Lack of sleep linked to risk of dementia
I’m hopeful will continue to get better over time as currently I have to rely on others for a lot of everyday tasks, including walking my terrier.
“I have to pay towards my care, which has a big impact on my life financially. I also can’t socialise or go the gym, which I really enjoyed before falling ill.
“My lifestyle has changed dramatically and some days I still struggle to come to terms with what’s happened. But I know that nothing can change what I’ve been through, so I’m determined to be as positive as I can and live a full life.
“I just hope that by speaking out, others in a similar situation can try to be positive and don’t feel they have to go through it alone. There is a lot of support out there.”
After her surgery Stephanie asked medical negligence experts at Irwin Mitchell to look into the care she received under both a GP surgery and Bradford Royal Infirmary.
Rachelle Mahapatra, the specialist medical negligence lawyer representing Stephanie, said: “The past two years have been incredibly difficult for Stephanie, firstly contracting sepsis and then having to undergo amputation surgery.
“While we can’t change what’s happened to Stephanie, we’re determined to support her by ensuring she has access to the specialist care and therapies she needs to continue her recovery and make the most out of life.
“Limb Loss and Limb Difference Awareness Month is important to highlight the help and support available to people affected by this.”
Stephanie began to feel unwell on April 1, 2019, complaining of back pain, wheeziness and nausea. Her condition worsened and she telephoned her GP surgery the following day.
She saw a nurse practitioner that afternoon, by which time she was vomiting.
She said she was told she had a virus and no treatment was given.
However, she was concerned her symptoms indicated pleurisy, which she had suffered from in the past.
By the next day, Stephanie was still unwell. During a phone consultation Stephanie complained of sickness and breathlessness as well as being hot and clammy.
A GP prescribed anti-sickness tablets. Later that day she collapsed and was taken to Bradford Royal Infirmary’s A&E department by ambulance.
Stephanie was transferred to the intensive care unit for investigation and underwent a series of tests including a CT scan, blood tests and chest x-rays. She was diagnosed with sepsis – when the body attacks itself in response to an infection – and given antibiotics. She was subsequently diagnosed with pneumonia, respiratory failure and kidney failure, for which she needed dialysis.
On June 25, 2019, Stephanie underwent an operation to amputate both of her legs below the knee. On September 5, she had all the fingers on her right hand amputated, as well as all but one digit on her left hand.
She remains reliant on help from her partner, Robert, 55, and 35-year-old daughter, Jo, as well as carers which Stephanie is currently having to pay for.
Bradford Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust said that they could not comment at this time.
Calderdale Clinical Commissioning Group have also said they cannot issue a statement at this time.
Some days I struggle to come to terms with what’s happened
REGULARLY sleeping six hours or fewer per night during middle age may be associated with a greater risk of dementia, according to a new study.
Researchers say their findings cannot establish cause and effect, but suggest a link exists between sleep duration and dementia risk.
The study suggests there is a higher risk of dementia in those sleeping six or fewer hours per night at the age of 50 to 60.
There was also a 30% increased dementia risk in those with consistently short sleeping patterns from middle to older age (from 50 to 70 years), irrespective of cardiometabolic or mental health issues (known risk factors for dementia).
The authors say: “Here we report higher dementia risk associated with a sleep duration of six hours or less at age 50 and 60, compared with a normal (seven-hour) sleep duration, although this was imprecisely estimated for sleep duration at age 70. These findings suggest short sleep duration in midlife is associated with an increased risk of late-onset dementia.”