It all started last April; and , yes pedants, I know it actually started long before that, but (hint) this isn't a medical textbook.

It started last April when she was complaining about an ulcer on her heel.  And my mother had a long and bitter story about a man who had banged her heel with his airport  trolley. And I didn't ask too many questions. I just changed the subject.


I did wonder though when by May, the ulcers were spreading, but I wasn't getting a straight answer out of my mother. She's not good with answering questions.

By June she had trouble walking, in July she fell and couldn't get up and I called her GP, because it looked like she couldn't manage on her own anymore. And I did ask the GP questions, and he prevaricated and referred her to a specialist.

The specialist gave us a couple of long words to be going on with like Peripheral Arterial Disease but was short on detail, so I consulted Google instead.

Which was frightening. I've given you a link to a page without pictures.

The operation didn't work.
The drugs to fight the infection aren't working
She's been already lost toenails and  muscles - and now she's got gangrene.

There's been one question I've been scared to ask for awhile.

Last Thursday our new babyfaced consultant finally mentioned the amputation word.

Now I've got a lot of questions I can't ask in front of my mother.
  • How far up will you amputate?
  • Will it be both legs?
  • Can you teach someone with early stages dementia to walk on a prosthesis?