My name is Andrew.
In Dec 2017 I was hit by a car, mainly soft tissue damaged, but a few weeks later I was experiencing pain in the back of my right leg just below the knee, this is where I had caught it on a wall or branch part of the bush I was pushed into by the car.
I spoke to the GP surgery in regards to this and they just advised take more pain killers. They ignored the fact it was hot and swollen.
I went back and was told the same thing, muscle damage, keep taking the pain killers
Mid January the pain became unbearable I was using a crutch again. Went back and was told the same thing, muscle damage keep taking pain killers.
I didn’t trouble my GP again just kept taking the pain killers. However I started to get out of breath doing the simplest task and then on 8th March 2018, I collapsed at work.
The ambulance said it would be up to four hours so I was taken to the GP across the road. I was seen very quickly but the GP said due to my type of work, (police staff) it was a panic attack gave me beta blockers and told me to go home.
Two days later still feeling awful (light-headed, crushing feeling, heavy breathing), I presented at minor injuries. They rushed me to ICU with a sub massive saddled PE and a DVT in the right leg. I also had a further 21 embolisms and clots.
My wife was told to expect the worse
I spent 15 days in hospital and will be on anticoagulation for life. All because previous doctors had failed to recognise a DVT.
I’m 36 years of age, ex mountain walking, outdoor sports junky who is now over weight and needing a stick to walk most days
It’s now three years on, I’m 36 years of age, ex mountain walking, outdoor sports junky who is now over weight and needing a stick to walk most days.
I have tried to ask the GP team to train staff on DVTs but all I get back is, ‘they are highly trained in all medical needs and yours was just an oversight as you were young and healthy.’
It’s such a horrible thing to go through, and now over three years on I am still having to have surgery, pain management, hospital appointments, plus so much more impact on family and life!