Newfound respect for Mediclinic personnel
"It is only by God's grace that I was sent back." These were John Chandler's words from the comfort of his own home after spending 60 days in Mediclinic Nelspruit, battling Covid-19.
Chandler’s hospital stay started on August 5 and ended on October 4.
First and foremost, he thanked God for sparing his life. Secondly, his praise for the hospital staff knows no end.
“Dr Jo-Ann Vosloo was instrumental in saving my life. She came out day and night and is probably the best doctor Mediclinic has.
“And then all the sisters, the cleaners, the people who made our food. You lose your dignity and these people look after you – you cannot imagine what they go through on a daily basis.
“The amount of patience they must have and the abuse they suffer at the hands of patients; I have a new found respect for sisters.”
Chandler said death came knocking at his door twice and all the way through these staff members were there looking after him.
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“God obviously still has work for me to do; I still need to find out what that is.”
As is to be expected, mentally, these 60 days took their toll on both Chandler and his family. He said he will be visiting a psychologist at some stage.
“Mentally, I have to go and sort my head. You see people die in there. This virus does not discriminate between black and white, fat and thin, young and old – it is ruthless. People really should have themselves vaccinated.”
But just as with Vosloo and the ICU staff, he said his family were equally instrumental in his recovery.
“My wife, Meliza, would sit by my bedside and read the WhatsApp messages that came in from all over the world of people praying for me.
“I was in a medically induced coma for three weeks, but I could hear her. She asked me to just give her a sign and I squeezed her hand.
“On another occasion, at 01:00 in the morning, I started hyperventilating after they had removed the ventilator pipe from my throat. They had to do an emergency operation to put it back in and told my wife that I had a 20% chance of surviving.
“They told her she should come and say her goodbyes.”
This is after she herself had spent some time in the hospital when Chandler initially got sick.
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After all he had been through, being back home is a wonderful experience.
“Being able to sit and have my kids around me and tell them stories; the ones that I can. There are funny ones, sad ones and horrific ones.”
Chandler lastly wanted to thank his children and their significant others for their support throughout this journey. His son Jason took over his business while he could not work and the others came through every time they got the chance.
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“Thank you Jason and Lyné, Jessica and Juandré, and Michael and Donna.”
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