Monday 22nd June 2020
Figures for 21st June
UK COVID Deaths 43 / Total 42,632
James Cook Hospital – Total COVID deaths – 251
All COVID cases within South Tees Hospitals Trust – 10
James Cook Critical Care COVID cases – 2 / 2 ventilated
Just a quick update on my friend Gary who is recovering from a prolonged ICU stay due to COVID-19 in a hospital in London.
Gary has spent his first weekend at home having been discharged on Friday. He has spent a total of 95 days in hospital, 47 of these in Intensive Care. He has been discharged home with a rehabilitation package and his recovery will continue over the forthcoming months.
Gary got to celebrate a very special Father’s Day yesterday. Having spent his Birthday unconscious in the ICU, this was an opportunity for a delayed celebration. One of his ‘presents’ was a haircut from his daughter which was a surprisingly professional job. It’s been many years since acute hospitals offered a hairdressing service and during the pandemic the hairdressers wouldn’t have been allowed to visit anyway. The nurses kept him clean shaven, despite the fact that I reckon he secretly would have liked to leave the hospital looking like Grizzly Adams.
It’s probably just as well he was presentable when it was time for him to leave as he had quite an audience. Gary’s walking has improved significantly due to all the hard work he and his physiotherapists have put in over the past month. He was therefore determined to walk from his room to the hospital entrance. The route was lined with at least a hundred hospital staff who clapped and cheered as Gary made his long walk to freedom. A powerful moment indeed.
I thought I would share a photograph of Gary and the rest of us that was taken in November last year when we were mountain biking in Arizona. We had all finished another long ride in the desert, dodging rattlesnakes and avoiding heat-stroke. We celebrated our arrival back at the van with a well-earned beer. Happy times. We are all hopeful that such days will come again. Cheers Gary!
From left to right - MK, Tony, Me, Gary and Matt
So glad to hear that Gary is continuing to improve and thank you for the update
aww this is just wonderful news , please tell gary rita in the boro is routing for him and preying he,s soon back to full health , our medical staff r just angels xx
Hi Leanne. We have recently been looking at that information and I’ll be posting it in the next few days. Cheers, Richard
Fabulous news so pleased Gary is doing well fabulous picture , hopefully all will be back on your bike hikes soon , and thank you for all your updates on all the work you and team do 👏👏👏👏
Lovely to hear your friend Gary has returned home. Hope his recovery continues well. Followed his story throughout on your blog and it’s great news.
Thanks for everything you and your colleagues do. Your blog has kept me sane through such a difficult time, and I’ve always thought if me or my family required medical attention we would be in the best hands we could be.
I’ve noticed the numbers of Covid patients are steadily coming down. I don’t think you posted the amount of patients at “the peak”. What was the largest amount of Covid patients in JCUH at any time please? And what was the most you had ventilated at any given time?
Thanks. Leanne