Cricket legend Sir Geoffrey Boycott has said he feels 'lucky to be alive' after his wife Rachael spotted a 'major problem' and called an ambulance. The 83-year-old former England batsman was recovering at home from surgery for throat cancer when he developed pneumonia.
In a column for The Telegraph, Boycott described how his wife's quick thinking saved his life. 'I was recuperating at home from the operation and felt pretty good at first but overnight I became delirious, was not talking properly and looked awful,' he wrote.
Rachael used a pulse oximeter to check his blood oxygen level, which registered at 35 per cent. 'That is when she knew there was a major problem and called an ambulance,' Boycott said. 'I was rushed back in, put on oxygen and diagnosed with pneumonia. It has knocked hell out of me and if Rachael had not acted so quickly I am pretty sure I would not have made it through the night.'
Boycott, who scored more than 8,000 Test runs for England before becoming a renowned commentator, had been diagnosed with throat cancer for a second time last month. He underwent surgery and was discharged, but fell ill with pneumonia. His daughter Emma had previously updated fans on social media, saying he was back in hospital on oxygen and a feeding tube.
The former England and Yorkshire captain was first diagnosed with throat cancer in 2003. He left hospital again on Thursday and expressed gratitude to well-wishers, adding that his wife 'saved my life, no doubt about that.'
