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| Version 1 | Version 2 |
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| Sepsis: What losing his legs taught surgeon about life | Sepsis: What losing his legs taught surgeon about life |
| (3 months later) | |
| Neil Hopper developed sepsis after becoming unwell on a camping trip | Neil Hopper developed sepsis after becoming unwell on a camping trip |
| A surgeon who has performed hundreds of amputations says losing his own legs to sepsis has given him a new perspective on life. | A surgeon who has performed hundreds of amputations says losing his own legs to sepsis has given him a new perspective on life. |
| Consultant vascular surgeon Neil Hopper said before his life-changing surgery, his job left little room for much else. | Consultant vascular surgeon Neil Hopper said before his life-changing surgery, his job left little room for much else. |
| Work remains important but his priority is time with his young family, staying active and pursuing his childhood dream of becoming an astronaut. | Work remains important but his priority is time with his young family, staying active and pursuing his childhood dream of becoming an astronaut. |
| "My life is more interesting because of what's happened to me," he said. | "My life is more interesting because of what's happened to me," he said. |
| In 2019, Mr Hopper, 46, was on a family camping trip when he and his young daughter began to feel unwell. | In 2019, Mr Hopper, 46, was on a family camping trip when he and his young daughter began to feel unwell. |
| They returned home where his daughter quickly recovered but he did not. | They returned home where his daughter quickly recovered but he did not. |
| The last thing he remembers is deciding to have an early night after his wife and children went to visit family. | The last thing he remembers is deciding to have an early night after his wife and children went to visit family. |
| The next morning he was woken by a call from his wife, Rachel. | The next morning he was woken by a call from his wife, Rachel. |
| Neil Hopper says he has realised the importance of spending time with his children | Neil Hopper says he has realised the importance of spending time with his children |
| "Thankfully she phoned me - I was speaking gobbledygook down the phone and I was making no sense," said Mr Hopper, who is originally from Aberystwyth, Ceredigion, but now lives in Cornwall. | "Thankfully she phoned me - I was speaking gobbledygook down the phone and I was making no sense," said Mr Hopper, who is originally from Aberystwyth, Ceredigion, but now lives in Cornwall. |
| She called a friend who went to their house and immediately called an ambulance, which took him to Royal Cornwall Hospital in Treliske, his place of work. | She called a friend who went to their house and immediately called an ambulance, which took him to Royal Cornwall Hospital in Treliske, his place of work. |
| Eventually he was told he had sepsis. | Eventually he was told he had sepsis. |
| "I could see my toes had gone blue so at that point I knew where I was sort of headed," he said. | "I could see my toes had gone blue so at that point I knew where I was sort of headed," he said. |
| The role reversal whereby he was now the patient and not the doctor was difficult to navigate. | The role reversal whereby he was now the patient and not the doctor was difficult to navigate. |
| "I argued with quite a few people," he recalled. | "I argued with quite a few people," he recalled. |
| "In the end one of ITU [intensive therapy unit] doctors and Rachel just said 'stop being a doctor and just let them treat you'." | "In the end one of ITU [intensive therapy unit] doctors and Rachel just said 'stop being a doctor and just let them treat you'." |
| Weeks of oxygen therapy and an operation to remove his toes and lots of skin from the soles of his feet followed. | Weeks of oxygen therapy and an operation to remove his toes and lots of skin from the soles of his feet followed. |
| It became clear that in order to save his legs he would face multiple operations and skin grafts with no guarantee of success. | It became clear that in order to save his legs he would face multiple operations and skin grafts with no guarantee of success. |
| He also feared having skin grafts on the soles of his feet could be detrimental to him returning to work where he spends much of his time standing. | He also feared having skin grafts on the soles of his feet could be detrimental to him returning to work where he spends much of his time standing. |
| Sepsis: What is it - and how to spot it? | Sepsis: What is it - and how to spot it? |
| Sepsis: What is it - and how to spot it? | Sepsis: What is it - and how to spot it? |
| "I had a chat with the plastic surgeons and I met with the prosthetic nurse and decided actually losing more would give me a better outcome," he said. | "I had a chat with the plastic surgeons and I met with the prosthetic nurse and decided actually losing more would give me a better outcome," he said. |
| "I opted not to have hundreds and hundreds of operations but just to have one to sort it out." | "I opted not to have hundreds and hundreds of operations but just to have one to sort it out." |
