13:07,760 --> 00:13:09,550 He says, "Yeah, I think he needs to go." 325 00:13:09,550 --> 00:13:11,780 Steve's wife, Amy, has actually done respiratory stuff 326 00:13:11,780 --> 00:13:13,510 and they said, "What's your oxygen?" 327 00:13:13,510 --> 00:13:14,470 I said, "It's running 90." 328 00:13:14,470 --> 00:13:15,840 They said, "That's too low." 329 00:13:15,840 --> 00:13:17,410 I said, "Well, 90 is kind of their cutoff 330 00:13:17,410 --> 00:13:18,243 they look at and stuff. 331 00:13:18,243 --> 00:13:19,280 That's too low. 332 00:13:19,280 --> 00:13:20,880 You need to go to the hospital." 333 00:13:21,740 --> 00:13:25,170 Fundamentally what changed this and Tony was resistant. 334 00:13:25,170 --> 00:13:27,060 It's like, I broke my fever. 335 00:13:27,060 --> 00:13:29,840 I'm on the other side of it, right? 336 00:13:29,840 --> 00:13:32,200 Couldn't have been more than wrong. 337 00:13:32,200 --> 00:13:35,940 Mary Wade, God bless her, 338 00:13:35,940 --> 00:13:37,660 she lost her brother, her older brother, 339 00:13:37,660 --> 00:13:40,260 to COVID earlier this year. 340 00:13:40,260 --> 00:13:42,150 And she said, "I'm gonna be the one to call. 341 00:13:42,150 --> 00:13:44,260 I might cry, but I'm gonna call." 342 00:13:44,260 --> 00:13:47,727 And she called up and she literally told me, she said, 343 00:13:47,727 --> 00:13:49,690 "You need to go to the hospital." 344 00:13:49,690 --> 00:13:50,940 She said, "I lost my brother. 345 00:13:50,940 --> 00:13:52,200 I'm not losing both of you. 346 00:13:52,200 --> 00:13:54,570 You need to go to the hospital." 347 00:13:54,570 --> 00:13:55,420 I'm like, "Okay." 348 00:13:56,910 --> 00:13:58,900 And so, it was that intervention 349 00:13:58,900 --> 00:14:02,810 of Jason Whittle, Mary Wade, Brenda Kimbrell, Steve Irwin, 350 00:14:02,810 --> 00:14:05,700 Amy Erwin that said, "You need to go." 351 00:14:05,700 --> 00:14:07,500 Something that I wouldn't have done. 352 00:14:08,490 --> 00:14:11,703 Lifesaver, absolute lifesaver. 353 00:14:13,410 --> 00:14:14,410 Absolute lifesaver. 354 00:14:14,410 --> 00:14:17,880 - So, basically classic engagement 355 00:14:17,880 --> 00:14:21,813 in caring by teammates really wins the day here. 356 00:14:22,722 --> 00:14:24,720 So, you got a legitimate save 357 00:14:24,720 --> 00:14:27,080 and you couldn't really tell yourself 358 00:14:27,080 --> 00:14:29,450 because you're the one becoming incoherent. 359 00:14:29,450 --> 00:14:30,670 You're the one that probably 360 00:14:30,670 --> 00:14:32,583 is using different rationalizations 361 00:14:32,583 --> 00:14:34,700 as you lose more and more capacity. 362 00:14:34,700 --> 00:14:36,060 And without that help, it might've been 363 00:14:36,060 --> 00:14:37,330 a whole different story. 364 00:14:37,330 --> 00:14:39,370 - I think it's absolutely true. 365 00:14:39,370 --> 00:14:40,203 And there are things, 366 00:14:40,203 --> 00:14:42,400 I mentioned things going on in the body. 367 00:14:42,400 --> 00:14:46,290 So, I get into the body, they do different things. 368 00:14:46,290 --> 00:14:48,190 They do a chest x-ray to baseline you. 369 00:14:49,070 --> 00:14:50,640 They're checking everything. 370 00:14:50,640 --> 00:14:52,660 They start putting you on oxygen. 371 00:14:52,660 --> 00:14:54,070 Oxygen is interesting. 372 00:14:54,070 --> 00:14:56,010 They'll run up to six liters a minute 373 00:14:56,010 --> 00:14:57,630 or whatever on an oxygen flow 374 00:14:57,630 --> 00:14:59,640 and they don't like to do any more than six, 375 00:14:59,640 --> 00:15:02,990 say in the rooms or they're gonna send you to ICU. 376 00:15:02,990 --> 00:15:07,560 So, they put me on oxygen and they did blood tests. 377 00:15:07,560 --> 00:15:11,193 They were doing a lot of different things that first day. 378 00:15:12,030 --> 00:15:16,530 And a couple of the things that they did, 379 00:15:16,530 --> 00:15:21,133 they started me on an antibody plasma. 380 00:15:22,140 --> 00:15:25,310 And so, they gave me a unit of antibody plasma 381 00:15:25,310 --> 00:15:27,190 which frankly, and this is for anybody out there 382 00:15:27,190 --> 00:15:30,660 who's had COVID, this is an opportunity 383 00:15:30,660 --> 00:15:33,760 to give back 30 days after you're out of the hospital, 384 00:15:33,760 --> 00:15:35,860 you can contact the Oklahoma Blood Institute 385 00:15:35,860 --> 00:15:37,260 and I will be calling them saying 386 00:15:37,260 --> 00:15:38,773 when, where, and how often? 387 00:15:39,620 --> 00:15:40,490 And that's a good idea 388 00:15:40,490 --> 00:15:43,450 'cause even on the day before I was out of the hospital, 389 00:15:43,450 --> 00:15:45,670 the doctor told me she ordered seven units of it 390 00:15:45,670 --> 00:15:47,960 that day for use there. 391 00:15:47,960 --> 00:15:49,950 I was down at St. Anthony's downtown 392 00:15:49,950 --> 00:15:53,740 and they have a floor dedicated to the COVID patients 393 00:15:53,740 --> 00:15:56,860 in doubled up rooms there are so many COVID patients. 394 00:15:56,860 --> 00:16:01,860 But anyway, they gave me that plasma 395 00:16:03,360 --> 00:16:06,480 and then they started me on Remdesivir 396 00:16:06,480 --> 00:16:10,610 which is the one FDA approved treatment 397 00:16:10,610 --> 00:16:12,270 and that is a actual five day treatment. 398 00:16:12,270 --> 00:16:14,100 You drip that over five days, 399 00:16:14,100 --> 00:16:17,083 each day they bring in a portion of Remdesivir. 400 00:16:18,300 --> 00:16:23,300 Concurrently they put steroid infusions in through an IV 401 00:16:24,720 --> 00:16:27,983 and we were using inhalers. 402 00:16:28,979 --> 00:16:31,160 So, I got familiar with albuterol 403 00:16:31,160 --> 00:16:33,730 which the first like four days you do that stuff. 404 00:16:33,730 --> 00:16:35,410 If you've never used albuterol, 405 00:16:35,410 --> 00:16:36,730 you're gagging on it and stuff. 406 00:16:36,730 --> 00:16:38,513 Now it's like, yeah, what's this? 407 00:16:39,380 --> 00:16:40,850 Because I'm still using it. 408 00:16:40,850 --> 00:16:43,290 and you'll probably wanna know a little bit 409 00:16:43,290 --> 00:16:44,663 about the after treatment, 410 00:16:45,642 --> 00:16:50,120 but I didn't know what was going on in me, 411 00:16:50,120 --> 00:16:53,383 but they could look at the blood tests and such and tell. 412 00:16:54,440 --> 00:16:57,530 One thing I did notice on about the second day, 413 00:16:57,530 --> 00:17:02,530 third day, was cramping in my lower right calf 414 00:17:02,570 --> 00:17:04,270 on both, but in my lower right one, 415 00:17:04,270 --> 00:17:05,860 and actually it was probably the second day 416 00:17:05,860 --> 00:17:07,500 'cause then the third day I started feeling a little bit 417 00:17:07,500 --> 00:17:09,800 in my left one and I told the doctor, 418 00:17:09,800 --> 00:17:11,720 I said, "Abnormal for me. 419 00:17:11,720 --> 00:17:14,500 I feel it, it's right down the middle, 420 00:17:14,500 --> 00:17:16,510 right in the meat of the calf. 421 00:17:16,510 --> 00:17:18,210 Well, one of the things they've learned over time 422 00:17:18,210 --> 00:17:21,200 is blood clots form in the legs 423 00:17:21,200 --> 00:17:23,823 and then those blood clots migrate upward. 424 00:17:24,690 --> 00:17:25,970 So she said, "Okay." 425 00:17:25,970 --> 00:17:27,160 I mean, when I told the doctor that, 426 00:17:27,160 --> 00:17:31,200 immediately she put blood thinner shots 427 00:17:31,200 --> 00:17:34,290 in my stomach and scheduled a sonogram. 