An Inverness woman said she is lucky to be alive as she begins her long road to recovery following a battle with Covid-19.
Sarah MacDougall, a cook at Ach-An-Eas care home, had been unwell since February after suffering with gallstones.
Despite being prescribed strong medication, she experienced stomach cramps, nausea and pain before developing symptoms of the virus.
She explained: “I had been on strong antibiotics from the doctors and the pain wasn’t shifting. I was being violently sick and everything. Then this cough developed from nowhere, a very dry cough.
“On April 1, my husband said to me ‘you look awful come on, we are going to the doctors.’
Mrs MacDougall was quickly admitted to Raigmore Hospital where she was put on oxygen.
As her condition deteriorated, the 42-year-old was moved to intensive care before being put in a coma and put on a ventilator for 12 days.
However, April 8 posed a turning point in her recovery.
Mrs MacDougall said: “I don’t have any memory of being in intensive care. On April 8 I started coming round and they took me off the ventilator. That day is very special to me as it’s my dad’s 80th birthday.”
After three weeks of hospital treatment, she was finally reunited with her husband Harry on April 22.
Now recovering at home, the 42-year-old – who has been a lifelong member of the congregation at Inverness Cathedral – has been left unable to walk unaided after suffering nerve damage to her right foot.
However, she said she is lucky to be alive.
She added: “I’m a lot stronger than I was when I came out of hospital. I’m still going about with a zimmer and I have started physiotherapy at home. I can’t wiggle my toes and I can’t lift my foot off the ground. I’m very upset by it but I am also very lucky that I am alive.
“Someone was definitely looking down on me. I think if I had left it another day the doctors would have had a lot more of a fight with me.”
The covid survivor believes the “angels” of Raigmore Hospital saved her life.
“From the bottom of my heart I can’t thank the staff enough,” Mrs MacDougall said.
“From the intensive care doctors and nurses, to all the nursing and auxiliary nurses that looked after me in high dependency and ward GA and my physio therapist.
“They were angels to me and I think that is what saved my life. They are amazing. The support and care I got from them was incredible.”
