Former Loose Women star Andrea McLean has recounted a harrowing health ordeal that led to her being rushed to hospital after collapsing at home. The 54-year-old TV presenter experienced flu-like symptoms last December, which rapidly deteriorated into severe illness.
Writing on her blog, McLean described how she initially dismissed her symptoms as a typical winter bug. However, after a week of high fever, chills, and chest discomfort, she noticed her urine had darkened. She collapsed in her bathroom and lay on the floor for an hour before her husband, Nick Feeney, found her.
Following medical advice, the couple called an ambulance. McLean recalled: 'The ambulance team were amazing. My blood pressure was so low I couldn't stand, and I was in a lot of pain. To be honest, I was barely aware of what was happening.' At the hospital, tests including X-rays and CT scans revealed she had severe pneumonia, acute kidney injury, and sepsis.
McLean received intravenous antibiotics and was transferred to the Emergency Assessment Ward. She described the experience as 'fraught', with distressing noises from other patients, sleepless nights, and severe pain. Her first night in the respiratory ward was particularly alarming when an elderly patient pulled at her curtain in the night.
After intense pain, she was prescribed stronger medication that provided relief. She advocated for home recovery and negotiated a plan to spend nights at home while attending hospital daily for IV antibiotics and monitoring. McLean praised her husband's support: 'Nick's life stopped for the first few weeks... He drove me to hospital every day, sat outside for hours, then drove me home, made dinner, and put me to bed.'
Five weeks into recovery, McLean is regaining strength. She noted a milestone when she shared a belly laugh with Nick for the first time in weeks, calling it a 'shocking realisation' of her progress.
