SNP minister Richard Lochhead has revealed he had to learn how to walk again after suffering a serious sepsis infection which left him fighting for his life.
The 55-year-old Moray MSP told how he had to undergo emergency heart surgery and was left unable to speak after surgery.
The father-of-two initially fell ill in May but is now hopefully of returning to Holyrood to continue his role as Minister for Business.
He said: ‘It was very serious. There’s no doubt that I’m lucky to be here.
‘The NHS saved my life.’
Minister for Business Richard Lochhead and his wife Fiona
Mr Lochhead plans to return to Holyrood in September after recovering from his ordeal
Mr Lochhead told the Press and Journal fell ill with what he thought was flu, with the SNP politician developing fever-like symptoms.
But a week later he collapsed in his bathroom and could not move. He called his wife and his son to try help, but they couldn’t move him.
Mr Lochhead was rushed to Dr Gray’s Hospital, in his hometown of Elgin, where he was diagnosed with sepsis.
He was then transferred to Aberdeen Royal Infirmary to get a heart valve replaced after it had been badly affected by the infection.
But, he revealed, it ‘didn’t go too smoothly’ as surgeons encountered problems which meant the operation went on much longer than expected.
He said: ‘It was very serious and the doctors briefed my family that, at that particular fragile point, it was serious.’
The toll the surgery took on him was enormous, and Mr Lochhead, who is the Minister for Business with the Scottish Government, said he felt ‘totally vulnerable’ after coming out of intensive care and while on the high dependency ward after his operation.
He added: ‘I couldn’t do anything.
‘I had to learn to walk again. I’d lost my voice.
‘It took two to three weeks to get my voice back.’
He is now on course to return to the Scottish Parliament after the summer recess ends in September.
He said he found it ‘humbling’ how supportive parliamentary colleagues from across the political spectrum have been.
And the MSP said he has immense gratitude to the doctors, nurses and other staff who helped care for him during his time in hospital.
First Minister John Swinney visited Mr Lochhead at Aberdeen Royal Infirmary soon after he was admitted.
He said: ‘When you’re lying in a hospital bed, particularly in the early days of an operation, and you’re totally dependent on the nurses and support workers to help you get through the day.
‘Sometimes in hospital you get emotional and what I found was getting me emotional was I was struggling for the words to express my gratitude for those who were looking after me.’
SNP Business Minister Richard Lochhead fell seriously ill after developing sepsis
Sepsis is a life-threatening condition – but it can be hard to spot.
With lots of possible symptoms, including those of other conditions like flu and chest infections, it is essential to get immediate medical treatment if it is suspected.
It is one of the leading causes of preventable deaths in the world, and claims more than 4,000 lives every year in Scotland.
And Mr Lochhead, who was saved by NHS Grampian medics, told how he would remain grateful to them forever.
He said: ‘The NHS saved my life. And it reminds you in this country how lucky we are to have the NHS and it was there for me in my hour of need.
‘I’m eternally grateful.’
Symptoms of sepsis include fast or difficult breathing, uncontrolled shivering, confusion, and blotchy or cold arms or legs.
When sepsis strikes, the immune system overreacts and starts attacking not only the infection but everything else including the body’s own tissues and organs.