| He still believes that was the right choice. | He still believes that was the right choice. |
| "I don't regret that... I think I would have ended up in the same situation [with amputations] but it would have taken years." | "I don't regret that... I think I would have ended up in the same situation [with amputations] but it would have taken years." |
| But his day job meant he was all too aware of what the operation would entail. | But his day job meant he was all too aware of what the operation would entail. |
| "I couldn't help but imagine the mechanics of it," he said. | "I couldn't help but imagine the mechanics of it," he said. |
| "I do quite a lot of amputations and the one thing that kept going around in my mind was power tools because you use power tools. | "I do quite a lot of amputations and the one thing that kept going around in my mind was power tools because you use power tools. |
| "The thought of power tools being used on me was icky. It was really weird." | "The thought of power tools being used on me was icky. It was really weird." |
| Neil Hopper performed hundreds of amputations before losing his own legs to sepsis | Neil Hopper performed hundreds of amputations before losing his own legs to sepsis |
| Waking up from the operation was disconcerting. | Waking up from the operation was disconcerting. |
| "I didn't think they'd done it," he said. | "I didn't think they'd done it," he said. |
| "It was very odd because I felt like my feet were still there and it felt like there was a red hot line across my shins." | "It was very odd because I felt like my feet were still there and it felt like there was a red hot line across my shins." |
| Phantom limb pain is a something he still has to this day. | Phantom limb pain is a something he still has to this day. |
| "I can wiggle my toes, I can feel my toes rubbing together... it's so weird," he said. | "I can wiggle my toes, I can feel my toes rubbing together... it's so weird," he said. |
| "If a cold breeze goes across my thigh I can feel the cold breeze on my feet, it's so bizarre. | "If a cold breeze goes across my thigh I can feel the cold breeze on my feet, it's so bizarre. |
| "Your brain's not designed to have bits missing so it fills in the gaps." | "Your brain's not designed to have bits missing so it fills in the gaps." |
| Neil Hopper returned to work six months after his amputations | Neil Hopper returned to work six months after his amputations |
| Coming to terms with the change to his body took an emotional toll. | Coming to terms with the change to his body took an emotional toll. |
| "I didn't realise that your whole place in society changes and that happened to me overnight," he said. | "I didn't realise that your whole place in society changes and that happened to me overnight," he said. |
| "I'm quite defined by my job. Neil Hopper: father, husband and surgeon. | "I'm quite defined by my job. Neil Hopper: father, husband and surgeon. |
| "It's knowing where you fit in. Will I go back to work? Will I be the same sort of father to my kids? Will I be able to do the stuff I used to do? That that hit me pretty hard." | "It's knowing where you fit in. Will I go back to work? Will I be the same sort of father to my kids? Will I be able to do the stuff I used to do? That that hit me pretty hard." |
| Applying for a blue badge was another odd experience: "I just didn't feel disabled." | Applying for a blue badge was another odd experience: "I just didn't feel disabled." |
| His wife returning to work and his children returning to school marked the beginning of another difficult chapter. | His wife returning to work and his children returning to school marked the beginning of another difficult chapter. |
| "I was sat there in a wheelchair on my own. That was when it hit me," he said. | "I was sat there in a wheelchair on my own. That was when it hit me," he said. |
| His work provided a counsellor and he got a private physiotherapist. | His work provided a counsellor and he got a private physiotherapist. |
| To prevent himself from completely despairing he would allocate himself time in the day to be sad and then push himself to get on with things. | To prevent himself from completely despairing he would allocate himself time in the day to be sad and then push himself to get on with things. |
| Getting his prosthetic legs was a huge turning point. | Getting his prosthetic legs was a huge turning point. |
| Neil Hopper says getting his prosthetic legs allowed him to return to work | Neil Hopper says getting his prosthetic legs allowed him to return to work |
| He was told it would take him about three months to be able to walk. | He was told it would take him about three months to be able to walk. |
| "I did it in three hours," he said. | "I did it in three hours," he said. |
| "I hate to say it but I'm more active since I lost my legs than I was before." | "I hate to say it but I'm more active since I lost my legs than I was before." |
| Sepsis: 'My life changed eight years ago on Christmas Eve' | Sepsis: 'My life changed eight years ago on Christmas Eve' |
| Amputee 'dreams' of designing clothes for all | Amputee 'dreams' of designing clothes for all |
| What losing my wife taught me about life and loss | What losing my wife taught me about life and loss |
