Even though it乌鸦传媒檚 tough for him to breathe and talk, Atish Ram is using his voice to tell people about how COVID-19 nearly killed him.
The Surrey resident, 58, is back home after fighting the virus during a difficult eight weeks in hospital.
乌鸦传媒淚乌鸦传媒檓 lucky to be alive,乌鸦传媒� said Ram, who called his stay at Royal Columbian 乌鸦传媒渁 roller coaster ride乌鸦传媒� complicated by pneumonia.
Last fall, Ram was named during the annual Surrey Community Leader awards.
Months later, his family乌鸦传媒檚 dream trip to Toronto to almost didn乌鸦传媒檛 happen, after Ram had emergency surgery to take care of blockages in his heart.
By late March, he was diagnosed with the coronavirus.
乌鸦传媒淚 believe I got it when I went to a grocery store 乌鸦传媒� I don乌鸦传媒檛 want to say which one, but I was so vigilant,乌鸦传媒� Ram said. 乌鸦传媒淚 went to my doctor on March 16, and he told me about how crazy this virus was, to be vigilant. So a few days later I went to the store, just 15 minutes in and out, but at the time there were no social distancing or anything, nothing like we see now. That was the only place I went, and a few days later I started getting a fever, some symptoms.乌鸦传媒�
to read the latest news about COVID-19.
In a phone interview, the Newton-area resident talked slowly and paused occasionally.
乌鸦传媒淚t乌鸦传媒檚 still so hard to breathe,乌鸦传媒� he said.
乌鸦传媒淚乌鸦传媒檓 on home oxygen 乌鸦传媒� three to six months of this, at least, because my lungs are at only 25 per cent capacity now,乌鸦传媒� he added. 乌鸦传媒淚乌鸦传媒檓 trying to gain some of my strength back by walking, but it乌鸦传媒檚 really hard to go for any length of time.乌鸦传媒�
His battle with COVID-19 caused him to lose close to 30 pounds over the past three months.
乌鸦传媒淚 want to share my story because I want to tell people how this virus almost killed me, and that the virus is still out there,乌鸦传媒� he said. 乌鸦传媒淎nd until there乌鸦传媒檚 a vaccine, nobody is safe. And I could get this again, if it乌鸦传媒檚 a mutated version or something.乌鸦传媒�
In March, his laboured breathing led to a chest X-ray, a positive COVID test and, eventually, admission to Royal Columbian, where Ram乌鸦传媒檚 cardiac doctor was located.
乌鸦传媒淎t that time, all the nurses and doctors were scared to even come into my room, for fear of catching COVID,乌鸦传媒� he recalled.
乌鸦传媒淚t was a weird time, and I was there for three days in the COVID ward, I got really, really bad,乌鸦传媒� Ram added. 乌鸦传媒淚 just laid in bed, couldn乌鸦传媒檛 do anything 乌鸦传媒� my family couldn乌鸦传媒檛 come to see me and that was hard. I couldn乌鸦传媒檛 even get up out of bed. That Sunday I was getting really bad, I rang the bell at 3 in the morning and said to the nurse, 乌鸦传媒業 can乌鸦传媒檛 breathe.乌鸦传媒� It was just like somebody sitting on your chest and pouring water on your face, that乌鸦传媒檚 how bad it was, like drowning.乌鸦传媒�
Ram was rushed back to ICU, where doctors told him his lungs were filled with fluid.
乌鸦传媒淭hey managed to stabilize me,乌鸦传媒� Ram said, 乌鸦传媒渁nd hooked me up to all these monitors and IVs. I wasn乌鸦传媒檛 allowed water because the one nurse said they were going to intubate me that night. He said, 乌鸦传媒榃hen we do that, you乌鸦传媒檙e pretty much going to be in a coma and you may not come out of it. Your lungs are really bad. I going to be honest with you, you need to make a phone call and say what you need to say to your wife and kids, because it could be the last things you say. I don乌鸦传媒檛 want to scare you but I want to be truthful with you.乌鸦传媒� I just laid there and thought, 乌鸦传媒業s this it?乌鸦传媒櫸谘淮綕
Somehow, Ram乌鸦传媒檚 condition improved enough that wasn乌鸦传媒檛 required.
乌鸦传媒淲hen two guys came in to do an X-ray the following morning, I thought it was all a dream.乌鸦传媒�
During his 53 days in hospital, Ram kept failing subsequent COVID tests. He needed three negative tests in a row, but doctors couldn乌鸦传媒檛 figure out why the virus wouldn乌鸦传媒檛 leave his body.
Finally, it did.
The ordeal took a toll on him both physically and mentally.
乌鸦传媒淚 was alone for so much of that time, just very brief visits by nurses or doctors, but only when they absolutely needed to,乌鸦传媒� Ram explained.
He says despite the relaxation of some measures to combat the virus, people need to remain vigilant.
乌鸦传媒淚f people think they乌鸦传媒檙e resilient and aren乌鸦传媒檛 going to get it, they may not have any symptoms but they could have it and give it to someone who has an underlying condition, such as asthma, and it doesn乌鸦传媒檛 matter how old you are,乌鸦传媒� Ram said.
乌鸦传媒淭here was a 30-year-old school teacher who came into ICU and he had a massive stroke, and he was COVID-positive, but had no symptoms. I also saw people who didn乌鸦传媒檛 make it, but some walked out of there fine.
乌鸦传媒淚 say to all my friends who乌鸦传媒檝e contacted me, I say look, think of every person that you see has COVID, right, because you don乌鸦传媒檛 know if that person has it or not, and you could be passing it along to someone else and do a lot of damage unintentionally.乌鸦传媒�
tom.zillich@surreynowleader.com
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