A dad is fundraising to have his own leg amputated as a football injury has left him in agony for 28 years - but NHS refuse to do it as they 'deem the surgery cosmetic'. Nick Brown has 'lived and breathed' football for as long as he can remember but while diving to make a save during a game 28 years ago, he collided with a goal post and snapped his posterior cruciate ligament in the process.
Over the years, the 54-year-old has undergone 12 surgeries to rectify the injury but has been living in constant pain and been 'passed from pillar to post' in a bid to identify its source. Nick, who's now registered as disabled, claims being on his feet causes his leg to swell up like a 'balloon' leaving him housebound for days and that catching it in the wrong way is akin to a 'hot poker' being sent straight through the limb.
The 'horrific' accident has had a colossal impact on all aspects of his life - as he's been forced to leave well-paid jobs and carries around an 'enormous amount of guilt' given he feels like he's 'holding his family back'. At his wits end, Nick claims he first approached the NHS asking for his leg to be amputated back in 2019 - but given they considered it 'non-life threatening and cosmetic', was turned down.
Due to being unable to see 'any further progression', the dad-of-five has fantasised about deliberately crashing his car in an attempt to 'mangle' his leg so that it would have to be amputated or even using a machete himself. Now at 'breaking point' the devoted dad is fundraising £18,000 to have the procedure done privately - which he's hoping will enable him to finally be pain-free and have a 'new lease of life'.
Nick, of Harworth, Nottinghamshire, said: "I want my right leg amputated above the knee to get rid of the pain. It's got to the point where nobody can actually find out [the source of the pain] because they always thought it was the knee, but I've had [the knee] completely removed now.
"I've been pushed from pillar to post, from doctor to doctor and specialist to specialist and I've had 15-16 scans and they can't find what is causing the swelling and the pain. I've even said this to my GP, if it wasn't for the fact I had a main artery in the leg, I've even thought about crashing my car so it mangles my leg up and forces the NHS to do it there and then.
"The amount of things that have gone through my head, it's frightening really. I've got a big machete in the garage that I used to use for chopping fire wood and the amount of times I just thought 'one good sweep with that and it could rid all my problems'. I know it might sound a bit dramatic and that but that's the effect it has."
Nick played football at a semi-professional level and even made the Welsh national team on a couple of occasions. Nick said: "Football was my life pretty much as a youngster I played every day of the week. I came from quite a very poor family and didn't have a pleasant childhood, so football was my escape.
"I wasn't a bad player and played at a very good standard and for some good clubs. I lived and breathed football. Even now, it's still my life. My family and I go and watch it and I help out on a Monday night with a local five-a-side football league.
"I sit there with my chair and it's my way of trying to stay back in touch with football because it was kind of like a bereavement when I had to walk away finally."
Nick played football virtually every day since the age of eight until his accident aged 27. Nick said: "The accident happened during a game. I made quite a decent save but in the process collided with the goal post. Unknown to me at the time, I actually snapped my posterior cruciate ligament, which is supposed to be near on impossible to do in football.
"I think the adrenaline was pumping and the fact that I was playing my old team. I'm a big bloke and don't like to let on that I'm hurt, so I picked myself up and like a fool carried on, which perhaps didn't do me any favours. It wasn't until that night when I went out for a meal and when I got up from the table to leave I just fell over and it came up like a balloon.
"The pain was absolutely excruciating. I couldn't put any weight on that leg so basically hopped to the car and I've been on and off crutches for the last 28 years."
He was dashed to hospital but it took six months for doctors to identify his the nature of his injury. He had his first surgery 18 months after the accident to stable the ligament together but it only lasted around three months before it became undone.
He was fast-tracked to have his knee cap removed and a graft taken of his knee cap, which was used as a new ligament. Nick's had around eight keyhole surgeries and his last two surgeries were knee replacements.
But despite all these procedures, Nick claims that he's been in constant pain and suffering from severe swelling in his leg since the accident, which is only getting worse as he ages.
Nick, who's always had hands-on jobs, including as a fireman and prison officer, was forced to give up work three years ago. Nick can walk unaided, but not a great distance, and is now fully registered disabled and uses a walking stick, crutches or wheelchair to get around.
Nick said: "Since that day, I've always walked with a bit of a limp. Some days it's worse than others, some days I can't even put weight there because my leg just swells up like an absolute balloon. If I'm on my feet for any length of time, for days after I'm pretty much housebound with my leg elevated to try and get the swelling down with ice.
