WAYNE Lineker has revealed he nearly DIED while battling pneumonia and has shared a video from his hospital bed.
Earlier this week, the Celebs Go Dating star had shared with fans that he had been left unable to walk after being rushed to hospital after contracting a serious illness.
Now in a new update to his followers, Wayne, 63, has revealed he has been battling pneumonia and was close to death.
Posting a video from his hospital bed, Wayne – who is the brother of footballer Gary Lineker – wrote alongside it: “I wanted to share a pneumonia update.
“The last 16 days have been the most traumatic of my life… a truly near-death experience.
“I honestly don’t think I would have been medically strong enough to survive it if I wasn’t four months sober.
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“To the incredible NHS staff who cared for me: thank you. Those two words don’t feel enough, but I mean them with all my heart.
“Next season, I’ll be doing something special for NHS hospital workers across the UK to show my gratitude for saving my life.”
In the video, Wayne’s speech is laboured as he describes the experience as “very, very scary” and says that he’d caught a serious infection in Dubai.
He continues: “I immediately flew home as I felt so ill.”
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After waking up at home, Wayne realised he couldn’t move so called his daughter Tia, who then got her mum to come round and help him.
Wayne was rushed to hospital where he was diagnosed with chronic pneumonia.
He continues: “I was put straight into intensive care where I spent nine or 10 days and now I’m in a respiratory ward.
“It’s been an incredibly painful experience, I can’t get out of bed, I can’t walk, I have to have two people help me to go to the toilet.
“It’s just very, very difficult but I’m on the mend.”
Wayne added that he’d had an operation the previous day to get pus out of his lungs and he now has a tube in that is sucking it out.
He said: “I feel so much confident that I will recover from this and I’d just like to thank the NHS.”
What is pneumonia?
Pneumonia is inflammation of the lungs, usually caused by an infection.
Symptoms
- a cough – you may cough up yellow or green mucus (phlegm)
- shortness of breath
- a high temperature
- chest pain
- an aching body
- feeling very tired
- loss of appetite
- making wheezing noises when you breathe – babies may also make grunting noises
- feeling confused – this is common in older people
Call NHS 11 or seek an urgent GP appointment if:
- you’ve had a cough for 3 weeks or more
- you’re coughing up blood
- you have chest pain that comes and goes, or happens when breathing or coughing
- you’re feeling short of breath
Call 999 if:
- you’re struggling to breathe – you’re choking, gasping and unable to speak
- you have pale, blue or blotchy skin, lips or tongue
- you suddenly feel confused – for example, you do not know where you are
- you cannot wake your baby and they feel floppy
