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 .
