Moray MSP Richard Lochhead says he was unable to talk and had to learn to walk again after a harrowing sepsis battle which led to life-saving heart surgery.
Speaking to the Press and Journal at his Elgin home, he admits he is “lucky to be here” and credits the NHS with saving his life.
And he describes the intense emotion in hospital trying to find the words to explain how grateful he was to the doctors and nurses who cared for him between Elgin and Aberdeen.
‘I thought it was flu – I ended up with heart surgery’
The SNP government minister thought he was coming down with the flu when he fell ill during a function in Edinburgh in May.
But days later, he ended up on the bathroom floor at home unable to get up.
He was rushed to Dr Gray’s Hospital in Elgin where he was diagnosed with sepsis.
The 55-year-old was soon transferred to Aberdeen Royal Infirmary to get his heart valve replaced in emergency surgery. It had been badly affected by the infection.
This “didn’t go too smoothly”, he says. Doctors encountered problems which meant the operation went on a lot longer than expected.
‘I’m lucky to be here’
“It was very serious and the doctors briefed my family that at that particular fragile point, it was serious”, the dad-of-two told the P&J.
“There’s no doubt that I’m lucky to be here.”
Mr Lochhead says he felt “totally vulnerable” after coming out of intensive care and while on the high dependency ward after his surgery.
“I couldn’t do anything,” he says.
“I had to learn to walk again. I’d lost my voice.
“It took two to three weeks to get my voice back.”
But the prognosis is good and the SNP minister is on course to return to the Scottish Parliament after the summer recess ends in September.
He found it “humbling” how supportive his parliamentary colleagues have been from across the political spectrum.
First Minister John Swinney visited him at ARI soon after he was admitted.
The MSP also has immense gratitude for all the many doctors, nurses and dozens of other health care professionals who cared for him at hospital.
Looking visibly emotional, Mr Lochhead said: “When you’re lying in a hospital bed, particularly in the early days of operation, and you’re totally dependent on the nurses and support workers to help you get through the day.
“Sometimes in hospital you get emotional and what I found was getting me emotional was I was struggling for the words to express my gratitude for those who were looking after me.”
Name-checking ARI consultant Keith Buchan, he added: “The NHS saved my life.
“And it reminds you in this country how lucky we are to have the NHS and it was there for me in my hour of need.
“I’m eternally grateful.”
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