428 00:17:34,290 --> 00:17:36,640 So, they did a sonogram through the whole leg, 429 00:17:36,640 --> 00:17:40,340 that right leg, and they found tiny blood clots down there. 430 00:17:40,340 --> 00:17:43,203 Fortunately, and she got it early with the blood thinner, 431 00:17:44,370 --> 00:17:47,320 they weren't clustering 'cause they're there, 432 00:17:47,320 --> 00:17:50,120 but they will also cluster and then migrate up. 433 00:17:50,120 --> 00:17:51,830 - And for the audience, 434 00:17:51,830 --> 00:17:54,430 another life-threatening complication 435 00:17:54,430 --> 00:17:57,110 because they can migrate exactly what you alluded to 436 00:17:57,110 --> 00:17:59,220 and if they migrate up to the heart. 437 00:17:59,220 --> 00:18:00,810 - And they did. 438 00:18:00,810 --> 00:18:03,370 So I had a CT, I mean literally, 439 00:18:03,370 --> 00:18:07,230 I could literally feel the pain move a little bit 440 00:18:07,230 --> 00:18:09,290 and I could feel pain in my knee later and stuff. 441 00:18:09,290 --> 00:18:12,200 It's very interesting when you know your body. 442 00:18:12,200 --> 00:18:15,450 What's even better is the doctors listened and says, "Okay." 443 00:18:15,450 --> 00:18:17,730 And did the checks and confirmed. 444 00:18:17,730 --> 00:18:19,300 The blood clots did come up and go, 445 00:18:19,300 --> 00:18:21,710 I think to the lower lungs, to lower lungs, 446 00:18:21,710 --> 00:18:25,570 so when I walked out, I walked out with a diagnosis 447 00:18:25,570 --> 00:18:28,950 of pulmonary embolism and I'll be on blood thinners 448 00:18:28,950 --> 00:18:30,820 for the next 90 days. 449 00:18:30,820 --> 00:18:33,470 So, they literally shifted blood thinners 450 00:18:33,470 --> 00:18:36,560 in the hospital and went to heparin. 451 00:18:36,560 --> 00:18:38,080 Heparin's stronger but harder to control 452 00:18:38,080 --> 00:18:40,210 so the levels are all over the place. 453 00:18:40,210 --> 00:18:42,440 They have to check your blood twice a day 454 00:18:42,440 --> 00:18:45,020 and look at it and adjust 'cause it's kinda crazy. 455 00:18:45,020 --> 00:18:48,320 But then when they got close to where 456 00:18:48,320 --> 00:18:49,860 they thought I was over the edge and I was gonna be able 457 00:18:49,860 --> 00:18:53,390 to be coming home, they shifted to Eliquis 458 00:18:53,390 --> 00:18:55,540 which is a pill which is a lot more stable. 459 00:18:56,640 --> 00:19:01,640 So anyway, it was that that they found in the hospital. 460 00:19:01,670 --> 00:19:03,270 They were able to do a chest x-ray 461 00:19:03,270 --> 00:19:06,910 and they did the CT and they said, well, 462 00:19:06,910 --> 00:19:10,190 there's no pressure around the heart, 463 00:19:11,401 --> 00:19:12,544 on the left side of the heart, 464 00:19:12,544 --> 00:19:14,910 so there's no pressure on the heart. 465 00:19:14,910 --> 00:19:17,540 There are those evidence. 466 00:19:17,540 --> 00:19:19,360 They weren't hearing fluid in my lungs, 467 00:19:19,360 --> 00:19:22,690 but later then subsequently you do get viral pneumonia 468 00:19:22,690 --> 00:19:24,750 and you get the shortness of breath. 469 00:19:24,750 --> 00:19:26,410 Meanwhile, in all this period of time, 470 00:19:26,410 --> 00:19:31,410 my oxygen needs are going up to six liters. 471 00:19:31,900 --> 00:19:35,330 And they had me at six liters per minute of oxygen 472 00:19:35,330 --> 00:19:37,250 and they were watching it. 473 00:19:37,250 --> 00:19:39,760 They don't like to do any more than that. 474 00:19:39,760 --> 00:19:41,770 There were two days the doctor said, she was really worried, 475 00:19:41,770 --> 00:19:42,603 she thought she was gonna have 476 00:19:42,603 --> 00:19:45,060 to move me to ICU and in ICU 477 00:19:45,060 --> 00:19:47,730 then they woulda put a mask on and directed oxygen flow 478 00:19:47,730 --> 00:19:52,350 and such, no ventilator, but a mask to get it in. 479 00:19:52,350 --> 00:19:56,310 And we were watching that and I'm constantly watching 480 00:19:56,310 --> 00:19:58,900 the monitor 'cause I can actually, 481 00:19:58,900 --> 00:19:59,880 if you lay on your stomach, 482 00:19:59,880 --> 00:20:02,010 you take off less pressure and your oxygen 483 00:20:02,010 --> 00:20:03,860 on the oximeter will go up. 484 00:20:03,860 --> 00:20:08,130 So, at the nighttime, I could run oxygen levels of 95 plus, 485 00:20:08,130 --> 00:20:11,370 but in the daytime I'm sitting there floating around 90 486 00:20:11,370 --> 00:20:13,550 and watching it and as I sit up sometimes 487 00:20:13,550 --> 00:20:15,840 it dropped down to 85 and beep beep beep beep. 488 00:20:15,840 --> 00:20:17,250 Fortunately, I could hit the cancel button, 489 00:20:17,250 --> 00:20:18,750 tell it to shut up over there. 490 00:20:19,832 --> 00:20:21,920 But, nonetheless, we're watching that levels 491 00:20:21,920 --> 00:20:24,070 and the whole purpose is to try to get it 492 00:20:24,070 --> 00:20:26,380 to be 90 and above. 493 00:20:26,380 --> 00:20:29,323 And so, I could adjust my position and influence that. 494 00:20:32,044 --> 00:20:34,280 - So, you're very coherent 495 00:20:34,280 --> 00:20:36,780 throughout every hour of this process. 496 00:20:36,780 --> 00:20:40,630 There was never a stage at which you went out 497 00:20:40,630 --> 00:20:42,640 or went delirious during all of this. 498 00:20:42,640 --> 00:20:44,340 You were cognizant all along. 499 00:20:44,340 --> 00:20:45,173 - I was. 500 00:20:45,173 --> 00:20:46,630 And I'll tell you what I think was the difference 501 00:20:46,630 --> 00:20:47,730 was that fever breaking. 502 00:20:47,730 --> 00:20:49,050 Now when I went to the hospital, 503 00:20:49,050 --> 00:20:50,853 I was still running a fever, 504 00:20:52,137 --> 00:20:53,810 a couple doses of ibuprofen 505 00:20:53,810 --> 00:20:56,540 and a couple of doses of acetaminophen 506 00:20:56,540 --> 00:20:58,670 and boom fever was gone and they're checking fever. 507 00:20:58,670 --> 00:21:01,190 They're checking your temperature like every three hours. 508 00:21:01,190 --> 00:21:03,900 Come in and checking temperature, blood pressure. 509 00:21:03,900 --> 00:21:08,100 And so, the fever was gone that first day 510 00:21:08,100 --> 00:21:09,720 and then I think that's the difference 511 00:21:09,720 --> 00:21:12,710 is because the fever is something 512 00:21:12,710 --> 00:21:14,260 that really does mess with you. 513 00:21:15,714 --> 00:21:16,870 - So, a little bit about, 514 00:21:16,870 --> 00:21:20,150 you've already touched on it a lot in the hospital, 515 00:21:20,150 --> 00:21:23,320 what's your take on the hospital environment, 516 00:21:23,320 --> 00:21:25,950 given that this may be a little bit atypical, 517 00:21:25,950 --> 00:21:28,580 but probably not a lot of patients, 518 00:21:28,580 --> 00:21:33,110 a lot of hustle and bustle crammed up with COVID patients 519 00:21:33,110 --> 00:21:37,590 or did it look like they were managing the demand okay? 520 00:21:37,590 --> 00:21:40,000 - So, I had a lot of conversations with the nurses, 521 00:21:40,000 --> 00:21:42,900 with the nurses aides and doctor when they came in. 522 00:21:42,900 --> 00:21:44,500 Learned a lot while I was there. 523 00:21:45,700 --> 00:21:49,540 St. Anthony's downtown at the very beginning of it, 524 00:21:49,540 --> 00:21:50,950 they got together and decided 525 00:21:50,950 --> 00:21:53,500 we're gonna dedicate the 10th floor to it. 526 00:21:53,500 --> 00:21:57,703 And with case numbers they had two patients in every room. 527 00:21:58,580 --> 00:22:00,873 And so, they were essentially full, 528 00:22:02,160 --> 00:22:04,620 actually got a roommate that night. 