A 57-year-old Pitt Meadows dentist has a new lease on life after surviving a two-month battle with the novel coronavirus.
Dr. Michael Chow told Black Press Media that heB次元官网网址檚 lost 40 pounds, has swollen calves and ankles, and damaged vocal cords B次元官网网址 B次元官网网址渂ut IB次元官网网址檓 really happy to be here.B次元官网网址
Chow attended the Pacific Dental Conference the weekend of March 6, which was declared a site of outbreak that resulted in 87 people with COVID-19, provincial health officer Bonnie Henry reported June 4.
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Others who attended werenB次元官网网址檛 as fortunate.
Vancouver dentist Dr. Denis Vincent died from suspected coronavirus complications just weeks after attending.
B次元官网网址淓veryone thinks COVID-19 is like the flu, that seniors are the only ones in danger. ItB次元官网网址檚 just not true.B次元官网网址
B次元官网网址淚 was fit and healthy,B次元官网网址 he said, making mention of his once-active lifestyle.
B次元官网网址淎nd the coronavirus still hit me hard.B次元官网网址
A few days after the event, in early March, Chow fell ill.
When ChowB次元官网网址檚 condition significantly worsened, his younger brother B次元官网网址 who works as a doctor at Surrey Memorial Hospital B次元官网网址 took him to the hospital.
On March 19, his family was given the opportunity to say a few last words over FaceTime to Chow, before he was intubated.
B次元官网网址淒octors told them they couldnB次元官网网址檛 guarantee what was going to happen to me,B次元官网网址 he explained. He needed to be put on a ventilator to get more oxygen delivered to his lungs.
Chow said that his next 19 days were spent in oblivion, heavily sedated, on a ventilator.
When he was finally well enough to be weaned off the machine, it took him time to return to reality.
B次元官网网址淚 wasnB次元官网网址檛 able to recognize my brother, I wasnB次元官网网址檛 able to speak,B次元官网网址 Chow said, as told by his brother.
From there, the survivor underwent a slow journey of relearning how to walk, talk, and eat.
B次元官网网址淭hereB次元官网网址檚 still some stuff to sort out,B次元官网网址 Chow said following a Thursday afternoon visit to LifeLabs for blood tests.
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Chow wiped happy tears from his eyes on May 15 when he was discharged from the Surrey Memorial Hospital COVID-19 unit.
Surrey Memorial staff and fellow patients surprised the survivor with a COVID-19 ward full of applause.
Chow rang the COVID-19 recovery bell and said B次元官网网址渢hank you everyoneB次元官网网址 to the staff, for helping him recover from the worst of the disease.
B次元官网网址淚 was happy to be alive and happy for everyoneB次元官网网址檚 hard work that got me throughB次元官网网址 For every person I encountered: the physiotherapists, dietitians, doctors, speech language pathologistsB次元官网网址 all of them,B次元官网网址 he said.
B次元官网网址淭hey would see me try to exercise and cheer me on,B次元官网网址 Chow said, recalling it took him a week to take more than just a few steps.
Now, Chow is recovering at home with his family in Port Coquitlam.
Neighbours even surprised him with a socially-distant B次元官网网址渨elcomeB次元官网网址 celebration, of signs and cheers, the moment he returned home.
The dentist said he now has to B次元官网网址渇ocus on recoveringB次元官网网址 before heB次元官网网址檚 able to treat patients again at .