Jay Velen: "I know I am one of the lucky ones"

Jay describes his journey in his own words

I went for a COVID-19 test on 28 December 2020 because I had a high fever and a cough, and I immediately isolated at home. I received my results early on New Year's Day. My doctor prescribed vitamins and pain medicine for the excruciating back pain I was dealing with - it felt like someone was punching me. One week later I went for a walk around the garden, sat in the sun and partially collapsed as my oxygen levels had suddenly dropped to the 80s.

I was rushed to hospital

My wife, Natasha, rushed me to Mediclinic Morningside, but there were no beds available in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU). They wanted to transfer me to another hospital in Randfontein, but after some discussion with the doctor, he arranged my admission to the general ward until they could accommodate me in the ICU. Before my diagnosis, a few of my friends had tested positive and had recovered quickly on medicine. I wasn't too concerned as I believed that being in hospital was just part of the process and with the drips they were giving me, I'd be out within a week. Then my oxygen levels started deteriorating, I developed pneumonia and things went rapidly downhill.

I was put on a ventilator

On 12 January, I was taken to the ICU and my pulmonologist explained the gravity of the situation. He told me that my treatment was not working so I needed to be put on a ventilator and, because it is very uncomfortable, he was putting me in an induced coma. I felt that if that's what had to be done for me to recover, it was OK. But I was nervous about what was going to happen, so I called my family to say my goodbyes - just in case. I was on a ventilator for three weeks, during which time there were several issues that had to be dealt with. They performed a bronchoscopy (a procedure to look directly at the lungs' airways via a thin, lighted tube) to explore the extent of my lung damage and to remove the mucous blockages. This also involved having a tracheotomy, so I ended up with a hole in my throat.

Things went from bad to worse

After the surgery, they couldn't stop the bleeding because I was on blood thinners, so I was given numerous transfusions. I was retaining water, which meant I needed dialysis. I had a seizure and was on the verge of having a potential stroke, as my blood oxygen was fluctuating dangerously low. Through all of this, my medical team - which included a cardiologist, ear, nose and throat specialist (ENT), pulmonologist, physician and many more specialists - never gave up.

Waking up three weeks later

After having the bronchoscopy, my body finally started taking in the oxygen I desperately needed. Three weeks later, I woke up absolutely terrified. Because of the tracheotomy, I was unable to speak and the thought of not being able to do so going forward was very scary. Even though I was reassured that this was temporary, this remained my biggest fear.

Then began the hard work

I'd lost 10kg of muscle while in the ICU and was so weak, I couldn't even hold a pen when I tried to communicate in writing. I couldn't believe what had happened to me. Before my diagnosis, I was a regular at the gym and I had just completed my 36th Park Run. Suddenly I was unable to do anything for myself. My team also included a speech therapist, physiotherapist and an occupational therapist who all worked extremely hard to assist and encourage me on my journey to recovery. Six weeks after arriving at the hospital, I was sent to a rehabilitation centre in Rosebank to continue with my rehabilitation. Although I was booked in for a month, I left after two weeks due to the progress I had made to get my strength back.

Home at last!

One of the first things I did when I got home was cook for my kids! For weeks I'd only seen them on video, and I was so excited to finally do something for them. Aside from a couple of minor issues, I feel absolutely fine today. I went back to work in May and feel so grateful that I've come out of this with my brain and memory intact. I've realised that you can't take life for granted, and I thank God for my family's support, my doctors' care and that I'm a member of Discovery Health. With medical bills of R1 million that they covered in full, I know I'm one of the lucky ones who had a medical aid to support me when I needed them the most.