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An Australian beauty entrepreneur has a new lease of life after he almost died from Covid following the first symptoms of a “common cold”.
Theo Ikosidekas, 36, from Melbourne, described himself as a “workaholic” before he was struck by a deadly strain of Covid in 2021 that put him in an induced coma for two weeks.
After being told he would have to go into a coma because his oxygen levels were dangerously low, he frantically texted and emailed his employees in the middle of the night to secure his brand. BodyBlendz It would stay afloat while he was gone.
The brand shot to success with its famous natural coffee scrub and has since expanded into a hugely successful range of beauty and skin products.
While Theo eventually overcame his life-threatening illness, he spent months learning to walk again and slowly learned to live life without being consumed by work.
Beauty entrepreneur Theo Ikosidekas (pictured) was a “workaholic” before he was struck by a deadly strain of Covid in October 2021 which left him in an induced coma for two weeks.
‘It was a different normal, but I was finally able to get back on my feet and get back to doing what I love to do. In every bad situation there is something positive and you should make the most of it to your full potential,” Theo told FEMAIL.
Theo began experiencing common cold-like symptoms on a Friday in October 2021, when the Delta strain of Covid was rife in Melbourne.
Their age group was not yet eligible for the new vaccine and rapid antigen tests were not available.
After his two-week coma, Theo had to relearn how to walk and build strength as his muscles weakened and wasted.
By Saturday, lethargy had taken hold and by Sunday night, Theo was so exhausted and breathless that he had to call an ambulance.
Medical staff informed Theo that his oxygen levels were dangerously low, around 70 percent. Any value less than 90 percent is cause for urgent medical intervention.
He was told he would have to go into a medically induced coma and be put on a ventilator to prevent brain damage; They didn’t know how long he would be gone.
Patients with oxygen deprivation sometimes go into a coma to reduce brain swelling and inflammation that can cause brain damage.
While in a life-threatening situation, Theo was primarily concerned about whether his business could continue to operate in his absence. In retrospect, he admits that this was probably a subconscious distraction from the terrifying situation.
‘I remember asking so vividly, “Do you know how long I’ll be unconscious?” They said no, it was too vague,’ he claimed.
“I’m in this state of mind, freaking out but thinking about things like, ‘Okay, I need to give out passwords. Only I have access to the business bank accounts” while they tell me I’m about to be put in prison. sleep.’
He said that being in a coma was like having a series of strange dreams and nightmares.
‘It’s very strange to remember these kinds of nightmares you would have. “They give you some kind of sedative, but they still make you sleep,” Theo explained.
‘I remember that in the dream I was in a hospital and my family and friends always visited me. I was trying to talk to them but no one answered me.’
However, due to Covid restrictions, Theo was unable to receive visitors. His family received daily phone calls with updates on his condition.
When he was discharged from the hospital he could only walk short distances and was forced to take a step back from BodyBlendz and prioritize rest and recovery.
When he was stabilized and woke up 15 days later, he discovered that his oxygen levels had decreased because Covid had progressed to pneumonia and he contracted a secondary infection while in the ICU.
“I remember waking up and I was hooked up to a catheter…I didn’t know what had just happened,” he recalled.
“I have bruises above my ribs from all the tubes and scars on my face from pressure ulcers. “They are constant reminders of what I went through.”
Theo spent a week in the respiratory ward determined to get stronger and learn to walk again after losing muscle function while in a coma.
When he was discharged from the hospital, he could only walk short distances and was forced to take a step back from his business and prioritize rest and recovery.
“I was tired when I got home, but it was great because the hospital offered home care where different therapists came in every few days,” he said.
Theo gradually returned to work and returned to work in early 2022 without returning to his old “workaholic” habits and ceding control to his loyal BodyBlendz team.
As he recovered, Theo gradually resumed work and returned to work in early 2022 without reverting to his old “workaholic” habits and ceding control to his team.
“Having to rely on my team and not do everything myself has been the biggest learning for BodyBlendz and for me as an entrepreneur,” he said.
“Like so many other startups, you think you have to do everything yourself, it wasn’t until I was literally forced to hand things over that I realized that not only was it possible, but it had actually led to enormous growth.” “.
Theo said he focuses on having a lot of “me time” and began seeing a psychiatrist after suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder from being in a coma, which led to a life-changing ADHD diagnosis.
“I thought the problems I was facing were part of recovering from Covid, but almost two years into my recovery I noticed they weren’t going away,” he said.
Theo said he focuses on having a lot of “me time” and began seeing a psychiatrist after suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder from being in a coma, which led to a life-changing ADHD diagnosis.
‘I had a hard time concentrating and completing tasks. Not only that, the family made me realize that these things had always been a struggle for me, but now they had intensified.’
He said he had an ‘all or nothing’ approach to his work, as he could do ‘two months of work in a week’ and then burn out and feel drained.
Theo found a combination of medications through trial and error, as well as management strategies that worked with his strengths and alleviated his most challenging symptoms.
‘Medication is only one part of ADHD treatment. “Therapy, lifestyle adjustments and self-awareness play equally crucial roles and it’s something I’m working on,” he stated.
“I just can’t believe it took me until I was in my mid-30s to figure out what was wrong.”
He considers his ADHD to be a superpower that gives him unique strengths, such as creativity, the ability to hyperfocus, and a different way of thinking.
The fact that Theo can manage and utilize his ADHD along with his new work-life balance has better prepared him to grow the brand.
He BodyBlendz The range is now available at Chemist Warehouse and Woolworths and Theo aims to market the brand internationally.
He wants other entrepreneurs facing similar challenges to “embrace his unique brain” and leverage his strengths and weaknesses.
You can browse the range here.