Eric says thank you to all the NHS staff who have helped him
‘I’m just grateful things have turned out the way they have’
ERIC BAKER, the 73-year-old Quorn man featured on the front page of The Echo last month when his urgent operation was put on hold through a surprise Coronavirus diagnoses, has a heart-felt message for NHS staff four weeks later.
“I’d like to thank consultants, doctors, surgeons and nurses for their tremendous work in helping me every inch of the way,” says Eric, who is now back at home recuperating from his surgery.
As previously reported, Eric was tested for COVID-19 when he attended Leicester General Hospital for a routine pre-operation assessment.
Although he wasn’t suffering any virus symptoms, he received a telephone call 48 hours later to say he had tested positive and his operation would be delayed.
Eric told the Echo: “My story has moved on a lot since then.
“I was staggered when I was told I’d tested positive. Obviously I believed it but, in the circumstances, I was more worried about my operation being put back.
“My wife Patricia and I had already been isolating and I then continued that for a further 14 days.
“I can honestly say I had no virus symptoms at all during that time either or since.
“Three weeks after the diagnosis I had a second virus test in hospital and was told the following day the result was negative.
“My consultant booked me in for the operation the day after that and I was back home on the Saturday (May 2).
“It all happened very quickly and I’m pleased to be back home.
“I’m still very short of energy as you’d expect after a serious operation but I’m ok and I believe I’m getting better every day.”
Looking back on his experience, Mr Baker says ‘for some reason, I was among the lucky ones’.
“Clearly Coronavirus effects different people in different ways,” he added. “That can’t be put down totally to age as there are stories of young people who have died or been extremely unwell.
“Whether it’s due to a person’s metabolism, I don’t know.
“I’m just grateful things have turned out the way they have.”
Mr Baker is also mindful that others have had urgent treatment or operations suspended and said: “I am certainly sympathetic with anyone in that situation. For some these are very urgent matters and delays must be adding to their stress.
“I was only diagnosed with the condition on March 3 and was told the operation needed to be done sooner rather than later.”