A heroic surgeon’s journey through untested territory of Covid 19

Dr Umar Daraz Khan Consultant Aesthetic Plastic Surgeon:

As we all know UK Covid 19 preparation was little clumsy and late to enforce, while people were getting locked down elsewhere in Europe, we were asked to do frequent hand washing.

I worked and operated until 11th of March. Booked a basketball court on 14th March and played with my son, one to one, for a good hour. I saw another patient later in the afternoon for facial scar advice and attended a birthday same evening just few houses away. Walked back home and was absolutely fine.

Next morning got up with dry cough, sore throat, fever and body aches and pain. There was no sinus issue, no running nose. Gradually and within a day developed loss of appetite and loss of taste. I knew I had the virus, called my manager cancelled all my appointments and operations for the next week. I was flying to Pakistan on 19th for some documents signing for a property sale. I was using Qatar Airways and they have cancelled all their flights to and from Doha to Karachi.

Any way the muscle aches and pains were getting worse, fever was coming and going with chill waves throughout my body, regardless of how well cladded I was. I kept taking Paracetamol and kept myself in self isolation as much as one can in a house. I kept myself mobile, as much as I could, kept walking in the house whenever I could, kept watching TV and didn’t confine to bed during the day. Breathlessness was severe even for taking few steps. One of my friend rang me and I picked up the phone, started talking to her while I went upstairs.

She wanted to have some advice on a surgical issue. She got worried so much when she found me hard to breath, not having enough strength or lung capacity to speak. She told me that I must take rest and will get in touch later. To be honest with you I did not feel talking, did not want to get engage in a conversation, did not want to read or write even though I did it all.

Another friend, Shahabz, rang me from Sialkot and got shocked and scared after having a conversation or rather no conversation. Iqbal Soomro and Mir Hussain Bux Talpur kept in frequent touch and so did other few. Cough and sore throat got better in next few days. Nights were a little tough, couldn’t go to sleep with aches and pain so I had to take paracetamol half an hour before going to sleep.

I started having nightmares waking up screaming, calling my father for help. I used to have dry mouth probably due to breathing through mouth while asleep, I do not know. My wife and my son used to come and get me out of this state and often slapped my feet.

It was very embarrassing screaming and calling my father in the middle of the night. Also used to wake up with absolutely dry mouth with thorns in the throat needing sips of water. I called my friend in Scotland asking him to go there and stay in a hotel and to get hospitalised if needed as his son was member of team heading Covid19 crisis at their local hospital. I called my other local friends too. Advised was to self isolate and stay at home and take paracetamol.

There was no testing for the virus except for those who were too bad and needed hospitalisation and possibly for those who continued to have symptoms after ten days. NHS system was totally and utterly overwhelmed and it was understandable. I stayed in touch with Masroor who used to call me without failure every morning to know how I was doing, what was going on and what best to take as medicine.

I also rang my very close and genuine friend, Dr Soorma, who is a consultant in A/E and after listening to my symptoms and progress, he gave me very sound and very reassuring advice. It was 8th or 9th day after the start of symptoms. First he said Umar you play sport and athletic by nature and have no underlying medical conditions. So it is likely that you would see the other end of it without medical help.

However, next few days are critical (cytokine storm) and if you get any more breathlessness, you have to immediately call an ambulance for transfer and hospitalisation possibly in ICU. For once I thought how helpless we were, playing Russian Roulette with your life, no amount of money or influence could have taken care of you, there was no treatment, only hope that you might be one of 80% positive cases who would avoid hospitalisation. Once you are in the hospital, you were not sure that you will come out of the other end in this world or in another one. You were not sure you would see your loved one again.

Counting of days was the hardest thing and the days were longest. I never experienced time getting so slow, almost still and totally frozen. My friend Akbar Soorma, was really concerned, kept ringing and messaging me every day and I got few phone calls from very close friends within and without the country, getting news of my state.

I got few discrete messages about my wellbeing due to my absence on social media. By this time, this was a totally private and family affair. Idea was to isolate at home and to make sure our children do not get affected. On 11th and 12th day following the start of this saga, my tastebuds and appetite started to come back. Fever, body aches and chill waves started to subside and disappear. Reliance on paracetamol started to diminish especially before going to bed.

Phone conversations started getting jovial again, reading became interesting and joyful as usual. Two weeks after, I started going out to buy grocery and overseeing my ongoing construction project with social distancing and following all other guidelines. Akbar advised me not over exert and to take things lightly even after crucial ten twelve days.

Now a month since the start of illness and I think I have steered myself out of this disaster. For the last four or five days, I have started light exercises in the back garden. First with walk then added body stretches and now some non-weight bearing exercises including dribbling and handling basketball, all lasting for a good 45-50 minutes. Best thing is that, our son and daughter are fine. Now we all are enjoying our time together once again while having our meals, cooking in the kitchen or watching TV.

Finally the message is, although it is scary and feel helpless once you have this Covid19, but if you have it then you need to stay strong and be positive, do not give up, if you can not sit keep moving in bed, if you can sit do not lie, and if you can walk do no sit. If you can breath breath deep.

I know lot of people who have lost their lives, some of my personal friends had a harder journey in ICU, most of them have recovered except few. And some may embark upon it later due to the nature of this hidden and invisible enemy and the job we do as a doctor. I would say in the end that “What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger.”
Stay safe and stay strong. Share your experience and journey with others to embolden them and never let your guards down.