"I have to rest. Everywhere we go all I find myself doing is looking for a bench or a chair in a shop. There's always something that we want to try and do as a family but one of the reasons why I went to take my own life, is because I'm just a burden to my family, I'm just holding them back.
"I'm carrying an enormous amount of guilt on my shoulders because I feel like I'm holding them as a family back. It got to the point where I'd take myself off to an area and just break my heart because I just couldn't physically do the jobs.
"I've left very good paid jobs and now I'm on benefits and a small mobility allowance. I just feel worthless, useless and a burden to everybody."
To help him deal with the pain, the dad-of-five takes a concoction of pain relief, including morphine patches. He also takes tablets to help him sleep, as he's been surviving on an average of four to five hours a night for several years.
Nick said: "The easiest way to describe the pain is that it's like a dead leg but maybe ten times worse and it's constant. It's just like a dull ache all the time. If I catch my leg, say for example I'm doing a short walk and catch your foot on the curb, that to me is like someone putting a hot poker straight through my leg.
"It makes me feel pretty useless and I don't have the motivation to do things because I just feel so down, low and am in so much pain. It has a massive impact, especially the last five years. I just feel like I've lost my life if that makes sense, I know it sounds pretty dramatic. In 2019 I went to take my own life. I can talk about it now and it helps me to talk about it, but it got to the point where I was basically at the end of the road, I couldn't see any further progression."
But while on holiday in Turkey some four years ago, he got talking to a veteran who'd lost his leg in Afghanistan, which led him to look into getting his leg amputated.
Nick said: "Everybody around the hotel pitied him and I didn't, I actually envied him. I got talking to him and just asked him, can I ask you some brutal questions? I asked him, has it made your life that much worse? And he said 'if I'm being honest, it's probably improved my life because when people tell me I can't do something because I only have one leg, I prove them wrong'.
"And I just thought, what an inspiration that guy was. And I do believe that once the leg's gone and I am pain-free, it will possibly give me a new lease of life."
The Tottenham Hotspurs fan claims he first approached the NHS asking for the surgery in 2019 but that he's been turned down on several occasions since.
Nick said: "The NHS are saying that because it's non-life threatening and it's more cosmetic. But I've tried to say to so many of the specialists, this to me is a life-saving operation because it's going to a stop me from taking my own life or b, give me back my life.
"But it's just falling on deaf years. Especially now that they've replaced the knee, they've said it's a 'perfectly healthy leg' and I just said, 'how can I still be suffering and to the extent that I am?'
"If it's all in my head, that's what one of the doctors said. I said if it's an imaginary pain, how is the swelling there? To give you an idea of how bad the swelling is, I can push my fingers in and make a face with my fingers like it's a memory foam mattress. Is that imaginary as well? Why would my doctor prescribe me morphine patches plus all the other medications if I wasn't suffering like I'm suffering."
With encouragement from some friends, Nick set up a Go Fund Me page and is hoping to raise £18,000 to have the operation done privately. He said the initial procedure will cost around £28,000 with the possibility of a further £12,000 to receive a prosthetic leg and for rehabilitation afterwards.
Nick said: "The biggest message I could give anybody is to take yourself out a sports medical insurance policy. Because I thought I didn't need it, that I was untouchable and indestructible, and very few people have that now.
"And to openly talk about things, because the injuries then lead on to mental health issues and us guys never, my family didn't even know what I was going through. You bottle everything up, it's that old message - 'it is ok not to be ok'.
"Having the funds for the procedure would mean more than anything in the world to be honest. I just want to try and lead a normal life because I certainly don't have that at the moment and nor does my family.
"It would enable me to do things with my family and friends that I can't do now. It would enable me to see some light at the end of the tunnel and hope for a future."
Dr Nick Mallaband, medical director and consultant at Doncaster and Bassetlaw Teaching Hospitals, said: "While we cannot speak about specific individuals, in cases such as this it is our professional opinion, informed by years of experience and with all relevant guidance in mind, that an amputation is not necessary and, even if undertaken, would not achieve the desired outcome for the patient.
