Covid: Frome cancer patient who survived coma 'a cat with nine lives'

Mrs Luttrell was only able to see her husband via a video-link while he was being treated

A cancer patient whose wife was told he might not wake from a coma he was put in while being treated for Covid-19 has been called "a cat with nine lives" by doctors after making a speedy recovery.

Paul Luttrell, who has myeloma cancer, went to Bristol's Southmead Hospital on 27 July and was placed in a coma.

His wife Dalma said she was "very much prepared for the worst", but the 52-year-old woke after 11 days and left hospital a month after arriving.

She said it was "unbelievable".

Mr Luttrell, from Frome, was sent to the hospital after nurses noticed he was "very unwell" and had to put him on oxygen whilst on a routine dialysis visit.

"They put me into an induced coma for 11 days and it took me a week to fully wake up," he said.

"When I did, I asked doctors to call Dalma.

"They couldn't believe it."

Mr Luttrell said he hoped his story will show that the dangers of Covid-19 still exist

Mrs Luttrell said following conversations with her husband's doctors, she had "very much prepared for the worst".

She also said the medical team had warned her that as he was in a coma, he would probably need a long recovery time if he survived.

However, within two weeks ,she said she "had a call from him", adding: "It was unbelievable."

Mr Luttrell, who had been double vaccinated, said though he had had lucid dreams whilst in the coma of "terrible things", after he woke, he could walk "my stairs at home to go to dialysis" within a week.

He returned home on 26 August.

"My haematologist and doctors said I was a cat with nine lives," he said.

However, he said he felt lucky to be alive and was worried that about "people still not taking [coronavirus] seriously".

"Get vaccinated," he said, adding: "Covid is very real."