When I was in hospital, I think when they tried and I gained consciousness a bit, because I’m allergic to penicillin and certain medications. I have whatever it is, a wristband, an allergy NHS wristband on my…you could see with my watch. So, I think one of the doctors read it and then said I can’t help you, but I’ve been warned that if I have serious conditions which those medications I cannot use them, I’m going to lose my life. So, in fact when he said it, the thought just occurred that, look, this is the time, and I’m not sure I’m going to make it, you know? So, I started praying, but I was praying when I went off. Because I was in and out of consciousness, but every time they tried, I come back, I go, I come back, I go, you know?

What would you say has been most valuable in helping you recover?

Everybody, everybody around me. Everybody around me, because what they say to me is it’s only a few who are able to cross the line and come back to tell the story, so because they know most people die if you go to that extent of… Because look, don’t tell a lie, at the hospital I was the first to recover, and when I recovered, the whole hospital lined up clapping for me, which from when I was coming out of intensive care, the whole nurses and doctors, everybody lined up and clapping, you know, for my recovery.

So, it’s like that’s when I began to wonder what had transpired, even though I was just lying down in that vegetable or cabbage state, you know? I began to appreciate if they had to do that, then their time is worth whatever it is, wow, and I thanked them all for the good work they did, and God bless them and their families. The courage as well they’ve got in that pandemic, because sometimes when they come, and you could see the fear in their eyes… And I say kudos to them, and God bless them all.

Yes, because you were one of the very, very early patients, so very little was known and also, yes… So, when you say fear in their eyes, did you get any sense of how difficult it was for professionals at that time?

Yes. It was… Look, when I was growing up, we learned about deadly diseases and like, say, for example, anthrax. You know, I grew up in Africa, so I know about deadly diseases and water-borne diseases and viruses. But never had it ever struck me in my face, in reality, my learning and reading in books and warning me about it, but for it to stare in your face, glaringly, like that, you know, it was an experience. It was an experience, I’ll say. Yes, because anthrax, when you read about it, yes, you should be expecting something of that nature, tuberculosis as well, you know, and for them to be coming near me as well with me having what you call an airborne disease which, if they breathe in, or any gaseous exchange, it will affect them directly or indirectly, and they have families, come on. I mean, who would put his life on the line to save and rescue another human being, knowing very well the consequences? So yes, I do appreciate their hard work and effort.

I realised there was something wrong with me. But because it started on the very mild, gradual…it’s like I was thinking of, yes, I am a man, I can man it up, and the government stance on the whole issue was if it’s not severe, don’t go to the A&E, I mean, just stay at home, you know? Because there are more urgent issues being adhered to or taking care of. And then with the GP as well, what they were saying was if it’s not very severe, don’t go there and bother them.

So basically, it got to a point that I’d been wondering what is going on, and all the symptoms that the government gave as regarding coughing, flu-like symptoms, et cetera, I mean, all the guidelines they gave or the symptoms that should…tell you the signs, none of them were…I wasn’t…what was happening to me, none of them was ticking the box. But it was, I think, in the second week, because I was going about my normal duties, everything was…even though I realised something was wrong with me, I was going about, you know, walking, doing everything normally. But it was, I think, in the first or second week that I realised that I’m off of food, and I’m not eating for two days.

So, then the thought now started, you know, having a look, hey, you’ve not eaten for two days, then either it’s anorexia or bulimia, something should be going wrong now for the body to be rejecting food completely. So, I went to the pharmacy to see whether probably there’s anything they could give me to probably kickstart the appetite or… So, I sent the kids to the pharmacy to do that.

But it wasn’t working, so I think in the second week, the third or fourth day, I was in the house complaining…well, I cooked for the children and then I asked them to…the third day I asked the children to, you know, feed themselves and help themselves to the [inaudible] it’s all helping me with the Zoom or whatever it is to, how do you call it, get the Zoom and change the emails for me.

It was as if…complaining you’re ill, you’re ill, you’re ill, and you’re not participating, so come, let me give you a normal medical check-up in the house, you know? Because we have most of all, I would say, DIY medical…taking blood pressure, sugar monitor, diabetes monitor, oximeter test, you know, we’ve got all the medical basic whatever. So, he started putting them on, and when he put on the oximeter, that is when he realised that my oxygen level had dropped to about 67 per cent.

So, he said, oh no, definitely there’s something wrong here. But with 67 per cent, I don’t think he could make it, it’s the oximeter which is faulty, so he took the oximeter off, and put it on his finger to check the oxygen levels. So, his was over 97 per cent. So, he tried it back on my finger again, then it was the same. So, well, he then took the opportunity to try on the other siblings, so he said, look, Dad, you’re not going to make it.

How do you look back on that time?

Number one, the electricity shouldn’t go off, because if the electricity goes off, that was one of my fears.

Oh, was it?

Yes, that the electricity shouldn’t go off. Number two, the oxygen banks shouldn’t empty out.

Yes, can you say more about that? So were you very afraid when in intensive care?

Of course! Of course. It was between life and death. Can you just imagine somebody changing the figures and pressing the button and makes a mistake? Then you hear all the alarms going off, before probably they will call for an expert or somebody who knows what they’re doing and come and change the figures again. Yes, of course. And once everything starts going off, the alarms are so sensitive, once it starts going off, you see yourself go.

Yes.

Because number one, I didn’t want…I didn’t experience a nurse or anybody to come near the machines. Two, praying that the electricity doesn’t go off. Three, the oxygen keeps running. Yes…

Yes, I can imagine with all the machines around you, and…

You’re just lying down there with everything around you like a ticking bomb not to go off.