You don't have to suffer in silence if you're struggling with your mental health. Here are some groups you can contact when you need help:
Samaritans: Phone 116 123, 24 hours a day, or emailjo@samaritans.org, in confidence
Childline: Phone 0800 1111. Calls are free and won't show up on your bill
PAPYRUS: A voluntary organisation supporting suicidal teens and young adults. Phone 0800 068 4141
Depression Alliance: A charity for people with depression. No helpline but offers useful resources and links to other information on itswebsite
Students Against Depression: A website for students who are depressed, have low mood, or are suicidal. Clickhereto visit
Bullying UK: A website for both children and adults affected by bullying. Clickhere
Campaign Against Living Miserably (CALM): For young men who are feeling unhappy. Has a websitehereand a helpline: 0800 58 58 58
"Life-changing procedures such as the removal of a limb should only be considered when there are no other options, and we are satisfied, beyond all doubt, that this will benefit the overall wellbeing of a patient. If this consensus cannot be achieved it means we are not convinced of the merit of going ahead with a particular course of treatment.
"Finally, to ensure our decision making is sound, in particularly complex cases such as this one, we would always refer onwards for a second, specialist opinion, and come to a conclusion based on all the evidence available to us.
"We do however understand the distress this may cause individuals who are seeking a particular pathway of care, and we would urge anyone in this position to contact the relevant services for further support, as well as counselling, particularly if their mental health deteriorates."
You can donate to Nick's fundraising page here.
FAQs
What happens if you don't amputate a leg? ›
Tissue in the leg will die due to lack of oxygen and nutrients, which leads to infection and gangrene. In some cases, gangrene can be very dangerous as the infection can spread through the body and become life-threatening.
How long does a leg amputation take to heal? ›Ideally, the wound should fully heal in about four to eight weeks. But the physical and emotional adjustment to losing a limb can be a long process. Long-term recovery and rehabilitation will include: Exercises to improve muscle strength and control.
What happens to your limbs after amputation? ›The limb is sent to biohazard crematoria and destroyed. The limb is donated to a medical college for use in dissection and anatomy classes. On rare occasions when it is requested by the patient for religious or personal reasons, the limb will be provided to them. '
When is amputation necessary? ›If tissue destruction, infection or disease affects a body part in a way that makes it impossible to repair or endangers the person's life, that part may be removed by surgical amputation. Trauma or disease that cuts off blood flow to a body part for an extended time can also cause tissue death requiring an amputation.
Why do amputees have a shorter lifespan? ›How Does Traumatic Amputation Affect Life Expectancy? Post-traumatic lower limb amputees have an increased morbidity and mortality from cardiovascular disease. Psychological stress, insulin resistance, and behaviors such as smoking, alcohol use, and physical inactivity are prevalent in traumatic lower limb amputees.
How painful is a leg amputation? ›Many people who have an amputation experience some degree of stump pain or "phantom limb" pain. Stump pain can have many different causes, including rubbing or sores where the stump touches a prosthetic limb, nerve damage during surgery and the development of neuromas.
How do I prepare my house for an amputee? ›Set up a comfortable place in your home where you can rest as you recover. Include an area within arm's reach to store all of the things you regularly use. Ensure furniture placements allow clear paths and plenty of room to navigate. Assemble a wardrobe with clothing that is easy to get on and off.
What benefits can an amputee claim? ›If your amputation continues to prevent you from working or living independently, then you may qualify for disability benefits through the Social Security Administration's program. To qualify for disability benefits for your amputation, you need to meet the SSA's Blue Book listing.
How do amputees shower? ›A water-resistant chair or bench is ideal for shower or bath use because it allows you to sit at a normal height while washing. A bench that extends to the outside of the tub will enable you to sit down and then slide to the inside of the tub.
How long is hospital stay after foot amputation? ›The Procedure
An amputation requires a hospital stay, which on average can be 5-14 days depending on the type of surgery, the limb to be amputated, the patient's overall health, and whether there are any complications.
How painful is traumatic amputation? ›
The pain is often described as aching, throbbing, shooting, cramping, or burning. Non-painful sensations may include feelings of numbness, itching, paresthesias, twisting, pressure or even the perception of involuntary muscle movements in the residual limb at the amputation site.
Is amputation a last resort? ›Sometimes, your doctor may perform amputation to remove a limb that is so injured by trauma that the wound has become life-threatening. Amputation is always a last resort, and your surgeon will not advise you to have the procedure unless it is absolutely necessary.
How many hours does it take to amputate a leg? ›The surgery takes 1 to 2 hours depending on what your surgeon plans to do. The incision is closed with staples, clips and/or stitches and wrapped in a thick bandage or a cast is put on.
What amputation has the highest death rate? ›Mortality after below-the-knee amputation ranged from 40% to 82% and after above-the-knee amputation from 40% to 90%. The risk factors for increased mortality included age, renal disease, proximal amputation, and peripheral vascular disease.
