Mayo radio personality tells of his Covid nightmare

He was left fighting for his life during his eight-week ordeal

Widely-known Mayo radio personality Johnny Oosten has told of his Covid-19 nightmare which left him fighting for his life in the intensive care unit of Mayo University Hospital (MUH).

The 58-year-old presenter with Community Radio Castlebar (CRCfm) was diagnosed positive on December 5 and has since endured what he described as 'a horror story'.

Johnny, who has raised funds for a number of worthy causes over the years through his charity work, is now on the road to recovery after his eight-week ordeal.

But he has urged people not to let their guard down when it comes to the virus because he does not want anybody to suffer the same experience as he did.

Speaking to Midwest Radio from his hospital bed at MUH, he admitted there were times he thought he would be leaving the hospital in a hearse.

At the outset of the interview, he revealed he was not vaccinated because of a medical condition.

“I suffer from a condition known as anaphylaxis, which means I am allergic to a lot of medicines and other things. I cannot take certain injections, for example. I cannot drink coffee or energy drinks. I cannot take certain vitamins.

“I had an episode two or three years ago when I was admitted to hospital after taking a particular product.

After testing positive on December 5, he isolated in the attic bedroom of his home in Castlebar.

He stated: “I had no underlying conditions. I was fit and am not a drinker or smoker.

"During my isolation period at home, there were days when I was very hot and others when I was extremely cold.

“My attitude was 'just to get on with it' as I had to accept I had Covid. After the fourth day, I was really feeling bad. I could not get my breath and an ambulance was called.

“They had a job getting me down the stairs as I had not enough oxygen in my blood to get me to the ambulance.

“So, once they did, they worked on me in the ambulance and got me admitted to the Covid department of Mayo University Hospital.

“To be honest, I was not able to walk at this point. I underwent all the tests and so forth before being placed in ward C.

"I was on an oxygen ventilator because the level of oxygen in my blood was so low that it was life-threatening.

“I was awoken one night by a doctor who said they needed to move me to the intensive care unit because my condition had become critical.

“At that stage the members of my family were contacted. I was immediately fitted to a life-support facility.

"One of the doctors, who knew me, said I had to fight. If I could not fight, then they would have to be induce me. He also said that I was in the hands of God.

“I can tell you that I fought and I fought and I fought. And I cried and I fought for my life. Thankfully, I did not need to be induced.

“During this time my face was covered with an oxygen mask as I was placed on a continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) machine.

"It was coming at me at such a rate I could not swallow. I was like that for three or four days. Eventually the levels of oxygen were reduced.

“It was an absolutely horror story, lying there thinking that this machine was keeping me alive. The only times the oxygen mask came off was when I was served my breakfast, dinner and tea.

“As soon as I eat, I was back again on the CPAP machine.

“Throughout my ordeal in ICU, I don't know how I slept. I don't ever remember falling asleep. Maybe I was medicated. There was no way I could have slept with that amount of oxygen coming at me. But maybe it was turned down.”

Asked by interviewer Tommy Marren if he had any recollection of what was going on in his head during this time, he said: “One night I heard crying and I thought it was my family outside the door saying goodbye to me because they had been told to attend.

“I learned later that somebody else had died.

“I have known people in ICU who were fully vaccinated, including the booster. Unfortunately, they did not make it and they were a lot younger than me.

“I contracted Delta, the worst form of Covid. A doctor told me that Delta loves clean lungs, which I had because I was not a smoker, and the virus completely took over my body. Not only that, however, I also had double pneumonia. That's why it hit me so bad.”

Johnny was on a ventilator until a number of days ago - and he is now on the road to recovery.

“It was not easy coming off the oxygen because I missed it. It was like I had become addicted to it in some way. I was afraid without it. But, thankfully, I am there now.

“When I first started being able to sit up in my bed and place my feet out on the ground, I was completely breathless. For me to get from my bed to the toilet was like running a marathon for me. Getting back into the bed also left me breathless.

“I cannot praise the physiotherapy team at the hospital enough. They have got me out of the bed, sitting on a chair, and walking short distances. I cried my eyes out when I succeeded in walking ten feet.

"I can now walk 30 yards and back, but it still leaves me out of breath. They want me to be able to walk for six minutes before I can be return home.

“It has been a nightmare for me. And I want to warn people not to let their guard down. I don't believe Covid will disappear with the flick of a switch. I hope I am wrong. But I would hate anybody to go through what I have been through.

“I have been told by my doctors that it will be between six months and a year before I am back to myself, which means I won't be able to work again until then.”

Johnny has been a patient of Mayo University Hospital for two months and is now due to be transferred to St. John's Unit of the Sacred Heart Hospital in Castlebar as part of his recovery.

“Mayo University Hospital and its wonderful staff saved my life and I will be eternally grateful to them. They are simply unbelievable,” he said.

He admitted having an argument with God, asking him: “What did I do to deserve this?”

Johnny explained: “I have done good things all my life, I have no enemies, I owe nobody anything. I kept asking God why this happened to me. But I'm over it now.

“There were times when I thought I would be leaving Mayo University Hospital in the back of a hearse. That's the truth. I have to look to the future now and be positive and think positive.

“I contacted Charlie Bird last week and told him I would love to be climbing Croagh Patrick with him on April 2.

“He told me that if I can't make it, then walk around my back garden and that he will be with him in his heart and mind,” he added.

Johnny is wished all the best in his recovery to full health over the coming months.