West Frankfort man diagnosed with West Nile tells his story | News

WEST FRANKFORT, IL (KFVS)- A West Frankfort man is battling West Nile virus after he says he was bit by a mosquito while sitting in his chair on his front porch.

According to Don Hobgood, one day in early August he felt great. Later that night when he went to bed, his chest started to hurt and he was drained of energy, and other symptoms started popping up. Hobgood said he didn't even get any sleep that night.

The next day, Hobgood said he went to the Veterans' Administration Hospital in Marion. At first they diagnosed him with pneumonia and gave him antibiotics. Days later, he was back at the VA hospital where they ran some more tests. The doctors' told him the tests were positive for West Nile. After two weeks in the hospital, Hobgood got to go home and said he is feeling much better.

Hobgood's wife and son had complained about mosquitoes on the front porch and being bitten, but Hobgood said he didn't notice them and kept sitting in his chair on his front porch. He thinks that maybe if he would have felt them biting him, he might not have been in this scenario.

"It was scary, and if I didn't go that day back to the VA Hospital, it could have been my life," he said.

Hobgood says he hopes his story will encourage people around the area and in all areas to be aware of any symptoms you may feel and to take them seriously and go to see a doctor. This may be the difference between life and death.

He thanks the great doctors for saving his life at the VA hospital in Marion and feel they really did a great job looking after him.

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