WATCH: Glen Marais paraplegic faces tough decision
Following months of healing in hospital, Pieter was discharged for less than two weeks before returning to hospital
Lying in a hospital bed, a paraplegic Glen Marais resident is faced with a difficult decision – does he allow doctors to further amputate his leg or not?
Pieter Lodewyk Kruger (43) was admitted to hospital on March 16 because his leg, which had been amputated above the knee in October 2019, had developed infection in the bone. Doctors gave him the option of either amputating his leg higher up, or spending more time in hospital waiting for the wound to heal.
He was paralysed from the waist down 16 years ago after being involved in a car accident.
“I don’t want my leg to be amputated any further, but I don’t want to be in the hospital for months on end again either,” Pieter said with dismay, but still managed to crack a joke.
He had not even been out of hospital for two weeks before his latest setback.
He received an artificial vein bypass in September last year to fix a blockage in his aorta above his naval which restricted blood flow to his lower body.
“It is called a carotid artery stenosis and was located underneath my break-line where my back broke, so I didn’t feel it,” he explained.
His problem started when he suspected he had broken his big toe around mid-April. “I first noticed something was wrong when my toe started going black. My first thought was I had broken it.”
However, his foot was actually rotting as his lower body’s blood circulation was compromised due the blockage in his aorta.
Two state hospitals sent him home twice with a cycle of antibiotics before he eventually ended up in another Pretoria hospital.
“At one state hospital I had to wait 18 hours in the emergency room before a doctor could assist me. They had no beds, no pillows and no blankets. I had to lie on a narrow bench and use my wheelchair’s cushions to protect a developing bed sore.”
The bypass was scheduled for two months later.
The artificial vein was inserted in his shoulder and moved down his body to provide blood flow to his legs.
Thinking his ordeal was finally over, he now faces a secondary amputation.
He recalled the accident on July 27, 2005 in Norkem Park, which paralysed him. It is believed his car’s left front tyre burst, which resulted in him crashing into palisades.
“Doctors said if I had my seat belt on I could’ve snapped my neck and died. It was hard getting back up from that and I never expected what still awaited me.”
Although he has workmanship compensation, Pieter still depends on financial assistance from the community. He is currently hosting a raffle where the winner will go home with a new Samsung S20 Note, thanks to his sponsor, who will be one of the first in line in South Africa to receive the latest Samsung edition. The raffle is set to end in July. Terms and conditions apply.
To enter and support Pieter, like his Facebook page, Support for Pieter Lodewyk Kruger.
