"Leg infection and treatment"

While working on our farm I sustained a small graze/skin to my right shin, which I washed and left to dry and continued  as normal.

A month later I banged my leg with a cattle hurdle above the area that was skinned. The following day my leg became inflamed and difficult to walk on and I began to feel cold and unable to stop shaking.

I attended PRI and was seen by A&E staff, who issued me antibiotics and released me as I insisted that I had to return to my farm to feed livestock, however by the time I returned to my home, I was unable to walk or drive.

My wife drove me to Ninewells A&E early morning and after being assessed I was admitted to ward 17.

This was to be one of the worst weeks of my life, this will be the first time in my life that I have felt the need to document my experience.

During this initial week I received morphine and antibiotics which made me hallucinate, but I still knew what my surroundings were.

My consultant saw me on the first couple of days and that appeared to be the last I would see them.

The senior nurse in charge would give no advice or information as to what the situation was with my leg and it seemed evident to myself that they were reluctant to help other nurses and indeed patients.

Other patients were shouting and screaming day and night constantly, which perhaps made the ward seem worse.

This senior nurse would administer drugs into my mouth without a word and no communication seemed possible.

After a few days, a surgeon visiting another patient walked passed my bed and by this time my bed was soiled with blood from both my arms and had not been changed since my being admitted it was soaking wet, as were my clothes.

I don't know this surgeon's name but they turned around and looked at me and then walked back to my bed, looked at me and asked who my consultant was and when they last saw me, to which I replied I was unsure but more than 24 hours ago. I believe they called this consultant and made clear they were not happy.  Thankfully they seemed to take things into their own hands and within twenty minutes two doctors had attended. 

I believe this doctor to have been my saviour as I was moved to ward 19, it appeared that on my arrival to this ward there was disbelief regarding the condition of myself and the bed in which I had been in since being admitted. I was advised to make a complaint by personnel as this was not their first experience of this kind.

I believe my infection was at this time of a serious nature and the pain that I was in was unbearable, in so much that I asked for my leg to be amputated on three occasions.  I also had a reaction to morphine which was a night I did not expect to survive.

The care received on this night was amazing. The nurse went above and beyond to help me, this was the first time I had witnessed nursing to a much higher level.

It was on my last week that a new shift under the leadership of senior nurse changed everything dramatically for the better. This nurse and their staff on this four day shift changed my outcome for sure.

The nurse came in my room and sat by my side and asked me everything that had happened in hospital and at home with my family, my having to give up all my livestock on the farm and how this was impacting my life and my son being diagnosed with cancer all during this battle with my leg, which at this point I still wanted amputated.

This was early in the morning, the nurse made a comment that they and their team would help and from that moment on I had a constant flow of specialists and doctors giving advice. The nurse  put all this together and provided the ultimate care.

The care from staff on this four day shift should be noticed by the NHS. They went beyond my expectations and that of my family and friends who all noticed the difference.

I will never forget the trauma of being in ward 17 , but I will never forget these individuals in ward 19.

I hope someone will take the time to visit the nurse on ward 19 and acknowledge to them that they have the ability to make a huge difference to people and their families in their time of need.

The NHS must recognise these people and make them aware that they are the backbone of the hospital and they are the ones that make the difference.