In 1993, I suffered 67% burns across my body including my neck, torso, arms and legs when a DIY task at home did not go as planned. Mr Gowar was the senior burns surgeon based at the A/E Burns Unit in Birmingham, I spent three-months in the burns unit receiving excellent care from the team. I was finally released home after these three-months, however I was in dressings head to toe.
Unfortunately, I found myself alone in a flat following a break up with my partner and my family were unable to accommodate me or provide the sufficient care I required at the time. After a few weeks of this I found myself in quite a depressed state, I turned to alcohol to get through the days. I was alone. The alchol helped me through my uncertain future due to my current state following the accident. If it was not for the ambulance crew that would take me back to the burns unit regularly to change my dressings I do not know how I would have got through this period of my life. I was so thankful to have my dressings changed by the team as they would become extremely hard and smelly after a few days and were very tender and terrifying to touch. The team would hoist me into a bath in order to remove the bandages, this was a very painful procedure but I was so thankful for the team; thankfully patients are now given sufficient pain relief to remove dressings!