How long does a person live after leg amputation? ›Mortality following amputation ranges from 13 to 40% in 1 year, 35–65% in 3 years, and 39–80% in 5 years, being worse than most malignancies. 7 Therefore, amputation-free survival is important in assessing the management of diabetic foot problems.
How do half body amputees go to the bathroom? ›They rely on medical tubes to excrete stools and urine. half body amputees are usually called hemicorperectomy amputees. Hemi means half, corper means body, and ectomy means removal.
How long does the pain last after an amputation? ›During the first six months after a limb loss, pain intensity and frequency usually decrease. Still, as many as 8 in 10 people continue to have phantom pain two years after amputation. The phantom pain may feel like: Burning or aching.
What is it like to lose a leg? ›The Pain of Loss
Phantom limb pain (PLP): Feelings of continuous pain seem to come from the limb that has been removed. This pain can feel like burning, twisting, itching or pressure. Phantom limb sensation: A sense that the amputated limb is still attached.
Walking on a prosthesis is more difficult than without one. It's hard to remember to pick up your foot and take a step. Even if your leg had been amputated below the knee, you'll need help at first from crutches or another person who can hold onto you for balance.
Why can't amputees shave their legs? ›Amputees regularly ask about shaving, waxing or having laser-therapy on their stump. Your healthcare team will discourage you from doing this. If you do decide to wax or shave your stump and the hair follicle becomes infected, you may be unable to wear your prosthesis until the infection clears.
How do you sleep with an amputated leg? ›
Amputees have also said that sleeping on the side where they lost a limb can make sleeping hard because it feels “off.” Try sleeping on your back, other side or stomach! Put your prosthesis on before sitting up from bed.
Do you go to rehab after leg amputation? ›You will need to do a lot of work to recondition your muscles and relearn activities, balance, and coordination. The rehab can last as long as a year. You may have been fitted with a temporary artificial leg while you were still in the hospital. If this is the case, your doctor will teach you how to care for it.
Do you get money if you lose a limb? ›The fact that you have had a body part amputated doesn't automatically qualify you for disability benefits. The only exceptions to this rule are if you have had both hands amputated, a leg amputated up through the hip joint ("hip disarticulation"), or a pelvic amputation ("hemipelvectomy").
Is having only one leg a disability? ›Indeed, the medical model of disability would suggest that lower-limb amputation causes disability, and that all lower-limb amputees are disabled people.
How much do you get if you lose a leg? ›If you are a new amputee, your shrinker should be worn 23 hours a day, except when you are bathing or washing the residual limb. If you have been an amputee and now have a prosthesis, you should wear your shrinker only while sleeping at night.
Why cant you sleep with a prosthetic on? ›A prosthesis is to help you achieve greater mobility. When you are trying to sleep, though, a prosthetic limb does not offer any benefit. It only gets in the way of sleeping comfortably. Secondly, you should not sleep with a prosthetic limb because it can cause injury.
Does wearing a prosthetic leg hurt? ›Even when fitted properly, it takes some time to get used to the sensation of taking weight through your residual limb. While some initial discomfort can be anticipated as you get used to a prosthesis, pain is not an anticipated part of the process.
What is the most serious immediate complication following an amputation? ›Complications often occur when a body part is amputated. The most important of these are bleeding, shock, and infection. Long-term outcome for an amputee depends on early emergency and critical care management.
How can I help a new amputee? ›- Educate Yourself. Limb loss is a life-changing event. ...
- Know What NOT To Say. ...
- Realize That This Is a Process. ...
- Pay Attention to Your Own Feelings. ...
- Have Resources On Hand.
How long does it take to get prosthetics after amputation? ›
Prosthetic fitting can start as soon as surgical wounds are sufficiently healed, normally within 6 to 8 weeks of amputation, with exceptions for dysvascular or multitrauma patients. Then on, initial prosthetic fitting and training may take 2 weeks.
What pain meds are given after amputation? ›Opioids are Morphine type drugs. You may be prescribed these after surgery, either to be taken by mouth (for example, Oramorph, MST, Oxycontin, Tramadol) or through a vein (Morphine patient controlled analgesia pump). This group of drugs work best on stump/wound pain (rather than phantom pain).
What does traumatic amputation feel like? ›Phantom pain
About 80 percent of all amputees over the age of four experience tingling, itching , numbness , or pain in the place where the amputated part used to be. About 30 percent of amputees experience a sensation of the amputated part "telescoping" or shrinking into the viable part of the limb.
