A Highland taxi driver has paid tribute to the doctors and nurses who saved his life as he returned home following a terrifying coronavirus ordeal in hospital.
Brian Dobbie, 57, spent eight days in Raigmore Hospital in Inverness after a cough he developed at the end of March suddenly deteriorated.
Within a week of first noticing it he was left unable to walk more than 10 steps without becoming breathless.
Just a few hours after relaying his symptoms to NHS 24, he found himself in a high dependency unit being pumped full of oxygen from a continuous positive airway pressure device.
Three nights with an oxygen mask strapped to his face followed and after five days in the high dependency unit, his condition improved enough for him to return to a general admissions ward.
A further three days on the ward with steady improvement followed before he was allowed to return to the home he shares with his wife Colleen and two children in Hilton, Inverness.
“It was a frightening experience but I know I am one of the lucky ones,” Brian said.
“The reason I’m still here is because of the people that risked their own health to look after me in hospital, I can’t thank them enough.”
Brian had not worked for around two weeks and had scarcely been in contact with anyone outside of his household when he first noticed his cough in the last week of March.
A phone call with NHS 24 provided some reassurance, telling him to keep a close watch on it but that he didn’t require any appointment.
But soon, even having a shower was becoming awkward. He had difficulty breathing, felt like he needed to be sick and could barely walk the length of himself.
His wife Colleen said: “He was asking if I thought he should phone NHS 24 again. I thought he should, I wanted him to but I couldn’t force him.
“It all happened very fast and if he hadn’t been told to go the Mackenzie Centre it could have been a different story.”
Brian added: “I’ve never been in hospital before and at the back of my mind, I did think I’ve already phoned, should I be phoning again? But I’m glad I did.”
After relaying his symptoms a second time over the phone, this time he was given an appointment at the nearby Mackenzie Centre.
Normally a day centre for the elderly, it’s currently being used for coronavirus testing.
“I wasn’t expecting it to be quite so quick, but it kicked in how serious this was,” Brian said.
“They gave me a mask, assessed my breathing and within five minutes I was being told they were phoning an ambulance and I was going to Raigmore.
“When the paramedics arrived they were suited up and dressed as if they were beekeepers, it was scary to see.”
Brian was told he had tested positive for Covid-19 around a day after he was first admitted to Raigmore.
Visiting patients in hospital has long been banned because of how infectious coronavirus is.
That means it can be a lonely time for people in hospital who have it, and worrying for their family members anxiously awaiting news about their condition.
The sheer selflessness of the health workers, the only people Brian saw for eight days, provided a huge lift to him.
Brian said: “These people were in and out of my room, and never moaned once, they were all so happy.
“They’re exposed and it’s a huge risk for them. They’re working 12 hours at a time, but were happy as Larry, just getting on with it.
“The NHS were absolutely tremendous.”
Colleen is similarly grateful to the health service now that her husband is back at home with her, their daughter Rebecca, 20, and son Steven, 16.
She said: “They deserve all the praise in the world, they couldn’t have been more attentive.
“It was scary stuff but he’s come out the other side.”
Now recuperating at home, Brian hopes sharing his experience might help others take coronavirus seriously.
He said: “I’m still struggling but I’m getting stronger every day. It might be months before my lungs get back to normal but they don’t really know with this virus.
“We should’ve been on holiday in Tenerife, we were going to concerts in Aberdeen and London that were cancelled. It’s frustrating, but it’s necessary.
“People need to stay in. It’s here, so take heed.”
