Even though itsa国际传媒檚 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.

sa国际传媒淚sa国际传媒檓 lucky to be alive,sa国际传媒� said Ram, who called his stay at Royal Columbian sa国际传媒渁 roller coaster ridesa国际传媒� complicated by pneumonia.

Last fall, Ram was named during the annual Surrey Community Leader awards.

Months later, his familysa国际传媒檚 dream trip to Toronto to almost didnsa国际传媒檛 happen, after Ram had emergency surgery to take care of blockages in his heart.

By late March, he was diagnosed with the coronavirus.

sa国际传媒淚 believe I got it when I went to a grocery store sa国际传媒� I donsa国际传媒檛 want to say which one, but I was so vigilant,sa国际传媒� Ram said. sa国际传媒淚 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.sa国际传媒�

to read the latest news about COVID-19.

In a phone interview, the Newton-area resident talked slowly and paused occasionally.

sa国际传媒淚tsa国际传媒檚 still so hard to breathe,sa国际传媒� he said.

sa国际传媒淚sa国际传媒檓 on home oxygen sa国际传媒� three to six months of this, at least, because my lungs are at only 25 per cent capacity now,sa国际传媒� he added. sa国际传媒淚sa国际传媒檓 trying to gain some of my strength back by walking, but itsa国际传媒檚 really hard to go for any length of time.sa国际传媒�

His battle with COVID-19 caused him to lose close to 30 pounds over the past three months.

sa国际传媒淚 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,sa国际传媒� he said. sa国际传媒淎nd until theresa国际传媒檚 a vaccine, nobody is safe. And I could get this again, if itsa国际传媒檚 a mutated version or something.sa国际传媒�

In March, his laboured breathing led to a chest X-ray, a positive COVID test and, eventually, admission to Royal Columbian, where Ramsa国际传媒檚 cardiac doctor was located.

sa国际传媒淎t that time, all the nurses and doctors were scared to even come into my room, for fear of catching COVID,sa国际传媒� he recalled.

sa国际传媒淚t was a weird time, and I was there for three days in the COVID ward, I got really, really bad,sa国际传媒� Ram added. sa国际传媒淚 just laid in bed, couldnsa国际传媒檛 do anything sa国际传媒� my family couldnsa国际传媒檛 come to see me and that was hard. I couldnsa国际传媒檛 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, sa国际传媒業 cansa国际传媒檛 breathe.sa国际传媒� It was just like somebody sitting on your chest and pouring water on your face, thatsa国际传媒檚 how bad it was, like drowning.sa国际传媒�

Ram was rushed back to ICU, where doctors told him his lungs were filled with fluid.

sa国际传媒淭hey managed to stabilize me,sa国际传媒� Ram said, sa国际传媒渁nd hooked me up to all these monitors and IVs. I wasnsa国际传媒檛 allowed water because the one nurse said they were going to intubate me that night. He said, sa国际传媒榃hen we do that, yousa国际传媒檙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 donsa国际传媒檛 want to scare you but I want to be truthful with you.sa国际传媒� I just laid there and thought, sa国际传媒業s this it?sa国际传媒檚a国际传媒�

Somehow, Ramsa国际传媒檚 condition improved enough that wasnsa国际传媒檛 required.

sa国际传媒淲hen two guys came in to do an X-ray the following morning, I thought it was all a dream.sa国际传媒�

During his 53 days in hospital, Ram kept failing subsequent COVID tests. He needed three negative tests in a row, but doctors couldnsa国际传媒檛 figure out why the virus wouldnsa国际传媒檛 leave his body.

Finally, it did.

The ordeal took a toll on him both physically and mentally.

sa国际传媒淚 was alone for so much of that time, just very brief visits by nurses or doctors, but only when they absolutely needed to,sa国际传媒� Ram explained.

He says despite the relaxation of some measures to combat the virus, people need to remain vigilant.

sa国际传媒淚f people think theysa国际传媒檙e resilient and arensa国际传媒檛 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 doesnsa国际传媒檛 matter how old you are,sa国际传媒� Ram said.

sa国际传媒淭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 didnsa国际传媒檛 make it, but some walked out of there fine.

sa国际传媒淚 say to all my friends whosa国际传媒檝e contacted me, I say look, think of every person that you see has COVID, right, because you donsa国际传媒檛 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.sa国际传媒�

tom.zillich@surreynowleader.com
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