A FERMANAGH councillor who was left fighting for his life earlier this summer has urged others to be aware of the symptoms of meningitis and has praised the staff at the SWAH for the top-class emergency care he received.
At the end of April this year, the community across Fermanagh and beyond was left shocked at news Cllr Garbhan McPhillips was seriously ill in hospital with a potentially deadly infection.
Support poured in from across the political spectrum for the SDLP man, who was sedated and put on a ventilator at the SWAH.
Speaking to the Herald just a few months after the terrifying experience, he said it all now “feels like a bad dream.”
Cllr McPhillips’ ordeal began while he was enjoying a family weekend up in Inishowen. As the family were beginning to make their way home to Lisnaskea when he started to feel ill. When they arrived home he went straight to bed.
While initially his symptoms were “flu-like,” at home things became even worse. He was getting sick, had a high temperature, a very sore head, and a stiff neck.
“What really triggered it for me was I then saw a rash,” said Cllr McPhillips. “Of course, I started Googling, which probably saved my life.
“The next time I woke up, at about five in the morning, my vision started to go,” he continued. “Then I started going through the symptoms again and there were just too many being ticked off.”
Claire drove him straight to the Enniskillen ED. By this stage, Cllr McPhillips’ speech had begun to go.
“I remember pulling up to the barrier at A&E and I had to get out of the car,” he said. “Claire thought this man is delirious, what is going on? I just knew I had to get into the hospital as quick as I could because there was something seriously wrong.”
He added, “I was convinced that was it, or something as bad as it. I just knew I had to get in as quick as possible.”
Cllr McPhillips was triaged immediately and taken straight to the treatment area. He remembers nothing after this, but was told by Claire and others he had become very disorientated and was unaware of what was happening.
It was at this point he was sedated and taken to ICU, where it was “touch and go” for a couple of days. Thankfully, the Newtownbutler native reacted well to treatment, and shocked staff at how quickly he began to come around after being on the ventilator.
Cllr McPhillips said there is no doubt quick action had saved his life.
“Only for me Googling and checking up my symptoms, and acting fast, that was a major factor in my survival of it,” he said. “Prof O’Hare said they caught it quick, they got in on time, and that played a factor in me surviving it.”
Cllr McPhillips could not praise the level of care he received at the SWAH highly enough.
“I didn’t think I’d be in this position, but I know firsthand the staff, the nurses, the doctors, they went above and beyond to save my life and I can’t thank them enough,” he said.
“It just shows that is a fantastic hospital with fantastic staff and only for them I potentially wouldn’t be here.”
Pointing to the loss of emergency general surgery, Cllr McPhillips stressed “the system is broken, not the hospital.”
“I don’t know how many nurses looked after me and how many doctors I saw, everyone was top class,” he said.
Cllr McPhillips also thanked all those who had sent messages and cards, lit candles, and prayed for him while he was ill.
“I can’t thank everyone enough,” he said. “It really meant a lot to me and my family.”
Just a few weeks after being discharged, Cllr McPhillips slowly began to return to work, both at Mannok and in the Council chamber. He did concede he probably went back too quickly, and found it hard at the beginning, but said he’s “stubborn.”
“I suppose it was doing my head in sitting in the house,” he quipped, before adding he would definitely urge others who have been through similar to give their body time to recuperate and heal.
As for how Cllr McPhillips is doing now, he said while he still has some “niggling” issues, he is simply grateful to be here.
“I’m still alive, and that’s the main thing,” he said.
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