This article is from the source 'bbc' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.
You can find the current article at its original source at https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-devon-46430700
The article has changed 3 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.
| Version 0 | Version 1 |
|---|---|
| 'Why I chose to have my leg amputated' | 'Why I chose to have my leg amputated' |
| (about 9 hours later) | |
| A woman has celebrated the first anniversary of having her leg amputated - by running a 5k race. | A woman has celebrated the first anniversary of having her leg amputated - by running a 5k race. |
| Victoria Snell, 27, from Plymouth, broke her leg while walking with a friend in 2011. | Victoria Snell, 27, from Plymouth, broke her leg while walking with a friend in 2011. |
| Despite repeated surgery, her leg did not heal properly and she decided in December 2017 to "cut it off to get my life back". | Despite repeated surgery, her leg did not heal properly and she decided in December 2017 to "cut it off to get my life back". |
| A year on, Victoria said just being able to run a race had left her feeling free "for the first time in years". | A year on, Victoria said just being able to run a race had left her feeling free "for the first time in years". |
| "It's a year of learning how to walk again, of experiencing 'firsts' for a second time and of trying to push past any limitations I set myself in the past," she said. | "It's a year of learning how to walk again, of experiencing 'firsts' for a second time and of trying to push past any limitations I set myself in the past," she said. |
| "Despite the pain, frustration and the bone-deep exhaustion I have experienced since the surgery, I have not regretted it for even a second. | "Despite the pain, frustration and the bone-deep exhaustion I have experienced since the surgery, I have not regretted it for even a second. |
| "I feel free for the first time in years, even if it is endlessly frustrating to realise I need to do something after I've already taken my leg off for the day." | "I feel free for the first time in years, even if it is endlessly frustrating to realise I need to do something after I've already taken my leg off for the day." |
| Victoria completed the Queen Elizabeth Christmas Olympic Park 5k run in London on Sunday. | Victoria completed the Queen Elizabeth Christmas Olympic Park 5k run in London on Sunday. |
| "I came third from last, and I was lapped by almost all the 10k runners, but I did it! My aim was to do it in under an hour and I did it in just under 55 minutes," Victoria said. | "I came third from last, and I was lapped by almost all the 10k runners, but I did it! My aim was to do it in under an hour and I did it in just under 55 minutes," Victoria said. |
| Before her life-changing operation, Victoria - who works for a train company - said she could not remember the last time she took a step that did not hurt. | Before her life-changing operation, Victoria - who works for a train company - said she could not remember the last time she took a step that did not hurt. |
| Throughout her 20s, she had been unable to work, despite living just a 15-minute stroll from the office, because the pain was too great. | |
| When Victoria raised the idea of amputation with her doctor, he told her to consider her decision for one month before meeting with the amputation team. | When Victoria raised the idea of amputation with her doctor, he told her to consider her decision for one month before meeting with the amputation team. |
| It was after this - as well as having the support of her parents and younger sister - the decision to carry out the procedure was made. | It was after this - as well as having the support of her parents and younger sister - the decision to carry out the procedure was made. |
| Despite not regretting the amputation, having a prosthetic leg has come with some issues Victoria never thought she would have to deal with. | Despite not regretting the amputation, having a prosthetic leg has come with some issues Victoria never thought she would have to deal with. |
| "I lost my shoe once," she said. | "I lost my shoe once," she said. |
| "When you wear slip-on shoes, when you walk, you grip slightly but you can't grip with a fake foot. | "When you wear slip-on shoes, when you walk, you grip slightly but you can't grip with a fake foot. |
| "There are ways I keep it on - which vary from shoving a sock at the end of my shoe so my foot is stuck in, to using Blu Tack to keep the shoe attached to my foot. | "There are ways I keep it on - which vary from shoving a sock at the end of my shoe so my foot is stuck in, to using Blu Tack to keep the shoe attached to my foot. |
| "I think I was using Blu Tack that day and it didn't work. | "I think I was using Blu Tack that day and it didn't work. |
| "As I was walking, people were looking at me weirdly. I looked down and I was only wearing one shoe! No idea where it is," Victoria added. | "As I was walking, people were looking at me weirdly. I looked down and I was only wearing one shoe! No idea where it is," Victoria added. |
| One year on, Victoria is in a good place and happy with the progress she has made in the past 12 months. | One year on, Victoria is in a good place and happy with the progress she has made in the past 12 months. |
| But what does she think the future will bring? | But what does she think the future will bring? |
| "If you're going through something for such a long time like I was, it's really hard to see an end. This decision was so final. | "If you're going through something for such a long time like I was, it's really hard to see an end. This decision was so final. |
| "This is for the rest of my life. I know that sounds really stupid but it's weird. | "This is for the rest of my life. I know that sounds really stupid but it's weird. |
| "I'd like to think I'll get married, have kids and buy a house, but I don't know that's going to happen. | "I'd like to think I'll get married, have kids and buy a house, but I don't know that's going to happen. |
| "But I know no matter what I do, I'm going to be an amputee doing it. That's a strange thing to sometimes think about." | "But I know no matter what I do, I'm going to be an amputee doing it. That's a strange thing to sometimes think about." |