529 00:22:04,620 --> 00:22:06,953 He and I bonded, well, we stay in touch. 530 00:22:08,803 --> 00:22:09,880 Again, I always like purpose in life 531 00:22:09,880 --> 00:22:12,770 and it gave me an opportunity for a guy 532 00:22:12,770 --> 00:22:16,090 who's in his 30s who has COVID, who has a wife, 533 00:22:16,090 --> 00:22:18,960 has a seven-year-old and a five-year-old at home. 534 00:22:18,960 --> 00:22:20,840 The first time he's ever been in the hospital, 535 00:22:20,840 --> 00:22:25,660 miserable, very sad and I was his pick-me-up guy 536 00:22:25,660 --> 00:22:29,073 and I was talking to him, lot of conversations, 537 00:22:30,807 --> 00:22:33,610 a lot of opportunity, I think, to keep him positive, 538 00:22:33,610 --> 00:22:35,560 even so much that he introduced me 539 00:22:35,560 --> 00:22:37,260 to his family via his phone. 540 00:22:37,260 --> 00:22:39,660 His daughter's saying prayers for me at night. 541 00:22:39,660 --> 00:22:44,480 And, it was interesting finds. 542 00:22:44,480 --> 00:22:45,970 In his mind, God brought us together 543 00:22:45,970 --> 00:22:49,070 is what he said because he needed something. 544 00:22:49,070 --> 00:22:54,070 But, for me, I was coherent because I didn't have fever 545 00:22:54,880 --> 00:22:58,550 and the government iPhone was a saver 546 00:22:58,550 --> 00:23:00,240 'cause yeah, I did look at emails 547 00:23:00,240 --> 00:23:03,530 and I did do text updates to the office 548 00:23:03,530 --> 00:23:05,830 and that sort of thing on what was going on with me 549 00:23:05,830 --> 00:23:09,137 because you spoke of caring people reaching out 550 00:23:09,137 --> 00:23:12,380 and that caring goes well beyond, well beyond 551 00:23:12,380 --> 00:23:15,780 just the people I mentioned that intervened. 552 00:23:15,780 --> 00:23:20,690 The reach out I got from so many people, frankly, at Tinker, 553 00:23:20,690 --> 00:23:22,860 what a family, what a family. 554 00:23:22,860 --> 00:23:25,750 I don't have family in Oklahoma, but yes I do. 555 00:23:25,750 --> 00:23:28,150 And it's called these Tinker people that I work with. 556 00:23:28,150 --> 00:23:30,900 - Absolutely, so you went through 557 00:23:30,900 --> 00:23:33,440 an extraordinary experience. 558 00:23:33,440 --> 00:23:34,770 What about the aftermath? 559 00:23:34,770 --> 00:23:36,130 You've checked out of the hospital? 560 00:23:36,130 --> 00:23:37,623 You mentioned Eliquis. 561 00:23:38,590 --> 00:23:40,210 We know that you have a regimen 562 00:23:40,210 --> 00:23:43,300 you have to go through on the backside of COVID 563 00:23:43,300 --> 00:23:46,950 and we also know that there's no real data 564 00:23:46,950 --> 00:23:48,730 on long-term implications 565 00:23:48,730 --> 00:23:50,660 of having been infected with COVID. 566 00:23:50,660 --> 00:23:53,940 Give us some thoughts on both of those vectors. 567 00:23:53,940 --> 00:23:57,800 - Well, it is interesting as you look at it. 568 00:23:57,800 --> 00:24:01,060 I always chuckle when people say follow the science 569 00:24:01,060 --> 00:24:03,170 and on COVID we're creating the science. 570 00:24:03,170 --> 00:24:06,430 Science is get some data, form a hypothesis, test it. 571 00:24:06,430 --> 00:24:08,950 You got the scientific method 572 00:24:08,950 --> 00:24:11,590 and they didn't have any baseline for this. 573 00:24:11,590 --> 00:24:12,430 They had other things. 574 00:24:12,430 --> 00:24:15,170 It wasn't acting like a virus should act. 575 00:24:15,170 --> 00:24:17,940 So, I believe I'm fortunate 576 00:24:17,940 --> 00:24:22,940 that I contracted COVID in November and not in March 577 00:24:23,900 --> 00:24:26,803 because they weren't looking for blood clots in March. 578 00:24:30,349 --> 00:24:33,590 They were trying to figure out how it transmitted in March. 579 00:24:33,590 --> 00:24:36,200 They didn't have Remdesivir. 580 00:24:36,200 --> 00:24:38,780 They didn't have people who had COVID 581 00:24:38,780 --> 00:24:40,750 who then could give you antibody plasmas. 582 00:24:40,750 --> 00:24:42,173 All that didn't exist. 583 00:24:43,416 --> 00:24:46,503 Not sure the outcome. 584 00:24:49,268 --> 00:24:51,900 Because of what was going on inside of my body, 585 00:24:51,900 --> 00:24:55,610 not sure that that would have been the same. 586 00:24:55,610 --> 00:24:58,280 So, when they sent me home and they told me 587 00:24:58,280 --> 00:25:00,050 at least what they know is, okay, 588 00:25:00,050 --> 00:25:02,680 you have tiny blood clots in your lungs 589 00:25:02,680 --> 00:25:06,470 and you have pneumonia. 590 00:25:06,470 --> 00:25:08,260 And so, that's just gonna be your breathing issue. 591 00:25:08,260 --> 00:25:10,220 So, they sent me home with oxygen. 592 00:25:10,220 --> 00:25:13,190 I know I'm gonna do oxygen for a couple of weeks. 593 00:25:13,190 --> 00:25:16,750 My oxygen levels actually are quite good this morning. 594 00:25:16,750 --> 00:25:20,083 They were running anywhere from 94 to a hundred, honestly, 595 00:25:21,080 --> 00:25:25,059 and I sleep with the oxygen machine. 596 00:25:25,059 --> 00:25:26,450 - Do you have like a portable oxygen bottle 597 00:25:26,450 --> 00:25:27,783 you have with you at home? 598 00:25:28,815 --> 00:25:30,681 You never thought you'd do that at this age, right? 599 00:25:30,681 --> 00:25:32,950 - I know, not yet, not yet. 600 00:25:32,950 --> 00:25:34,480 - Well, you should see me dragging around that thing 601 00:25:34,480 --> 00:25:35,430 when I had to come home 602 00:25:35,430 --> 00:25:36,990 because I literally was slow 603 00:25:36,990 --> 00:25:39,680 and literally I could walk for two minutes 604 00:25:39,680 --> 00:25:40,620 when I got out of the hospital. 605 00:25:40,620 --> 00:25:43,550 I got out of the hospital on Friday the 13th 606 00:25:43,550 --> 00:25:45,770 and they would've sent me home on Thursday, 607 00:25:45,770 --> 00:25:47,470 but that's an interesting thing too. 608 00:25:47,470 --> 00:25:50,720 You can't call Uber to take you home if you've got COVID, 609 00:25:50,720 --> 00:25:52,070 they don't have protocols and stuff. 610 00:25:52,070 --> 00:25:57,070 So, there literally is a COVID transport service 611 00:25:57,580 --> 00:25:59,300 and they couldn't get me one out on Thursday. 612 00:25:59,300 --> 00:26:02,080 They were booked taking people home. 613 00:26:02,080 --> 00:26:04,590 And so, they took me home Friday morning 614 00:26:04,590 --> 00:26:09,300 and I was mostly on the couch, had an oxygen bottle. 615 00:26:09,300 --> 00:26:11,810 Later that day, the oxygen company delivered 616 00:26:11,810 --> 00:26:15,760 an actual machine that manufactures oxygen. 617 00:26:15,760 --> 00:26:16,600 It pulls in the air. 618 00:26:16,600 --> 00:26:17,970 It does the conversion. 619 00:26:17,970 --> 00:26:19,550 And so the machine is what I use. 620 00:26:19,550 --> 00:26:21,570 I do have bottles if I need to go anywhere 621 00:26:21,570 --> 00:26:22,740 and take oxygen with me. 622 00:26:22,740 --> 00:26:25,290 - So, to be clear at that point, 623 00:26:25,290 --> 00:26:27,610 COVID wasn't gone from your system. 624 00:26:27,610 --> 00:26:30,370 You had just run through the worst course of the disease 625 00:26:30,370 --> 00:26:33,010 and reached a stabilization where you could go home, right? 