AN EAST Lothian woman who almost died while on holiday in Vietnam is slowly recovering following a gruelling flight home, but her whole ordeal has left her suffering from anxiety.
Mekala Osborne, 22, from Wallyford, contracted bronchial pneumonia while travelling through the south-eastern country with a friend last September and was given just a five per cent chance of survival.
But she beat the odds and last November was fit enough for the 13-and-a-half-hour flight home, with mum Yvonne McAulay by her side.
She is now continuing her treatment in the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh.
In an update on social media on Monday, close family friend Davie Martin said that Mekala’s latest CT scan had shown significant improvement to her right lung, which had previously fully collapsed.
Mr Martin added: “They have reduced her from five antibiotics to four antibiotics. Fingers crossed this continues and she won’t need a lobectomy.
“Her ultrasound was clear and her kidneys are still functioning properly.
“Mekala is still on a ventilator but this has been reduced significantly and [she] is slowly starting to breathe on her own with limited support.
“Unfortunately, this is causing her to become really anxious therefore she is now experiencing panic attacks. They have started her on medication to try and reduce her anxiety.
“She had to have a blood transfusion yesterday [Sunday] as her blood count was really low.
“Overall good but slow progress. On the plus side she is nailing the physio.”
Mekala will remain in isolation until she can fully breathe on her own, when she will then be transferred to a ward.
The personal trainer and former Preston Lodge High School pupil phoned home three weeks into her trip complaining of a sore throat, trying to treat it with Strepsils and painkillers.
Her condition worsened and she soon ended up in an induced coma on life support.
Mekala was flown to a hospital in Singapore where she received months of further intense treatment, including invasive surgery on her lung.
At one point, Mekala’s family were told to “expect the worst”.
Her story touched the hearts of people across East Lothian, who raised over £12,000 to allow Yvonne and Mekala’s stepdad Jimmy to stay with her in Asia.
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