Cape doctor, wife share miraculous coronavirus recovery story

Dr. Keith Graham is a living miracle.

On Tuesday afternoon, just days after being released from Saint Francis Medical Center, Dr. Graham and his wife, Tammy, spoke with me via video chat from their home.

Keith was hospitalized for nearly two months due to complications resulting from COVID-19. A pulmonologist, he said it was ironic to be on the other side of the doctor-patient relationship.

"I knew something about the coronavirus, but I certainly didn't know that I would wind up in that situation," he said.

In March, the Grahams returned from a two-week cruise that started in New Orleans, passed through the Panama Canal and ended in San Diego. There were stops at Cozumel, Mexico and the Grand Cayman Islands, but shortly thereafter they did not make any additional ports -- specifically to avoid the growing threat of coronavirus.

"We had 10 straight sea days at the end of our cruise, but along through the cruise, no one had reported any illness or being sick," Tammy said. "We got off the ship thinking, you know, everything was fine."

The day after they returned home, Keith started to exhibit symptoms and self-quarantined in the basement of the couple's home. As the symptoms worsened, he decided it was time to get tested. His pulse oximeter showed his oxygen level had declined.

"And ordinarily I would take a deep breath or cough, and it would come back up," Keith said. "But this time, it didn't come back up. It stayed low. ... At that time, I texted my wife, who was, I guess, upstairs, and said, 'I need to go to the hospital.' And I went to the hospital, and they admitted me directly."

Keith said the day he was admitted to the hospital the physicians told him they recommended that he be intubated. Graham wanted to hold off as long as possible.

"But shortly thereafter, I texted my wife and said, 'I'm going to go ahead and let him put me on the ventilator.' And then I texted the doctor and said, 'I'm ready to go on the ventilator...' And then after that, when they intubated me, I really have no recollection of anything until rehab."

Keith was sedated and remained on a ventilator for 29 days.

Meanwhile, Tammy began providing near daily updates on her husband's condition through Facebook and asked for prayer.

"Tammy did an excellent job of getting the information out there," Keith said. "And I really appreciate all the people that did pray, because I think it makes a difference. You know, it's really, and I don't want to downplay the medical care, but I think that what happens is God gives us talents, including what we do in medicine, and prayer often helps guide what we do. And so I think it was a combination of God helping with the talents that the physicians had. And that's why I'm here."

Tammy said she was shocked by the response the couple received from the community.

"It was a huge support for me to get through this process," she said. "Especially being stuck at home, I couldn't see him. Couldn't visit the hospital in any way. And I didn't see him for the whole 49 days other than through FaceTime video."

Not only did Tammy receive notes from people of faith but also encouragement from those who didn't consider themselves "a faith-filled person."

She said one individual told her, "I don't pray, but this has caused me to pray. This has caused me to grow stronger in my faith."

Though he's still weak, Graham said he feels "significantly better."

"Of course, I still have a cough off and on. But that's not too much of a problem. The main thing is weakness. While I was there, I lost 24 pounds. And I wouldn't recommend it, but I hope to keep that off," Keith said.

Doing continued rehabilitation to regain lost muscle mass and muscle tone is on his agenda.

Once he recovers, he plans to return to his practice. Having been a patient, it's made him more cognizant of the need for proper rehabilitation -- especially after an extended stay in the ICU.

Tammy said there was never a time she felt her husband was going to die, but she, and the doctors, knew he was in a precarious situation. COVID-19 started a chain reaction that led to pneumonia and kidney failure.

A turning point in Graham's recovery came when doctors started him on an anti-inflammatory medication.

"Essentially what I had was an over exuberant reaction to the coronavirus that led to the changes in my lung, and then I developed pneumonia, and then I had kidney failure. And so it was one thing after another. And so, to stop that over exuberant reaction, that medication seemed to be helpful."

Though she was private about it to keep the focus on her husband, Tammy said she started to exhibit coronavirus symptoms on the Monday Keith went into the hospital.

"I called my primary care doctor and she wanted me to be tested, but when I called the testing center they said because of Keith's illness they would just presume I was positive."

She said she had "the world's shortest course of coronavirus," which she attributed to having taken Hydroxychloroquine for 20 years to deal with a different health condition.

"I have a feeling that probably impacted my ability to have such a brief course without severe symptoms," she said.

The Grahams are big proponents of taking all the recommended safety protocols, including wearing a mask when in public. And they're grateful for all the medical care received — doctors, nurses and respiratory therapists.

Before the end of the interview, Keith got his phone out to read a text from one of his colleagues.

"He said, 'A devoted team of people use the talents that God gave them to do what they do best. Through all these hands, God chose to keep you here. And you are alive because He's not done with you yet."

There's no discounting the power of prayer, including how God works through medical professionals. Keith and Tammy Graham certainly are evidence.

Lucas Presson is assistant publisher of the Southeast Missourian.