626 00:26:33,010 --> 00:26:33,843 - Correct. 627 00:26:33,843 --> 00:26:35,900 - At what point do you think you were recovered 628 00:26:35,900 --> 00:26:38,938 from COVID to return to work? 629 00:26:38,938 --> 00:26:39,771 What was that point? 630 00:26:39,771 --> 00:26:42,173 - So, the good thing is telework. 631 00:26:44,020 --> 00:26:46,660 I felt strong enough from Friday to Monday 632 00:26:46,660 --> 00:26:49,890 that I could actually do some emails and do that stuff 633 00:26:49,890 --> 00:26:52,470 and I actually did about four hours on that Monday, 634 00:26:52,470 --> 00:26:54,740 keeping up with it, but nothing strenuous. 635 00:26:54,740 --> 00:26:57,200 I will tell you now, if I had to do anything strenuous, 636 00:26:57,200 --> 00:26:58,543 I'd be toast shortly. 637 00:27:01,398 --> 00:27:02,231 It was last Friday. 638 00:27:02,231 --> 00:27:06,150 Last Friday was the first time I went out anywhere 639 00:27:06,150 --> 00:27:09,120 and I had to do a bank run, 640 00:27:09,120 --> 00:27:12,460 a pharmacy run to pick up my refills on Eliquis, 641 00:27:12,460 --> 00:27:15,510 and then I hit two grocery stores. 642 00:27:15,510 --> 00:27:17,210 I took my time. 643 00:27:17,210 --> 00:27:19,040 I walked slowly. 644 00:27:19,040 --> 00:27:21,110 It was two and a half hours out. 645 00:27:21,110 --> 00:27:23,313 Totally exhausted when I got home. 646 00:27:23,313 --> 00:27:24,690 Got my groceries put away, 647 00:27:24,690 --> 00:27:26,374 sat on my couch and put the oxygen on. 648 00:27:26,374 --> 00:27:28,270 - And real quick, you were cleared 649 00:27:28,270 --> 00:27:30,580 through a post testing for this, correct? 650 00:27:30,580 --> 00:27:31,413 - Through what? 651 00:27:31,413 --> 00:27:33,910 - Through post-testing or how did you know that you had run 652 00:27:33,910 --> 00:27:35,093 the course of the disease 653 00:27:35,093 --> 00:27:35,926 so that it could - So, that's 654 00:27:35,926 --> 00:27:37,420 the interesting thing. - be safe in public? 655 00:27:37,420 --> 00:27:38,790 - Very good question. 656 00:27:38,790 --> 00:27:40,390 They don't do a test at the end. 657 00:27:43,180 --> 00:27:46,110 They look at their protocols, which I always chuckle. 658 00:27:46,110 --> 00:27:48,100 I say every time Dr. Fauci changes his underwear 659 00:27:48,100 --> 00:27:49,360 the protocols change 660 00:27:49,360 --> 00:27:51,960 because we've seen them morph over time. 661 00:27:51,960 --> 00:27:56,960 But even right now, myself and two other people dealing 662 00:27:58,470 --> 00:28:01,150 with COVID and the protocols they've been told, 663 00:28:01,150 --> 00:28:02,950 we have three different protocols. 664 00:28:02,950 --> 00:28:03,960 You remember the original one, 665 00:28:03,960 --> 00:28:07,410 10 days past onset of symptoms, three days symptom free. 666 00:28:07,410 --> 00:28:08,750 One of mine is running that. 667 00:28:08,750 --> 00:28:10,610 They said 10 days after. 668 00:28:10,610 --> 00:28:13,130 Actually, I think they told him 14 days after. 669 00:28:13,130 --> 00:28:14,290 No, they told him 10. 670 00:28:14,290 --> 00:28:16,610 The other one, it was 14 days after your test 671 00:28:17,460 --> 00:28:18,440 is what they told him. 672 00:28:18,440 --> 00:28:22,140 The doctor in the hospital told me the most recent change, 673 00:28:22,140 --> 00:28:22,990 and this is what they sent me 674 00:28:22,990 --> 00:28:25,900 was 20 days after onset of symptoms, 675 00:28:25,900 --> 00:28:27,910 which I think is interesting because it ignores 676 00:28:27,910 --> 00:28:31,943 the back end of do you still have symptoms and what? 677 00:28:32,940 --> 00:28:34,800 So, I counted that Wednesday, a fever, 678 00:28:34,800 --> 00:28:39,613 because I knew that was definite symptomatic day. 679 00:28:39,613 --> 00:28:41,300 I never lost smell, never lost taste, 680 00:28:41,300 --> 00:28:42,760 I never lost any of those other things, 681 00:28:42,760 --> 00:28:45,530 I just had to contend with the impact of fever. 682 00:28:45,530 --> 00:28:49,060 But, I counted Monday. 683 00:28:49,060 --> 00:28:51,450 I got home on Friday and Monday was my quarantine day. 684 00:28:51,450 --> 00:28:52,913 So, I was locked in. 685 00:28:55,598 --> 00:28:57,540 Friends had my my grocery list and my sock in list 686 00:28:57,540 --> 00:28:58,860 so I could take care of myself 687 00:28:58,860 --> 00:29:03,590 and folks did the porch drop-offs. 688 00:29:03,590 --> 00:29:08,513 And so, you know you're full of antibodies, 689 00:29:09,390 --> 00:29:11,480 you know you're full of meds, 690 00:29:11,480 --> 00:29:14,540 but there's no verification at the end on tests 691 00:29:14,540 --> 00:29:16,820 because I think it's a couple of things. 692 00:29:16,820 --> 00:29:19,137 One, is if they test you, you still got it in you 693 00:29:19,137 --> 00:29:21,080 so the test is gonna go positive. 694 00:29:21,080 --> 00:29:23,820 Does that mean you're contagious? 695 00:29:23,820 --> 00:29:26,930 'Cause if you're not outwardly symptomatic 696 00:29:26,930 --> 00:29:27,967 and that's what I asked is, 697 00:29:27,967 --> 00:29:31,110 "Well, what's symptomatic and what's asymptomatic 698 00:29:31,110 --> 00:29:33,090 because you tell me I still have blood clots." 699 00:29:33,090 --> 00:29:35,833 Well, is that a symptom or is that an effect? 700 00:29:36,930 --> 00:29:38,080 You tell me I've gotten pneumonia. 701 00:29:38,080 --> 00:29:40,113 Is that a symptom or an effect? 702 00:29:41,000 --> 00:29:43,410 And I don't have all the other things. 703 00:29:43,410 --> 00:29:44,603 I don't have the fever. 704 00:29:44,603 --> 00:29:46,590 I don't have a lot of that, 705 00:29:46,590 --> 00:29:48,477 but they basically told me, he says, 706 00:29:48,477 --> 00:29:49,700 "Yeah, you're still considered 707 00:29:49,700 --> 00:29:54,020 that you have COVID right now, but you're good to go home." 708 00:29:54,020 --> 00:29:55,590 Okay. 709 00:29:55,590 --> 00:29:59,720 So, that's what I did and I just hunkered down, honestly, 710 00:29:59,720 --> 00:30:03,350 for that first week before I felt strong enough 711 00:30:03,350 --> 00:30:05,140 that I could go out, 712 00:30:05,140 --> 00:30:07,550 but I learned that two and a half hours was too much. 713 00:30:07,550 --> 00:30:08,621 - Right. 714 00:30:08,621 --> 00:30:09,770 And so, there's a lot of stamina issues. 715 00:30:09,770 --> 00:30:11,200 Probably still to this day. 716 00:30:11,200 --> 00:30:12,033 Right? 717 00:30:12,033 --> 00:30:12,866 - Huge. 718 00:30:12,866 --> 00:30:13,930 I came in here today, 719 00:30:13,930 --> 00:30:16,620 3001 and my office is on the second floor. 720 00:30:16,620 --> 00:30:19,923 I walked the stairway up the second floor and I'm breathing. 721 00:30:21,180 --> 00:30:25,310 I literally had on Monday, I had a telephone call, 722 00:30:25,310 --> 00:30:27,070 a dialed in, we have all my div chiefs. 723 00:30:27,070 --> 00:30:28,720 We have our Monday standup 724 00:30:29,980 --> 00:30:33,210 and I was running through conversation 725 00:30:33,210 --> 00:30:35,820 and I got shorter and shorter of breath. 726 00:30:35,820 --> 00:30:36,820 And I had apologize. 727 00:30:36,820 --> 00:30:40,780 I said, "Okay, I'm short of breath, I've gotta back off." 728 00:30:40,780 --> 00:30:43,270 And, I don't know how long that's gonna go. 729 00:30:43,270 --> 00:30:44,170 I know they're gonna have me 730 00:30:44,170 --> 00:30:47,520 on Eliquis blood thinners for three months. 