| He was back at work in just under six months and by nine months was "pretty much back to normal". | He was back at work in just under six months and by nine months was "pretty much back to normal". |
| His life-changing experience has also propelled him to try new things. | His life-changing experience has also propelled him to try new things. |
| "Every kid wants to be an astronaut and I actually applied to Nasa when I was drunk once as a junior doctor," he laughed. | "Every kid wants to be an astronaut and I actually applied to Nasa when I was drunk once as a junior doctor," he laughed. |
| Then a friend told him the European Space Agency was looking for a para-astronaut. | Then a friend told him the European Space Agency was looking for a para-astronaut. |
| He ended up applying for its para-astronaut feasibility project, aimed at overcoming the barriers space flight presents for astronauts with a physical disability. | He ended up applying for its para-astronaut feasibility project, aimed at overcoming the barriers space flight presents for astronauts with a physical disability. |
| He passed the medical and made it to the final 27 applicants. | He passed the medical and made it to the final 27 applicants. |
| Neil Hopper says he has been more physical since losing his legs than he was before | Neil Hopper says he has been more physical since losing his legs than he was before |
| "My family were pretty relaxed about it to begin with, but when I found out I was going to Hamburg [for further assessments] I thought 'this is getting a little bit real'. | "My family were pretty relaxed about it to begin with, but when I found out I was going to Hamburg [for further assessments] I thought 'this is getting a little bit real'. |
| "My kids started to worry, they're like, 'oh, what happens if the rocket blows up?'." | "My kids started to worry, they're like, 'oh, what happens if the rocket blows up?'." |
| But it was not to be. The space agency eventually selected paralympic sprinter John McFall to become its first disabled astronaut. | But it was not to be. The space agency eventually selected paralympic sprinter John McFall to become its first disabled astronaut. |
| "It was a bit of a relief that I didn't make it but I still wonder what it would have been like," he said. | "It was a bit of a relief that I didn't make it but I still wonder what it would have been like," he said. |
| 'An audit on your life' | 'An audit on your life' |
| Undeterred, he has now applied for a citizen astronaut programme and is waiting to hear back. | Undeterred, he has now applied for a citizen astronaut programme and is waiting to hear back. |
| Mr Hopper is also challenging himself physically - he has done a sponsored 8 mile (12km) walk on his blades and challenges on his trike. | Mr Hopper is also challenging himself physically - he has done a sponsored 8 mile (12km) walk on his blades and challenges on his trike. |
| For his next challenge he is considering running 5km (3.1 miles). | For his next challenge he is considering running 5km (3.1 miles). |
| "It would be quite ironic because I never ran that distance when I had legs," he said. | "It would be quite ironic because I never ran that distance when I had legs," he said. |
| Neil Hopper says his life was knocked "off the script" by the amputations | Neil Hopper says his life was knocked "off the script" by the amputations |
| He could not have got through the past four years without the support of his wife. | He could not have got through the past four years without the support of his wife. |
| "Rachel's been amazing," he said. | "Rachel's been amazing," he said. |
| "This didn't happen to me, it happened to us." | "This didn't happen to me, it happened to us." |
| He said losing his legs knocked his life "off the script", bringing new opportunities and a new perspective. | He said losing his legs knocked his life "off the script", bringing new opportunities and a new perspective. |
| "You have to make a lot of sacrifices to be a surgeon and family time is one of them," he said. | "You have to make a lot of sacrifices to be a surgeon and family time is one of them," he said. |
| "I know that was a mistake now so want to spend more time with the kids, I didn't really see them growing up." | "I know that was a mistake now so want to spend more time with the kids, I didn't really see them growing up." |
| It also brought him closer to others in his life. | It also brought him closer to others in his life. |
| "It was like doing an audit of your life - I had so many visitors and messages and people I haven't seen for 20 or 30 years getting in touch," he said. | "It was like doing an audit of your life - I had so many visitors and messages and people I haven't seen for 20 or 30 years getting in touch," he said. |
| "I didn't quite understand how important I was to other people and that was a nice thing to find out." | "I didn't quite understand how important I was to other people and that was a nice thing to find out." |
| Related Topics | Related Topics |
| Wales | |
| Medicine | Medicine |
| Amputees | Amputees |
| Truro | Truro |
| Aberystwyth | Aberystwyth |
| Sepsis | Sepsis |
| Inspiring stories | Inspiring stories |