A GRAN was forced to have both her legs AMPUTATED - after getting two insect bites while gardening. Josie Rowley was in her garden tending to her plants when she says an insect bit her on her left leg in September last year. The former gardener said she first noticed the two red marks on her leg when getting ready for bed but thought nothing of the 'mosquito bite'-sized punctures.
It was only when the bites grew in size over the next few days and turned into 'gruesome' ulcers that the Irish gran-of-13 visited her GP where she was prescribed antibiotics. But after two rounds of unsuccessful antibiotics and painkillers, Josie was then referred to hospital where she was given compression bands and tried three rounds of leech therapy to tackle the infection. Josie says the compression wraps slowed down her circulation so much her toes turned black, leaving her with no choice but to have both legs amputated above the knee.
The mum-of-six said she's been left devastated by the incident and is shocked something as small as an insect bite has caused this much damage. Josie, from Bantry Bay, Cork , said: "I'm not too sure what bit me because it was only when I was getting ready for bed that I noticed two little round red marks on my lower left leg. "I just thought maybe an ant had crawled up my jeans or some creature.
"The next day they had got a lot bigger and over days they became sore and then turned into these gruesome ulcers and that is when I had the compression bandages put on. "The bites at first were not even a millimetre, they were like a little mosquito bite. "A nurse came and put the compression bandages on and after this this is when my toes started going black and I went back to the hospital.
"They [the hospital] said the circulation on the lower legs wasn't sufficient to heal up the wounds and because of the ulcers on the leg, their resolution was to amputate above the knee and this is what happened in the end. "We did try other alternatives [before then] and even tried leech therapy, which wasn't the most pleasant. "I was devastated because surely this hasn't all come about from a couple of insect bites? It was crazy, I've been gardening for years and years.
You just don't think this is going to happen in your own garden." "I did have an underlying health condition of arthritis which didn't help either in my hands and ankles. "When I lost my first leg I was so calm when I came out of theatre but 10 days later they removed the other leg.
"With one amputation you can still manoeuvre a little bit but when they took off the other leg that was a different story. "It does seem incredible [that an insect bite caused this]. I have been bitten so many times over the years and lived in foreign countries where the insects there are worse.
"You just don't think this is going to happen in your own garden. "I've just had to adjust. There are so many things now that I think I can just do but I can't now.
" After months in and out of hospital, Josie was admitted to hospital in extreme pain in February and had both her legs amputated within a 10-day period in March. Following her discharge, she is now living at her 41-year-old daughter Jen Rowley's house as she can't move home until alterations are made to her property. Since Josie's surgery, Jen has set up a GoFundMe page to raise money to buy a wheelchair-accessible vehicle to help her mum get around.
Josie said: "A wheelchair accessible vehicle will help me tremendously. "At the moment if I have any appointments it's about a 15 to 20-minute journey to the bus stop. "I am fortunate to have an electric wheelchair and I have taken the bus a couple of times.
"It's not too bad but obviously having a car I can put my wheelchair in would make my life so much easier to do errands and see my family and new granddaughter. "I'm getting there now though and adjusting to the situation but at the moment I can't get home because the council house I'm renting will need a lot of alterations, so I'm living with my daughter at the moment. "Jen kindly cleared out her sitting room so we can fit the hospital bed in.
" If you would like to make a donation towards the cost of a wheelchair car, you can donate on the GoFundMe campaign ..