731 00:30:47,520 --> 00:30:50,740 So, you do a double dose or whatever morning and evening, 732 00:30:50,740 --> 00:30:53,182 two pills morning and evening for seven days 733 00:30:53,182 --> 00:30:54,580 and then you go to one, morning and evening, 734 00:30:54,580 --> 00:30:58,070 and you run that course for 90 days. 735 00:30:58,070 --> 00:31:00,820 I actually had my first follow-up doctor's visit 736 00:31:00,820 --> 00:31:05,730 on the 1st of December and then say, "Okay, how am I?" 737 00:31:05,730 --> 00:31:07,030 My guess is if he's smart, 738 00:31:07,030 --> 00:31:09,060 he's gonna do a chest x-ray and he's gonna do 739 00:31:09,060 --> 00:31:12,210 a lot of the obligatory first things to find out, 740 00:31:12,210 --> 00:31:14,673 okay, let's do this baseline. 741 00:31:15,870 --> 00:31:18,587 I know that when I came out and the reason they sent me home 742 00:31:18,587 --> 00:31:23,140 was the blood tests were looking right. 743 00:31:23,140 --> 00:31:27,980 What's was really cool is they give you access 744 00:31:27,980 --> 00:31:29,380 to all your test results, 745 00:31:29,380 --> 00:31:31,100 all the doctor's notes, everything. 746 00:31:31,100 --> 00:31:33,640 So online, I can go in and see everything that was done 747 00:31:33,640 --> 00:31:34,970 and I can see the day by day track 748 00:31:34,970 --> 00:31:36,690 and then they graph it out. 749 00:31:36,690 --> 00:31:37,790 So, I've accessed all that thing 750 00:31:37,790 --> 00:31:40,940 and three examples of what stood out to me, glucose for one, 751 00:31:40,940 --> 00:31:43,760 'cause the body will pump glucose, pump energy, pump sugar, 752 00:31:43,760 --> 00:31:46,310 and all that was happening, but Tony doesn't know this. 753 00:31:46,310 --> 00:31:50,540 Normal level is 90 and I was up in like 350, 360 754 00:31:50,540 --> 00:31:52,540 on that first day going to the hospital. 755 00:31:53,380 --> 00:31:55,210 You have ferritin, you have iron 756 00:31:55,210 --> 00:31:58,520 and the normal on that is like 25 to 250. 757 00:31:58,520 --> 00:32:03,520 I was at 578 on day one, 748 on day two. 758 00:32:03,780 --> 00:32:05,547 Before, about four days, it took about four days in 759 00:32:05,547 --> 00:32:07,680 and I came back down 760 00:32:07,680 --> 00:32:09,450 and then there's this C reactive protein 761 00:32:09,450 --> 00:32:11,663 which apparently attacks the muscles, right? 762 00:32:12,930 --> 00:32:15,000 The normal is zero to a half 763 00:32:15,000 --> 00:32:16,633 and on day one going in and I heard this is low, 764 00:32:16,633 --> 00:32:18,610 I've heard of some people who had higher, 765 00:32:18,610 --> 00:32:22,940 I was 24, but I'm 48 times the high end of that range. 766 00:32:22,940 --> 00:32:24,160 Had Tony stayed home, 767 00:32:24,160 --> 00:32:27,410 all this stuff's happening inside of him, invisible. 768 00:32:27,410 --> 00:32:28,890 Invisible to me. 769 00:32:28,890 --> 00:32:31,447 - And even with this help, you lost 13 pounds. 770 00:32:31,447 --> 00:32:33,500 - I did, I lost 7% of my body weight. 771 00:32:33,500 --> 00:32:35,550 I knew I was losing it, it's muscle mass. 772 00:32:37,660 --> 00:32:40,240 I'm lower, I probably way less right now 773 00:32:40,240 --> 00:32:42,330 than I did in my 30s. 774 00:32:42,330 --> 00:32:47,220 And so, I'll be back in that gym when I feel comfortable 775 00:32:47,220 --> 00:32:48,940 and have enough stamina to do anything 776 00:32:48,940 --> 00:32:51,190 other than lifting toothpicks. 777 00:32:51,190 --> 00:32:53,700 - So, we've gone down a little bit of a path and discussion, 778 00:32:53,700 --> 00:32:56,270 but I wanna go backwards because we have to pull 779 00:32:56,270 --> 00:33:00,620 on that thread of the kind of care that you got, 780 00:33:00,620 --> 00:33:03,490 the level of care, the level of knowledge we have now 781 00:33:03,490 --> 00:33:05,420 that we didn't have in March. 782 00:33:05,420 --> 00:33:09,510 And I think that illustrates just how important it is 783 00:33:09,510 --> 00:33:12,430 for all of us at Team Tinker to do our part 784 00:33:12,430 --> 00:33:17,310 to stay COVID safe because now it's even more important 785 00:33:17,310 --> 00:33:19,050 that we have those hospital beds, 786 00:33:19,050 --> 00:33:20,670 that we have those ICU units 787 00:33:20,670 --> 00:33:25,670 because I think the prognosis of success is probably higher 788 00:33:26,180 --> 00:33:29,610 than it was six months ago and four months ago. 789 00:33:29,610 --> 00:33:32,940 And so, every bed is important because every bed really 790 00:33:32,940 --> 00:33:37,940 can make a difference and I think the real hammer home there 791 00:33:38,810 --> 00:33:41,560 is that they can really help at the hospital, 792 00:33:41,560 --> 00:33:43,780 but they can't if you can't get in. 793 00:33:43,780 --> 00:33:44,820 - That is very true. 794 00:33:44,820 --> 00:33:49,210 And I'll tell you to a T the staff down there was committed. 795 00:33:49,210 --> 00:33:51,570 It's been the same crew since the beginning. 796 00:33:51,570 --> 00:33:54,200 There is a little bit of fatigue setting in on some, 797 00:33:54,200 --> 00:33:57,780 but the attitude, the level of care, 798 00:33:57,780 --> 00:34:00,140 the knowledge, the proficiency, 799 00:34:00,140 --> 00:34:02,710 it's kind of hard when I was dehydrated from fever that long 800 00:34:02,710 --> 00:34:05,210 for them to find some veins here a couple of times 801 00:34:06,339 --> 00:34:07,740 it was so flat. 802 00:34:07,740 --> 00:34:09,070 But, they work, they try, 803 00:34:09,070 --> 00:34:11,320 they were professional all the way they, 804 00:34:11,320 --> 00:34:16,223 they communicated and now with what they can do, 805 00:34:17,220 --> 00:34:19,440 I think your point is right. 806 00:34:19,440 --> 00:34:21,320 People need to be able to get access 807 00:34:21,320 --> 00:34:23,513 to that when they need it. 808 00:34:24,780 --> 00:34:26,580 I felt I needed to get out of the hospital. 809 00:34:26,580 --> 00:34:30,810 In fact, my roommate was able to go home on Wednesday, 810 00:34:30,810 --> 00:34:34,640 the 11th, and then they took our room. 811 00:34:34,640 --> 00:34:36,630 They were gonna bring somebody else in 812 00:34:36,630 --> 00:34:37,690 which I thought would have been interesting 813 00:34:37,690 --> 00:34:39,360 'cause now you're gonna bring in a new patient, 814 00:34:39,360 --> 00:34:41,191 two guys on the back end of it 815 00:34:41,191 --> 00:34:42,024 and you're gonna bring in a new thing. 816 00:34:42,024 --> 00:34:42,857 And they said, "You know what? 817 00:34:42,857 --> 00:34:45,610 We've got one empty room over here that's a one bed room." 818 00:34:45,610 --> 00:34:46,860 They said, "We're gonna move you there." 819 00:34:46,860 --> 00:34:48,380 'Cause I supposed to go home the next day. 820 00:34:48,380 --> 00:34:50,420 They ended up having to keep me an extra one, 821 00:34:50,420 --> 00:34:52,840 but then that allowed them to clean our room 822 00:34:52,840 --> 00:34:54,330 and have two new beds. 823 00:34:54,330 --> 00:34:58,230 The doctor told me they had six ICU beds 824 00:34:58,230 --> 00:34:59,830 in the area that one day. 825 00:34:59,830 --> 00:35:01,180 Six. 826 00:35:01,180 --> 00:35:05,350 And Tulsa was full and it gets very dangerous 827 00:35:05,350 --> 00:35:08,140 because ICU is not the only place they take you obviously. 