God, please help me make it through this night! Elsie Bjorndahl anxiously prayed as she rolled on her side, clutching the wedge of pillows that failed to ease her shortness of breath.
In the fall of 2021, the then-77-year-old Arizona resident had contracted COVID-19, and after a few weeks, she’d thought she had recovered. But to her dismay, Elsie couldn’t shake her lingering cough and agonizing lung congestion. She feared the worst when gurgling sounds coming from her chest startled her awake one night and, suddenly, struggling to breathe and being unable to take a full breath without coughing and gasping had become her new normal.
Nighttime was the worst for Elsie, a retired hairdresser and beauty shop owner who lived alone. Every morning, she’d test to see if she was improving by trying to take a deep breath without coughing. But each morning, she was unsuccessful.
Elsie tried sleeping upright in her recliner for several nights. Though she slept a little better, to her dismay, she still woke fighting for breath.
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