Skip to content
Search AI Powered

Latest Stories

Man's Before And After Pictures Capture The Devastating Toll The Virus Took On His Body After Six Weeks In The Hospital

Man's Before And After Pictures Capture The Devastating Toll The Virus Took On His Body After Six Weeks In The Hospital
@thebearded_nurse/Instagram

With more and more personal accounts circulating, some of the intense, lesser-known aspects of a bout with the viral pathogen at the root of the global pandemic are coming to light.

Among other horrors, battling the virus is apparently a total time warp.


Mike Schultz, a 43-year-old nurse living and working in San Francisco, was one of many front line healthcare workers who caught the virus.

His recent Instagram post—a set of waist up, before and after selfies—illustrated what we've all heard repeatedly but rarely see close up: the virus-related illness is extremely powerful. If not fatal, the illness can beat down even a strong, healthy human body.

thebearded_nurse/Instagram

The before photo on the left captured Schultz at his healthiest. 190 pounds and fit, thanks to a habit of working out nearly every day of the week.

On the right was Schultz at his weakest, 50 pounds lighter, skin muted.

After the post caught some serious attention, BuzzFeed Newscaught up with Schultz to learn about the finer details and the timeline of the whole saga.

On March 14, Schultz flew from San Francisco to Boston for a visit with his boyfriend. At the time, he felt a little sick but nothing major.

By March 16, Schultz's illness worsened. He struggled to breathe and his fever reached 103 degrees. He was admitted to the hospital, where he was given oxygen and a sedative within the first day.

Not long after, doctors began to discuss the need for a ventilator.

Schultz feared the direction things were headed.

"One of the doctors said early on I was probably going to be intubated, and it freaked me out."

When he finally came off the ventilator six weeks later, Schultz was struck by the gravity of what he went through.

"I thought only a week had gone by."
"I was so weak. This was one of the most frustrating parts. I couldn't hold my cellphone; it was so heavy. I couldn't type, because my hands shook so much."

Schultz went on to elaborate why he decided to take the hospital selfie, a usually simple task that was utterly exhausting in his weakened condition.

Like many younger people, he learned a hard lesson after he tempted fate just a week before his hospitalization, when he attended the Winter Party Festival at Miami Beach.

"I knew what I thought going in. I didn't think it was as serious as it was until after things started happening. I thought I was young enough for it not to affect me, and I know a lot of people think that."
"I wanted to show it can happen to anyone. It doesn't matter if you're young or old, have pre-existing conditions or not. It can affect you."

Folks on Instagram and Twitter, in their own tongue-in-cheek way, managed to put a positive spin on things.

@andydhammer/Instagram


@jackinphx/Instagram





As he faces the recovery phase, and life at home trudges on, Schultz is forced to find some new ways to spend all the time he used to dedicate each day to the gym.

We wish him only the most comfortable and speedy return to health.

More from Trending

Screenshot of Jared Moskowitz
@Acyn/X

Dem Rep Epically Mocks Trump Official Over His Bizarre Emojis In Leaked Group Chat

Speaking during a House judiciary meeting, Florida Democratic Representative Jared Moskowitz mocked national security advisor Michael Waltz for using a strange series of emojis in the leaked group chat now known as "Signalgate."

Amid revelations that Atlantic editor Jeffrey Goldberg was invited into a Signal chat with high-level Trump administration officials, particularly Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, discussing military strategy surrounding war strikes in Yemen, Moskowitz couldn't help but underscore the absurdity within the chat itself.

Keep ReadingShow less
Donald Trump; George Clooney
Win McNamee/Getty Images, John Lamparski/Getty Images

Trump Melts Down After George Clooney Calls Him Out On '60 Minutes' For Attacking Journalists

Republican President Donald Trump lashed out at George Clooney after the Hollywood A-lister commented on 60 Minutes about how the U.S. government loathes the press regardless of their political allegiance.

Clooney, 63, was on the news magazine broadcast program to promote the Broadway production of Good Night, and Good Luck, adapted from the 2005 historical drama film of the same name, which he directed and co-wrote.

Keep ReadingShow less
Stephen Colbert and Pete Hegseth
@colbertlateshow/Threads; LiveNOW from Fox/YouTube

Colbert Hilariously Loses It After Hegseth Tries To Throw Atlantic Journalist Under The Bus Over War Plans Group Chat

Amid revelations that Atlantic editor Jeffrey Goldberg was invited into a Signal chat with high-level Trump administration officials, particularly Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, discussing military strategy surrounding their war strikes in Yemen, talk show host Stephen Colbert angrily called out Hegseth for demonizing Goldberg once the scandal broke.

Instead of providing an explanation or apology, Hegseth went on the offensive, criticizing Goldberg as "deceitful and highly discredited" and dismissing him as "a guy that peddles in garbage."

Keep ReadingShow less
Pedro Pascal; Jennifer Aniston
Axelle/Bauer-Griffin/FilmMagic/Getty Images; Kevin Mazur/Getty Images

Pedro Pascal Cheekily Clears The Air After Photos Spark Jennifer Aniston Romance Rumors

Pedro Pascal has become so popular, he can't even get a martini dinner in peace!

The Mandalorian star has become a swoon-worthy heartthrob in the last few years, and his immense popularity has left his fanbase wanting to either date him or be him. But his fans are perfectly happy to speculate about his love life, too!

Keep ReadingShow less
Nathan Lane
Phillip Faraone/WireImage

Nathan Lane Reveals Frustrating Reason 'Space Jam' Director Rejected Him For Role

Actor Nathan Lane, on publicity tour for a new TV series, discussed old films and old chances in an interview with Vanity Fair recently.

The actor—a Tony, Emmy, Screen Actors Guild, and Laurence Olivier award winner—talked about how all the awards in the world did not land him a role in the iconic movie Space Jam back in 1997.

Keep ReadingShow less