828 00:35:08,140 --> 00:35:11,010 They have the wing, but ICU for the most critical, 829 00:35:11,010 --> 00:35:12,030 it's what you have to have 830 00:35:12,030 --> 00:35:14,130 and that's why that's the measured metric. 831 00:35:16,154 --> 00:35:21,087 So many people you hear about the light cases of it. 832 00:35:25,620 --> 00:35:27,940 I spent 10 days in the hospital. 833 00:35:27,940 --> 00:35:28,773 10 days. 834 00:35:28,773 --> 00:35:31,820 After seven days at home with fever. 835 00:35:31,820 --> 00:35:34,053 And so, it was a crazy period. 836 00:35:34,910 --> 00:35:37,350 I should have been in the hospital at five 837 00:35:37,350 --> 00:35:38,870 and that's kind of a message. 838 00:35:38,870 --> 00:35:40,080 If you've got a fever that's going past five, 839 00:35:40,080 --> 00:35:41,440 don't wait till seven. 840 00:35:41,440 --> 00:35:42,273 - Yes, sir. 841 00:35:42,273 --> 00:35:44,950 And important to note that on Tinker, 842 00:35:44,950 --> 00:35:49,950 we have had an airman under the age of 30 almost pass away, 843 00:35:52,150 --> 00:35:54,850 spent a lot of time in the ICU, 844 00:35:54,850 --> 00:35:56,440 multiple days in the ICU, 845 00:35:56,440 --> 00:35:59,670 multiple tube drainage in the lungs, 846 00:35:59,670 --> 00:36:02,000 multiple ventilator interventions. 847 00:36:02,000 --> 00:36:06,730 And I think, I'm just trying to go off memory, 26 years old. 848 00:36:06,730 --> 00:36:08,160 So, we have to understand 849 00:36:08,160 --> 00:36:10,660 that it really can happen to anybody 850 00:36:10,660 --> 00:36:13,560 and it illustrates how safe we must be. 851 00:36:13,560 --> 00:36:15,290 We gotta take this seriously. 852 00:36:15,290 --> 00:36:17,330 For a frame of reference, Team Tinker, 853 00:36:17,330 --> 00:36:19,260 we're in a room right now, 854 00:36:19,260 --> 00:36:23,180 unmasked to accomplish this "Tinker Talk" session, 855 00:36:23,180 --> 00:36:26,820 but we're 10 feet apart, only four of us in a room 856 00:36:26,820 --> 00:36:29,750 that has a seating capacity of 75 857 00:36:29,750 --> 00:36:32,780 so that we can exercise the kind of precaution we need 858 00:36:32,780 --> 00:36:35,050 to make sure that we're staying safe from COVID, 859 00:36:35,050 --> 00:36:37,270 that we mask when we're indoors 860 00:36:37,270 --> 00:36:38,960 and when we can't separate from people 861 00:36:38,960 --> 00:36:42,220 by at least six feet, that we wash our hands 862 00:36:42,220 --> 00:36:44,430 when we touch something that isn't ours 863 00:36:44,430 --> 00:36:46,960 and that we conspicuously clean all the time, 864 00:36:46,960 --> 00:36:48,510 stay away from crowds. 865 00:36:48,510 --> 00:36:51,140 Those are the foundational basics 866 00:36:51,140 --> 00:36:54,650 of what we gotta get done here to keep people COVID safe. 867 00:36:54,650 --> 00:36:58,210 So, with that, sir, I'd like to give you an opportunity 868 00:36:58,210 --> 00:36:59,580 just to talk to Team Tinker 869 00:36:59,580 --> 00:37:01,530 with a closing message to our audience 870 00:37:01,530 --> 00:37:04,120 because what you've already delivered for us 871 00:37:04,120 --> 00:37:05,630 is of extraordinary value. 872 00:37:05,630 --> 00:37:07,490 And I just wanna say, thank you, 873 00:37:07,490 --> 00:37:09,210 and you can bring us home on this. 874 00:37:09,210 --> 00:37:10,490 - Okay, I will. 875 00:37:10,490 --> 00:37:13,223 Thank you, Colonel, I appreciate that, I appreciate that. 876 00:37:15,020 --> 00:37:19,350 You know, COVID is one of those great unknowns out there, 877 00:37:19,350 --> 00:37:22,400 unknown in the sense of where, when, why, 878 00:37:22,400 --> 00:37:24,003 and how it's gonna strike. 879 00:37:25,340 --> 00:37:29,170 I do know a lot of people who've had milder cases. 880 00:37:29,170 --> 00:37:31,960 I've had some employees who faced it. 881 00:37:31,960 --> 00:37:35,690 One had hospital time and she had about eight days 882 00:37:38,020 --> 00:37:40,420 and she recovered from it. 883 00:37:40,420 --> 00:37:45,420 All the other ones have generally been shorter periods, 884 00:37:45,710 --> 00:37:50,020 but the reality is not knowing what it is doing. 885 00:37:50,020 --> 00:37:52,640 You have to think about a couple of things. 886 00:37:52,640 --> 00:37:55,520 One, best course of action is doing everything possible 887 00:37:55,520 --> 00:37:56,453 to avoid it. 888 00:37:57,480 --> 00:38:00,940 I mentioned earlier that there's no worse feeling 889 00:38:00,940 --> 00:38:02,890 than to think you might've exposed somebody 890 00:38:02,890 --> 00:38:05,330 and that was one of my mantras upfront 891 00:38:05,330 --> 00:38:10,000 of be prudent, be prepared, and don't panic. 892 00:38:10,000 --> 00:38:12,420 So, I did that from the outset back in March 893 00:38:12,420 --> 00:38:14,660 and I carried that theme all the way through. 894 00:38:14,660 --> 00:38:16,640 It's not something you need to panic about. 895 00:38:16,640 --> 00:38:19,050 It's something you need to be smart about. 896 00:38:19,050 --> 00:38:22,417 And so, how do you be smart about it? 897 00:38:22,417 --> 00:38:25,330 You know, I really said I'm gonna trust the folks 898 00:38:25,330 --> 00:38:29,180 that are writing the protocols out 899 00:38:29,180 --> 00:38:31,360 because those are the types of things I would do 900 00:38:31,360 --> 00:38:32,660 if I had the flu. 901 00:38:32,660 --> 00:38:34,770 Those are the types of things I would do with anything else 902 00:38:34,770 --> 00:38:35,720 that was contagious. 903 00:38:35,720 --> 00:38:36,820 You have strep throat, what do you do? 904 00:38:36,820 --> 00:38:38,100 Stay home. 905 00:38:38,100 --> 00:38:39,780 So, things like that 906 00:38:39,780 --> 00:38:44,780 that arguably are smart to prevent the spread of it. 907 00:38:46,500 --> 00:38:47,940 But, I'll tell you, 908 00:38:47,940 --> 00:38:50,620 I think in my perspective looking backwards 909 00:38:51,702 --> 00:38:55,040 is I will be taking it even a step further 910 00:38:55,040 --> 00:38:59,340 because I adhered to the protocols, always with one caveat, 911 00:38:59,340 --> 00:39:04,170 if we're in a meeting and the other person wants 912 00:39:04,170 --> 00:39:07,310 to wear a mask and not with standing distances and stuff, 913 00:39:07,310 --> 00:39:09,930 I respect that and we'll all wear masks. 914 00:39:09,930 --> 00:39:12,640 And I usually deferred to those folks coming in 915 00:39:12,640 --> 00:39:15,660 'cause we may have contracting officer warrant boards 916 00:39:15,660 --> 00:39:17,640 and it's like, what do you want to do 917 00:39:17,640 --> 00:39:19,050 because we're gonna comply 918 00:39:19,050 --> 00:39:22,360 and I argue that a lot of that following protocols 919 00:39:22,360 --> 00:39:23,760 is respect for other people. 920 00:39:25,060 --> 00:39:29,453 On Wednesday when I had symptoms that night, 921 00:39:29,453 --> 00:39:32,140 I had two one-on-one meetings in my office 922 00:39:32,140 --> 00:39:33,960 which had space, which has a table 923 00:39:33,960 --> 00:39:35,610 that has eight seats around it 924 00:39:36,690 --> 00:39:39,880 and we spread out on opposite sides of the table. 925 00:39:39,880 --> 00:39:42,480 I had a meeting in the morning, meeting in the afternoon. 926 00:39:42,480 --> 00:39:44,080 The meeting in the afternoon 927 00:39:44,080 --> 00:39:49,080 we both wore masks because that colleague's mother 928 00:39:50,722 --> 00:39:51,970 has experienced COVID. 929 00:39:51,970 --> 00:39:55,250 And so, he's doing all protocols to be safe. 930 00:39:55,250 --> 00:39:56,880 So, we both wore masks. 