Interview 14- Intensive care: family experiences

Age at interview: 63

Brief Outline:

She has cared for her husband full-time since he had a heart attack and life threatening infection that meant he had to have his leg amputated.

Background:

Retired accounts manager, married with two adult children. Ethnic background/nationality: White British.

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When making the critical decision to allow her husband's leg to be amputated while he was in intensive care, she consulted her sons for reassurance it was the right choice.

 The chest infection unfortunately became really bad, and he was taken to Intensive Care. I think that was about the 10th February and in Intensive Care obviously he was monitored very closely and they kept an eye on the foot, but because he had had such a severe heart attack they were concerned about another operation and the doctors kept me informed as to progress, but the toxins in the gangrene started travelling and I was told that my husband would die if he didn't have the operation or he could die during the operation. They were no guarantees and obviously the choice was mine. 

Both my sons do not live locally, one lives abroad and one lives north, and I made the decision but obviously phoned my sons at the same time and the hospital said they would leave it as long as possible in the hope that my sons would both get there in time. Which they did and obviously I told them the situation on the telephone and they said there was only the one decision. You've got to go for the operation to give him a chance to live, which we did. And on the 14th February he went down to theatre and they amputated his leg.