Torry Robertson battled COVID-19 in hospital for 8 weeks. A year later, life remains a struggle

It's been nearly a year since LaSalle, Ont., cross-border health-care worker Torry Robertson contracted COVID-19 and to this day, he's still recovering.

He spent a total of seven weeks in the intensive care unit, eight weeks in hospital and an additional eight weeks attending rehab at Windsor Regional Hospital.

Following his COVID-19 diagnosis in March 2020, Torry was hooked up to a ventilator for almost 40 days, experienced renal failure and bacterial pneumonia.

Recovery has been slow. His wife, Heidi Robertson, is now his caregiver and both their lives now revolve around this impact of his battle with the virus.

 She says he's doing much better since being released from the hospital in September and that he's grateful he's still alive.

"We're adjusting to our new life and Torry is working hard in his recovery," she said. "We're thankful and we know so many people across the world have suffered so much, of course, Torry being one of them, but he's a survivor and we're super thankful for that."

She explained that life for them is very different for them now as Torry works to get better, adding that when he had the virus, "it destroyed him."

"He has a lot to come back from," Heidi said. "Our days are a lot of therapy appointments. Just getting up in the morning is a process, medication taking is a process."

She said that it's tough for Torry to speak and his personality has changed. Before contracting the virus, she said he was very outgoing, loud, gregarious and funny.

'His personality has changed'

"Like a big teddy bear, always smiling," she said, but now "he's much more apathetic and kind of reserved. Now, his personality is starting to come through, though ... I've noticed with his remarks and little jokes that he makes."

Heidi said Torry is also recovering physically, having dealt with organ failure, blood clots, muscle loss and severe brain damage.

Since being home, however, he no longer uses a walker to get around, but he's still off balance. She also said his ability to eat and swallow has improved as well as his attention span.

"He does talk more and starts conversations versus just being talked to and asked questions all the time. He'll initiate a conversation," Heidi said. 

She said it hasn't been easy being Torry's caregiver and she's gained a lot of respect for the line of work that he was doing before he got sick. 

"I have huge respect for him and for all of the nurses, doctors [and] therapists. I mean, any health-care worker working at a hospital. I have huge, huge respect and love for those heroes," Heidi said. "I try to care for him as if he would care for someone else."

'Every day is different'

She said she can't plan ahead and run on a strict schedule because she doesn't know how the day will pan out.

"Every day is different," she said. "There are some really rough days when I can get really frustrated with him. Living with somebody with a brain injury, I've learned a lot, but one day can be really wonderful when you think like, 'wow, they're making such great progress,' but two days from now, they could revert back to doing whatever it is that gave them trouble before as well." 

The couple is now vaccinated — Torry received his in Michigan and Heidi got hers in Windsor as a caregiver.

They hope to plan a trip to Texas for his mental health so that he can finally see and hug his children who live there.

Torry said he misses work and talks about going back, but his recovery will determine when that can happen.