931 00:39:56,880 --> 00:40:00,627 In the morning, offered up to one of my, 932 00:40:00,627 --> 00:40:01,920 it was one of my section chiefs 933 00:40:01,920 --> 00:40:04,270 and he says, "No, I'm fine. 934 00:40:04,270 --> 00:40:05,103 We're all good. 935 00:40:05,103 --> 00:40:05,936 Everything's good. 936 00:40:05,936 --> 00:40:06,769 We were spread apart. 937 00:40:08,770 --> 00:40:10,520 I show up with symptoms that night. 938 00:40:11,860 --> 00:40:13,760 Friday night he starts a low fever. 939 00:40:13,760 --> 00:40:17,040 I'm like two days, where's that window? 940 00:40:17,040 --> 00:40:19,500 Where's that proto, where's that contact tracing window, 941 00:40:19,500 --> 00:40:20,370 two to five, right? 942 00:40:20,370 --> 00:40:21,570 When symptoms? 943 00:40:21,570 --> 00:40:23,240 Two days, I'm like, oh my God. 944 00:40:23,240 --> 00:40:26,500 Now, fortunately he had a three-day boom, boom, 945 00:40:26,500 --> 00:40:31,163 low fever, up, down, gone and thank you. 946 00:40:34,160 --> 00:40:37,313 I may have given somebody COVID inadvertently. 947 00:40:38,780 --> 00:40:43,400 Still following the normally accepted protocols. 948 00:40:43,400 --> 00:40:45,100 So, I think there's things we don't know, 949 00:40:45,100 --> 00:40:46,890 like closed rooms and you've done it. 950 00:40:46,890 --> 00:40:51,890 Kudos Colonel Filcek, of rooms and room size 951 00:40:51,910 --> 00:40:54,250 and because there's some science that's starting 952 00:40:54,250 --> 00:40:58,650 to talk about saturating rooms with molecules. 953 00:40:58,650 --> 00:41:02,960 And so, masks are not necessarily a bad idea. 954 00:41:02,960 --> 00:41:07,000 In fact, that is what we've significantly moved to. 955 00:41:07,000 --> 00:41:09,080 Some of my offices actually put that in up front. 956 00:41:09,080 --> 00:41:10,520 They kinda all got together and says, 957 00:41:10,520 --> 00:41:12,240 we want to wear a mask in here anyway. 958 00:41:12,240 --> 00:41:13,073 Perfect. 959 00:41:13,073 --> 00:41:14,400 Do it. 960 00:41:14,400 --> 00:41:15,440 And, I was saying in fact 961 00:41:15,440 --> 00:41:17,770 that it wasn't a lot of people in the office 962 00:41:17,770 --> 00:41:18,603 when they were in, 963 00:41:18,603 --> 00:41:23,603 but so for me, I think follow protocols, 964 00:41:24,030 --> 00:41:25,943 but take them to an extra degree. 965 00:41:27,020 --> 00:41:28,200 From the beginning, 966 00:41:28,200 --> 00:41:32,410 I've always been aware of who's around me in space. 967 00:41:32,410 --> 00:41:34,570 I was never a space conscious person 968 00:41:34,570 --> 00:41:37,550 'cause I don't feel like space is ever infringing on me, 969 00:41:37,550 --> 00:41:41,810 but I become space aware more about understanding 970 00:41:41,810 --> 00:41:42,950 that I'm protecting someone else 971 00:41:42,950 --> 00:41:44,580 because I'm not breathing on them. 972 00:41:44,580 --> 00:41:47,233 You don't wanna give somebody COVID. 973 00:41:49,300 --> 00:41:53,800 The other thing is if you do start exhibiting symptoms, 974 00:41:53,800 --> 00:41:55,323 err on the side of caution. 975 00:41:56,300 --> 00:42:01,300 People have come into the office thinking yeah, 976 00:42:01,300 --> 00:42:03,730 I was there, but I'm gonna be okay. 977 00:42:03,730 --> 00:42:05,430 One of the protocols I practiced, 978 00:42:05,430 --> 00:42:07,070 I mentioned it about my circles, 979 00:42:07,070 --> 00:42:12,070 is maybe is if I saw one of my circles on a Monday, 980 00:42:13,380 --> 00:42:16,180 I'd kinda wait that two to five before I was ever 981 00:42:16,180 --> 00:42:18,480 in close proximity with another one of my circles 982 00:42:18,480 --> 00:42:22,990 so that I had a symptom development period there. 983 00:42:22,990 --> 00:42:24,890 So, if you're potentially, 984 00:42:24,890 --> 00:42:26,700 if you're around somebody and you're thinking, 985 00:42:26,700 --> 00:42:28,260 we were a little close, 986 00:42:28,260 --> 00:42:31,910 I went to a place and that was just tight. 987 00:42:31,910 --> 00:42:35,430 I actually went to an auction during the COVID period. 988 00:42:35,430 --> 00:42:37,060 I walked in, I looked, 989 00:42:37,060 --> 00:42:39,440 most of the people weren't masked and they were way close. 990 00:42:39,440 --> 00:42:43,020 And I said, not me, not here, not today and left. 991 00:42:43,020 --> 00:42:45,290 And I think you have to make that decision understanding 992 00:42:45,290 --> 00:42:49,220 that you don't have to be anywhere really 993 00:42:49,220 --> 00:42:51,580 at the end of the day, you don't have to be there. 994 00:42:51,580 --> 00:42:55,560 And so, make the smart decision not to put yourself at risk. 995 00:42:55,560 --> 00:42:59,630 And so, I think that is sensible. 996 00:42:59,630 --> 00:43:02,960 If you do develop symptoms, particularly fever, 997 00:43:02,960 --> 00:43:05,430 do not let it go past five days 998 00:43:05,430 --> 00:43:07,140 and don't think you're gonna be a hero 999 00:43:07,140 --> 00:43:09,180 because the things that were going on inside my body 1000 00:43:09,180 --> 00:43:13,440 that I didn't know about, literally there are probably three 1001 00:43:14,750 --> 00:43:17,743 of those that could have killed me within that. 1002 00:43:18,880 --> 00:43:20,580 - And sir, real quick, important to note 1003 00:43:20,580 --> 00:43:22,940 that you may not even have a fever 1004 00:43:22,940 --> 00:43:24,647 and you could have a number of the other symptoms 1005 00:43:24,647 --> 00:43:26,644 and still pass from COVID. 1006 00:43:26,644 --> 00:43:27,730 - That's very true. - So, a fever breaking 1007 00:43:27,730 --> 00:43:29,010 wouldn't really be an indication 1008 00:43:29,010 --> 00:43:30,840 that you're in a safe area at all. 1009 00:43:30,840 --> 00:43:32,060 - That is very true. 1010 00:43:32,060 --> 00:43:33,060 That is very true. 1011 00:43:33,060 --> 00:43:34,680 When you talk symptoms too, 1012 00:43:34,680 --> 00:43:36,720 easy tests and it's kind of funny every day 1013 00:43:36,720 --> 00:43:37,890 I smell my orange juice 1014 00:43:37,890 --> 00:43:40,563 and I taste my orange juice, every day. 1015 00:43:40,563 --> 00:43:42,620 It's like sense of smell still good. 1016 00:43:42,620 --> 00:43:44,640 So, it's just the easy things. 1017 00:43:44,640 --> 00:43:49,640 And I say that because one of my circles, 1018 00:43:49,700 --> 00:43:53,070 one gentlemen in one of my circles developed COVID 1019 00:43:53,070 --> 00:43:55,810 and tested positive for COVID about, 1020 00:43:55,810 --> 00:43:57,670 I don't know, 10 days ago maybe. 1021 00:43:57,670 --> 00:44:02,010 And he was out and somebody said something 1022 00:44:02,010 --> 00:44:03,230 about smelling something. 1023 00:44:03,230 --> 00:44:05,360 He was like, "Oh, I didn't smell that, it must be faint." 1024 00:44:05,360 --> 00:44:07,362 He said, "I'm driving home and I thought about it and said, 1025 00:44:07,362 --> 00:44:08,870 well, wait a minute." 1026 00:44:08,870 --> 00:44:11,320 He said, "I tried to smell my coffee." 1027 00:44:11,320 --> 00:44:12,380 Said, "I couldn't smell a coffee. 1028 00:44:12,380 --> 00:44:13,820 I'm like, okay." 1029 00:44:13,820 --> 00:44:14,653 He was heading home. 1030 00:44:14,653 --> 00:44:15,540 He went home. 1031 00:44:15,540 --> 00:44:17,050 I don't recommend this approach, 1032 00:44:17,050 --> 00:44:19,830 but he got a can of gasoline, which clearly you can smell 1033 00:44:19,830 --> 00:44:22,540 and he says I couldn't smell the gasoline. 