'You don't want it:' Woman leaves hospital after spending weeks recovering from COVID-19

MILWAUKEE -- For the first time in roughly three weeks, Linda Wilson stepped outside. She left Froedtert Hospital on Monday, May 25 after recovering from the coronavirus.

"Great, it feels good to get out of there," Wilson said. "Oh, it's just awful. You don't want it, you don't want to have it."

Wilson was diagnosed early in May with symptoms she knew were related to COVID-19.

"I just started throwing up blood and coughing. And my body just got to aching and hurting and I couldn't do nothing. My doctor said, 'Go to the hospital,'" Wilson said.

That trip to the hospital turned into nearly a month's stay.

"They put me in the ICU for two whole weeks because I couldn't breathe. I couldn't do anything. I was sedated on a lot of medication," Wilson said.

Wilson was isolated on a floor with other COVID-19 patients. She told FOX6 News the road to recovery was agonizing.

"Hell, I was hallucinating. I couldn't keep my food down. They had to put tubes down in me. I thought I was a baby, I went back to my baby memories," Wilson said.

But Wilson calls the medical staff attending to her recovery -- her angels.

"It was really great, it was awesome. I love them, every one of them. I want to send them a treat up here because they were that awesome to me -- even the doctor," Wilson said.

Balloons and flowers in tow, Wilson was ready to leave this nightmare in the rearview mirror. But not before sharing one last thought.

"I just wanted to tell the world that, 'Look at me, I'm a true witness. I had this, you don't want it. It's not nothing nice." Wilson said.

The next step of recovery for Wilson is a lot of physical therapy. Doctors will perform home visits to help her fully regain her independence.