JUNE: Survived a deadly sepsis hurdle

WILF SIncLAIR, 48, lives in London with wife Ellen, 44, a life coach, and their daughter Kitty Dora, nine. Earlier this year Wilf, an architect designer, was rushed to hospital with sepsis. In June, he passed a key three-month point — he finally felt he was on the road to recovery.

WILF SAYS: I have psoriasis on my ankles which flares up under stress. A friend died suddenly in March, it flared up and I scratched it.

The following day my left ankle was so painful and swollen that I could hardly stand. Worried it was a blood clot, I hobbled into A&E.

I was shivery and nauseous, too. Initially they thought it was necrotising fasciitis, the ‘flesh eating’ disease, but tests were clear so they sent me home with antibiotics.

An hour later I started being sick and felt like I was going to die. When I couldn’t get up the next morning, Ellen phoned an ambulance. By now I was completely delirious and I was blue-lighted back to hospital. By midnight I was in intensive care, my kidneys had failed and my heart wasn’t working properly.

I was told I’d got sepsis after the scratch had led to a tissue infection, cellulitis. I was terrified, as a friend had died of sepsis two years before.

Fortunately my body responded to treatment.

There’s a very high readmission rate in the first three months. Passing that point was a real psychological milestone.

My ankle’s still painful and I get incredibly tired. But I’m very lucky to be alive and not to have lost any limbs.