Specialist treatment can save his foot

PETER Basson’s (38) life changed in December 2017 after he found out he has cellulitis.

If he cannot undergo specialist treatment his foot will have to be amputated.

Peter has been living in Alberton for most of his life and he is president of a motorcycle club. He also loved to play cricket and golf.

Being an active person, he built some of the furniture in his house and liked gardening.

“I can not ride a motorcycle anymore and that was my way to escape from the world,” he said. “I am a maintenance planner at Cem Air (Pty) Ltd at OR Tambo and I am extremely grateful as they granted me the opportunity to work from home and still receive a monthly income,” he said.

Changing his life

“People will not know how my life changed because I was always dependant on myself and now I have to depend on others,” he said.

“I have never had a medical aid because I paid everything myself over the years, but now is one of those times I wished I had a medical aid,” Peter told the RECORD.

His foot started to swell and pain in December 2017. He and his son went to the driving range on December 27 and he felt a lot of pain in his right foot.

“I drank anti-inflammatory tablets and when I woke up the next day the pain was gone,” Peter said.

The next day he played golf with his brothers and things just got worse. He could not step on his foot.

Peter first saw a doctor on January 2, 2018, and was diagnosed with gout. The pain remained and he went back to the doctor on January 4, who again treated him for gout.

He visited another doctor at the same practice on January 8, who also diagnosed gout.

“I could not understand it, because the pain was getting worse by the day,” he said.

Peter visited another doctor on January 11 who did blood tests and the outcome was that he had a very high infection count.

“He was in unbearable pain that night, and we decided to go to casualties. He was then diagnosed with cellulitis,” said his partner, Lizé Labuschagne.

The next day a doctor saw him and he was given antibiotics. The pain was still unbearable on January 14, swelling of his foot and infection counts kept rising.

“We decided to seek alternative help from another doctor.”

A black mark appeared on Peter’s foot on January 15 and Peter was advised to get hospital assistance. Peter’s sister and brother helped to fund the fees for him to be admitted to another hospital because by this time all his funds were depleted. His antibiotics were changed and a change could be seen the same afternoon.

Emergency operation

The doctor noticed black marks appearing underneath his foot on January 17 and an emergency operation was arranged.

“I was told my foot is ‘rotten’ and the doctor will have to cut away a lot of dead skin and tissue, and he (the doctor) will have to get another opinion,” said Peter. Three days later he underwent another operation and again doctors said the foot was rotten.

Doctors then called in a wound sister and a VAC machine was put on his foot. A VAC machine is negative-pressure wound therapy which is a therapeutic technique using a vacuum dressing to promote healing in acute or chronic wounds and enhance healing of second- and third-degree burns.

“Peter was discharged a few days later, still with the VAC machine on his foot as we could not afford the hospital stay and theatre any more. He went for weekly visits to the doctor to monitor swelling and blood counts. Due to insufficient funds, the doctor agreed to do this procedure in the consulting rooms although the procedure should ideally be done in theatre because it is painful. Somehow Peter managed through all the pain,” said Lizé.

Once the doctor saw the wound is healing, a skin graft was done, although the infection was still present. The skin graft was a success, but the infection remained.

“We have tried antibiotics, wound sisters, silver plasters, anything we could do, but to no avail.”

Specialist treatment

Peter was then referred to the specialist who saw him on July 17.

“With all of the time that went by, the infection has spread to his bone, which can be cured by Lautenbach Irrigation system. This requires a four-hour operation and three weeks’ hospital stay, with a 90 per cent success rate, but at a cost of R160 000.

“If we can not get the money together Peter must get his foot amputated to save costs. The thought of amputation is heartbreaking and unbearable. Peter is still young, strong, active and hardworking,” Lizé said.

“There is no medical aid, and a lot of debt has already been made to pay for hospital bills, emergency operations, antibiotics, skin graft, etc.”

However, Peter remains positive stating he will carry on fighting and there will be a time in the future where he will look back at this and be grateful for what has happened.

How you can help

The Basson’s need financial help from the community as they don’t have a medical aid. Lizé created a page on Back a Buddy with Peter’s story and photographs. On the website, you can click the donate button to help them with the costs.

Peter just wants to inform people who want to donate to write their name or an anonymous name with a message before donating.

“Some of our friends who donated said their money came back into their accounts after donating. My sister then tried again by writing her name and a message and it went through,” he said.

If you want to help Peter, visit https://www.backabuddy.co.za/champion/project/peters-foot-operation#.W2mtVRjJH08.facebook to donate.

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