Getting back to Normal !!

I'm very rarely ill, so the last 5/6 days have been particularly difficult for me. I'm now starting to feel better although I am still getting some considerable phantom limb pains, mainly in the form of severe pins and needles in the foot that's not actually there. It's weird, and not pleasant. I'm informed that it can take months for this to start tapering off. I'll let you know how it goes.

You will recall from a previous posting that I was going to let you know what I had learnt from having an Asian guy two beds away. Well very simply I noticed that whilst the English food on offer was pretty bad, the food the Asian guy was eating looked and smelled pretty good. So on my second visit in hospital for the amputation I got stuck into the Asian foods, and I have to say I really enjoyed them. Which just goes to show that you can always get something positive out of what appears to be a negative situation.

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After the first operation to remove the tumour I came home from hospital on crutches. My local GP surgery re-dressed to the wound prior to removing the staples two weeks later. Eight weeks of recuperation after the operation I was ready to return to work at Stansted Airport. I returned in Jan 12 on reduced hours, 4hr shifts for 2 weeks, then 6hr shifts for 2 weeks, then back on full hours. Everything was going along nicely. I had been up to University College Hospital London for scans, and had a couple of appointments with Mr Skinner, the Surgeon.

I had been back at work a couple of months when I noticed that it was becoming slightly painful behind my right knee when bending. Something didn't seem right so I arranged to see Mr Skinner. This was followed up with an MRI scan which showed three small tumours had returned, one of which had grown around the main artery. Removing this tumour would mean removing the blood supply to the leg.

There was a small possibility that a by-pass could be attempted to bridge the missing artery. However, after coming out of this meeting I wasn't happy as the tumour had already returned for a second time. I think at this point I had already made up my mind that amputation was the only real way forward. The two surgeons also came to the same conclusion in that it was to risky an operation to attempt and that amputation above the knee was the only solution to isolate the problem.

I returned to the Duke of Gloucester Ward at The Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital, Stanmore on Monday 21st May and Surgery was planned for Tuesday.

My right leg - Never to be seen again.

You can't see the marking, but its a large arrow pointing up plus AKA

(Above Knee Amputation)

It's pity it all had to go, the foot was still in good nick

and possibly had a few marathons left in it !!