Traumatic amputation is defined as an injury to an extremity that results in immediate separation of the limb or will result in loss of the limb as a result of accident or injury.
Is it better to amputate above or below the knee? ›Our results suggest that if we can do a better job at addressing these needs, a below-the-knee amputation would indeed result in functional outcomes and a quality of life that are better than those following an above-the-knee amputation.
Can you drive after right leg amputation? ›People with all levels of limb loss or limb difference can still drive a car. Depending on the level or type of limb loss or limb difference as well as your use or non-use of a prosthesis, you may need to choose an automatic transmission.
How long is rehab after below knee amputation? ›What to expect immediately following BKA surgery. In general, the incision from BKA surgery will heal over a period of two to eight weeks. During the first few days, a physical therapist will help the patient perform basic exercises and functions.
Is amputation high risk surgery? ›Having a lower limb amputation is associated with a somehow high risk of not surviving within the first year from surgery, with perioperative mortality ranging from 9 to 16% [1–5], and 1-year survival rates ranging from 86 to 53% [1–10].
Can you walk after amputation? ›As you become mobile again after amputation surgery, you'll need to use a walking aid to get around. Walking aids help prevent falls, which can seriously damage your wound. At first, you'll likely use a wheelchair. As your balance improves, you may start using a walker.
How does amputation affect blood pressure? ›The more proximal the amputation level, the greater these changes (1, 2, 3). At rest, the amputees may have higher levels of catecholamines in blood, increased sympathetic nerve activity, increased blood pressure and increased heart rate (HR) when compared to normal individuals (3).
Can you wear pants with a prosthetic leg? ›
AmputeeOT: Putting on pants with a Prosthetic Leg - YouTube
What happens if you don't amputate a leg? ›Tissue in the leg will die due to lack of oxygen and nutrients, which leads to infection and gangrene. In some cases, gangrene can be very dangerous as the infection can spread through the body and become life-threatening.
What is a person without legs called? ›amputee Add to list Share. A person who's had an arm or a leg surgically removed is an amputee.
How painful is a leg amputation? ›Many people who have an amputation experience some degree of stump pain or "phantom limb" pain. Stump pain can have many different causes, including rubbing or sores where the stump touches a prosthetic limb, nerve damage during surgery and the development of neuromas.
Why do amputees have a shorter lifespan? ›How Does Traumatic Amputation Affect Life Expectancy? Post-traumatic lower limb amputees have an increased morbidity and mortality from cardiovascular disease. Psychological stress, insulin resistance, and behaviors such as smoking, alcohol use, and physical inactivity are prevalent in traumatic lower limb amputees.
How amputation affect your life? ›An amputation can affect a person's ability to take part in the same social activities, leisure pursuits or hobbies that they would have otherwise enjoyed. This may be due to practical reasons, such as not being able to participate in physical activities in the same manner as they could prior to their amputation.
Can a blood clot cause amputation? ›Amputations are very often caused by loss of blood flow to the extremity. A blood clot is a major cause of disrupted blood flow to the extremity.
Can a broken bone lead to amputation? ›Further, if a broken bone is not set right, a serious infection called osteomyelitis can set in, which can potentially require amputation of the limb simply as the result of a fracture.
How many hours does it take to amputate a leg? ›The surgery takes 1 to 2 hours depending on what your surgeon plans to do. The incision is closed with staples, clips and/or stitches and wrapped in a thick bandage or a cast is put on.
How long does it take an amputee to walk again? ›It can take upwards of six weeks if the wound is not healed properly or is taking longer to heal.
How often do blood clots lead to amputation? ›
Studies show that lower extremity amputation is associated with Deep Vein Thrombosis in 11% of patients, and documenting DVT prevalence is essential in helping medical professionals plan a management strategy involving prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of DVT associated with lower limb amputation.
Does amputation qualify for disability? ›If your amputation continues to prevent you from working or living independently, then you may qualify for disability benefits through the Social Security Administration's program. To qualify for disability benefits for your amputation, you need to meet the SSA's Blue Book listing.
What's worse a break or a fracture? ›Some people assume that fractured bones are more serious than broken bones, while others assume it's the other way around. But the truth is that these terms are used interchangeably, and they have the same meaning to medical professionals.
Do broken legs have to be amputated? ›With a typical broken bone, there is no reason to amputate in the majority of cases. However, poor circulation, damage to the arteries, necrosis (dying/dead tissue) and shattered bones that cannot be grafted or pinned back together all make a case more complex.