1034 00:44:22,540 --> 00:44:24,490 And then he went to the VA and got tested 1035 00:44:25,470 --> 00:44:27,200 and sure enough he turned a positive. 1036 00:44:27,200 --> 00:44:30,560 So, he and his wife and three kids are quarantining 1037 00:44:30,560 --> 00:44:32,490 in the house, but he's a three-dayer 1038 00:44:32,490 --> 00:44:34,810 and no one else contracted it, 1039 00:44:34,810 --> 00:44:37,918 fortunately with the isolation. 1040 00:44:37,918 --> 00:44:42,250 But, be alert to how you're feeling. 1041 00:44:42,250 --> 00:44:46,740 Hopefully we all know what feels different with us. 1042 00:44:46,740 --> 00:44:48,530 And then probably the final message to you guys 1043 00:44:48,530 --> 00:44:53,530 is we always hear the Air Force and applaud it. 1044 00:44:56,600 --> 00:44:58,323 Say, take care of your wingman. 1045 00:45:01,490 --> 00:45:06,490 If you see somebody, particularly somebody who is like me, 1046 00:45:06,820 --> 00:45:08,163 you know, I live alone. 1047 00:45:10,650 --> 00:45:12,560 I'm at work, I'm at my circle. 1048 00:45:12,560 --> 00:45:14,280 So, people see me, 1049 00:45:14,280 --> 00:45:15,783 random people seeing me. 1050 00:45:17,290 --> 00:45:18,810 Notice when they're different 1051 00:45:20,260 --> 00:45:21,820 and that's kind of that wingman concept. 1052 00:45:21,820 --> 00:45:23,320 You can tell when somebody's troubled, 1053 00:45:23,320 --> 00:45:24,360 you can tell when they're bothered, 1054 00:45:24,360 --> 00:45:26,130 you can tell when they're stressed. 1055 00:45:26,130 --> 00:45:29,113 So, engage with them when you see that. 1056 00:45:30,572 --> 00:45:32,220 There are five people that saved my life, 1057 00:45:32,220 --> 00:45:33,510 I am convinced 1058 00:45:34,970 --> 00:45:37,950 that morning of the 4th of November 1059 00:45:38,860 --> 00:45:43,197 because stubborn Tony would have said, "Hey, I got past it." 1060 00:45:46,600 --> 00:45:48,120 Those things that are inside of me 1061 00:45:48,120 --> 00:45:50,500 and honestly there's still risks from the doctors, 1062 00:45:50,500 --> 00:45:54,070 one thing that they think they know about clots, 1063 00:45:54,070 --> 00:45:56,100 the antibodies they say tend maybe to go away 1064 00:45:56,100 --> 00:45:57,330 which maybe is unfortunate. 1065 00:45:57,330 --> 00:46:01,270 So, you may not develop an overall immunity to it. 1066 00:46:01,270 --> 00:46:03,610 But one thing they say about clots when you get clots 1067 00:46:03,610 --> 00:46:05,923 is now you'll always be susceptible to clots. 1068 00:46:07,540 --> 00:46:08,670 I hope that's not true. 1069 00:46:08,670 --> 00:46:11,810 My dad, God bless him, is 91 years old 1070 00:46:11,810 --> 00:46:13,517 and most of his family lives up in the 90s. 1071 00:46:13,517 --> 00:46:14,740 So, I figured people were gonna have 1072 00:46:14,740 --> 00:46:16,593 to put up with me for a long time. 1073 00:46:18,117 --> 00:46:19,200 COVID literally could have changed that. 1074 00:46:19,200 --> 00:46:22,563 COVID could have changed that in early November. 1075 00:46:23,760 --> 00:46:26,823 And so, very important I think. 1076 00:46:27,702 --> 00:46:28,930 I love what we do at Tinker. 1077 00:46:28,930 --> 00:46:31,480 I love the fact that we have dedicated our life 1078 00:46:31,480 --> 00:46:35,130 of service to the nation and the types of things that we do. 1079 00:46:35,130 --> 00:46:37,770 It's very important what we do for them. 1080 00:46:37,770 --> 00:46:42,010 We have to take care of ourselves in that same process. 1081 00:46:42,010 --> 00:46:43,470 Right? 1082 00:46:43,470 --> 00:46:48,470 And so, for me, part of that taking care of ourselves 1083 00:46:49,050 --> 00:46:51,730 is looking at those people that we see every day 1084 00:46:51,730 --> 00:46:53,853 and when somebody needs intervention, 1085 00:46:55,000 --> 00:46:56,360 you could be saving a life. 1086 00:46:56,360 --> 00:47:01,203 I really believe those five friends say mine. 1087 00:47:03,116 --> 00:47:04,120 That's it. 1088 00:47:04,120 --> 00:47:06,750 - Well, with that, thanks for holding it together on that 1089 00:47:06,750 --> 00:47:10,410 'cause I know that it's very, very touching to you. 1090 00:47:10,410 --> 00:47:11,720 That's pretty profound. 1091 00:47:11,720 --> 00:47:12,990 Thank you very much. 1092 00:47:12,990 --> 00:47:15,290 I'm gonna let Mark Hybers finish us off today, 1093 00:47:15,290 --> 00:47:18,660 but I think all of Team Tinker owes you a sincere debt 1094 00:47:18,660 --> 00:47:22,050 of gratitude for paying it forward, much appreciated 1095 00:47:22,050 --> 00:47:23,490 and thank you for the insight. 1096 00:47:23,490 --> 00:47:24,480 - Thank you. - Mark, bring us home. 1097 00:47:24,480 --> 00:47:25,313 - Thanks Colonel. 1098 00:47:25,313 --> 00:47:28,373 And Mr. Baumann, thank you so much for sharing your story. 1099 00:47:29,540 --> 00:47:31,310 We know we've been in this for quite a while 1100 00:47:31,310 --> 00:47:36,050 and this just goes to show that it's still around 1101 00:47:36,050 --> 00:47:39,530 and it's still dangerous and doing all the things 1102 00:47:39,530 --> 00:47:43,113 that are put forth with a great deal of thought. 1103 00:47:43,113 --> 00:47:45,780 And, of course, that always comes out. 1104 00:47:45,780 --> 00:47:47,703 And Colonel, great job, sir. 1105 00:47:49,272 --> 00:47:51,270 Thanks for taking the stick as we say in the Air Force 1106 00:47:51,270 --> 00:47:53,560 and as we navigate these waters 1107 00:47:53,560 --> 00:47:56,570 through this pandemic to finally get to the end. 1108 00:47:56,570 --> 00:47:58,543 And I think before we get outta here, 1109 00:47:59,420 --> 00:48:03,580 I think we should also just, as you had said, Mr. Baumann, 1110 00:48:03,580 --> 00:48:08,580 the wingman concept and a shout out to our first responders 1111 00:48:08,960 --> 00:48:10,800 and our medical professionals 1112 00:48:10,800 --> 00:48:15,330 and not just outside of the base, 1113 00:48:15,330 --> 00:48:17,580 we don't do those things here on the base 1114 00:48:17,580 --> 00:48:18,980 because we're not a hospital, 1115 00:48:18,980 --> 00:48:22,750 but our first responders here are very equipped 1116 00:48:22,750 --> 00:48:27,000 to be able to jump in and assess situations like that. 1117 00:48:27,000 --> 00:48:29,600 And I just think it can't be stated enough 1118 00:48:29,600 --> 00:48:33,530 that we owe all of our first responders 1119 00:48:33,530 --> 00:48:35,540 a great deal of gratitude. 1120 00:48:35,540 --> 00:48:36,970 And so with that, 1121 00:48:36,970 --> 00:48:40,750 we are gonna close out this episode of "Tinker Talks." 1122 00:48:40,750 --> 00:48:43,510 I do wanna remind you to check us out on social media 1123 00:48:43,510 --> 00:48:47,440 that's @TinkerAirForceBase on Facebook and Instagram 1124 00:48:47,440 --> 00:48:50,430 and @team_tinker on Twitter. 1125 00:48:50,430 --> 00:48:53,600 And of course, for all the latest coronavirus updates 1126 00:48:53,600 --> 00:48:56,900 that we do have, we have a very robust page here at Tinker. 1127 00:48:56,900 --> 00:49:00,940 You can find that at www.tinker.af.mil. 1128 00:49:00,940 --> 00:49:05,540 And as we always say until next time, stay safe out there, 1129 00:49:05,540 --> 00:49:08,597 treat each other with a lot of respect and have a great day 1130 00:49:08,597 --> 00:49:10,032 and great week. 1131 00:49:10,032 --> 00:49:12,699 (upbeat music)