Katy woman wears wedding gown to surprise husband in hospital with COVID-19 'He was struggling to breathe': A couple shares what helped them survive tough fight with COVID-19

Barbara and Matthew Reed ultimately did celebrate their 8th anniversary together, even after Matthew's COVID-19 diagnosis. Barbara came up with a creative plan. She held her own celebration, with heartfelt signs, directed to Matthew's hospital window from Katy Memorial Hermann's lawn. less Barbara and Matthew Reed ultimately did celebrate their 8th anniversary together, even after Matthew's COVID-19 diagnosis. Barbara came up with a creative plan. She held her own celebration, with heartfelt ... more Photo: Barbara And Matthew Reed Photo: Barbara And Matthew Reed Image 1 of / 123 Caption Close Katy woman wears wedding gown to surprise husband in hospital with COVID-19 1 / 123 Back to Gallery

For better or for worse. In sickness and in health. Little did Barbara Reed know these wedding vows would have a profoundly different meaning when she wheeled her husband into Memorial Hermann Katy Hospital on April 1, 2020.

"I was just sitting in the parking lot, crying, because I forgot to say I love him. I thought I may never see him again," Barbara said.

Her husband, Matthew first began to exhibit symptoms of COVID-19 on March 22.

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"My first symptom was a low-grade temperature. I went and got tested at Next Level Urgent Care," Matthew said. "They said it would be about 8 days before we got results. But we got the test results in 4 days, and it was positive."

Matthew said his symptoms grew worse.

"I started to have shortness of breath. Every day after that, it got more severe," he added.

Matthew credits his wife for keeping vigilant care of him and taking meticulous notes.

"She documented what I took. If I had a rough time sleeping, taking my temperature," he said.

Barbara said the diagnosis was heart-wrenching.

"It rocks you. You go into panic mode. You think--what's the next step?"

Every four hours, like clockwork, Matthew's high temperature would return.

"It got as high as 104. That was at home, not at the hospital. We fought this in our home, not in the hospital for 11 days. Then, he got worse," Barbara said.

Matthew said that after days of fighting the virus, he knew he needed help.

"After a really rough night on the 31st, I woke up and that was the day I went in," Matthew said.

Barbara said his breathing had become labored. She discovered it was crucial to monitor his oxygen level -- the saturation of oxygen into the red blood cells, which she evaluated through a Pulse Oximeter.

"He just wasn't getting enough oxygen into his system. He'd been severely dehydrated," Barbara said.

Barbara then packed his bags, paying diligent care to what he would need. Tucked in with his clothes were headphones, a phone charger and pictures of his two children, Luke and Ella.

Before she left the house, she called ahead to Memorial Hermann Katy Hospital to find out what the admissions process was and what she could expect.

"I didn't want any questions about COVID-19. Calling ahead was one of the most important things I could have done. He immediately need the IV, he was that dehydrated. They admitted him right away," Barbara said.

Once he was in the hospital's care, she could tell he came at the right time.

"He was struggling to breathe. The oxygen was on pretty much the whole time he was there," she said.

In Matthew's case, Memorial Hermann's patient support was through traditional care, not experimental treatments.

"They took care of the oxygen, respiratory exercise, the inhaler. They did a lot of things that I know helped. He was not critical at that point," Barbara said.

Matthew had also lost his appetite.

"Everything tastes metallic when you're a COVID-19 patient. He wasn't eating food. He had lost 16 pounds," Barbara said.

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What made it even more heart-wrenching for Barbara was the realization that she would not be able to share the couple's eighth anniversary together, side-by-side. She then came up with a creative plan. The idea came to her when she took her pups, Taco and Belle, on a walk.

"I realized our anniversary was tomorrow, and he's not going to be coming home. I was really upset and not sure what to do," Barbara said.

She called a local Katy spot, Twinkle Greetings, to help her set up signs in the lawn at Memorial Hermann where Matt could see them from his hospital window. Barbara even went a step further, donning her old wedding dress and brandishing the signs of affection. Her sign read, "You're my lobster,"--a reference to an old 'Friends' episode referring to lobsters' monogamous traits. Barbara even got Luke and Ella involved in the heartfelt display.

"I didn’t know any of this was coming," Matthew said. "It was an incredible shot in the arm. I felt isolated. I could only video chat with people. It was heartwarming."

Matthew was released from the hospital after a relatively short stay, his symptoms becoming manageable enough to return home. He credits his Memorial Hermann nurses, Jennifer and Shereka, for helping bring him back to a picture of health.

"All the love should go to the nurses. They were the ones who did so much of the work," Matthew said.

alison.medley@chron.com