Tommy Dreamer has opened up about his experience with COVID-19.
On the latest episode of his House of Hardcore podcast, Dreamer revealed that he tested positive for COVID while he was in Alaska in April for Wrestle Pro.
"This is day 24 since I've been exposed to COVID. I've never been sicker in my life. I went to Alaska and was exposed on that Friday. The company I went for, Wrestle Pro, everyone tested negative. They were there about a week before I came in and someone tested positive. How that happened, it was a wrestler, and that wrestler had to fly home and he tested positive. Saturday, mid-afternoon, we all found out. The company did everything and told the wrestlers and fans. Nobody asked for refunds or anything," he said.
Dreamer wrestled two matches on the tour, facing Shane Douglas on April 9 and Sami Callihan on April 10.
"As soon as I got in the ring and looked at the crowd and there were so many people not wearing masks. I said, 'I made the wrong decision.' I did it for selfish reasons and wanted to check Alaska off my bucket list to say I wrestled in every state and financial reasons. There was a good financial deal for me. It's going to have long-term effects on my health. The wrestler who tested positive, I drove in the car back from the show with the person he wrestled. Both of us felt fine. The next morning, I woke up with a headache. The person who drove me back to the hotel, he and his daughter weren't feeling well. He tested positive, his daughter tested negative. I know 12 people on the tour who tested positive, myself would be 13. It's no fault of the promotion," stated Dreamer.
Dreamer said he took precautions and tried to socially distance and also wouldn't take photos with anyone without wearing his mask. He said he was the sickest of everyone who tested positive for COVID.
When describing his symptoms, Dreamer said, "It felt like I had a massive concussion and I had a non-stop throbbing pain in my head for 17 days. Then came the fever. It was going up to 102, 102.4, and I had that for about seven days. The chills, at one point I had four winter blankets on me and I still felt like I was outside naked in the snow. That was about four days. Sweats, I would be freezing for two to three hours and then came the sweats and having to change the sheets daily. That lasted about 16 to 17 days. Weakness and fatigue were next level. I'm on day 24 and I've had three good days. It feels like you overcome and then it hits you all over again. I tested positive on Thursday and had already exposed my family. Thursday night, I was in so much physical pain that I literally said, 'I'm going to pee myself because I can't get up to walk to the bathroom.' One night, I woke up crying and in pain. My elbows and hips felt like they were on fire, and I've been on fire. It was a raging pain, burning in both my elbows and hips. No matter which way I turned, I lost use of both my arms. They were just hanging. I couldn't lay in bed. I had to stand for two hours against the wall.
He went on to say that he was worried his life would be over because of how bad he was feeling. He also had unbearable pain in his leg and has a varicose vein on the back of his leg. He is worried about blood clots and the long-term effects of what has happened to his leg.
Dreamer said, "The saddest part was that I did it to myself" and that he infected his wife Infected Beulah McGillicutty and his daughter.
Dreamer noted that he won't wrestle Independent shows until he's fully vaccinated and he's shocked at how many people haven't come forward. He thinks there is a responsibility on those who have tested positive to tell the locker room, family, and fans.
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