Awww, does that little piece of cloth across your nose and mouth irritate you? Well, in the words of one my favorite preacher, "suck it up, buttercup."

Oh and for those of you moaning about freedom, let me tell you the process of being intubated completely negates the whole concept of body autonomy. Because it is natural for us to not want a tube stuck down our throat, we try to fight the nurses and respiratory therapists when they try to insert the breathing tube (which, by the way, you feel every movement as it snakes down your airway.) Despite being sedated, I also had to be physically restrained to keep from fighting my caregivers and pulling at he tubing once it was in.

So yeah...you're way past discomfort and freedom when you are strapped down and a machine is breathing for you. You can't move. You feel like you can't breathe while at the same time you feel the machine pushing air into your damaged lungs. You can't call for help. You are terrified.

Wear your mask and get vaccinated. Trust me, you never, ever want to be intubated.