Do not read if you are sensitive...

[Fljotsdale]

I was just lying in bed listening to the radio, and an interview came on with this chap. He and his wife are SO courageous and up-beat. If it had been me, I would want to have died.
I find it hard to believe that not only such appalling things can happen, but that people survive mentally:

This page is about Tom Ray and his recent experiences.

Tom Ray is 38 years old. He lives in Rutland with his wife, Nicola (also 38), and two children, Grace (3) and Freddie (7 months). In the early hours of 10th December 1999 Tom was taken ill with suspected food poisoning. At midday he was prescribed anti-sickness drugs by his GP. At 6.30pm he was taken to A&E at Peterborough District Hospital with suspected Anaphylactic shock. Late that evening he was transferred to a Medical Ward for observation, but his condition continued to deteriorate at an alarming rate and by 4pm he was in Intensive Care on life support. Many of his major organs had failed, he was not expected to live, with his chances being rated at 1 in 10. By this stage doctors were homing in on Pneumococcal or Meningococcal Septicaemia as the culprit. Powerful antibiotics were administered, Over the next few days the disease took its brutal course.

In addition to organ failure the disease causes hemorrhaging and swelling beneath the skin. It also shuts down blood supply to the extremities. By Tom's birthday, 22nd December it was clear that hands and feet would have to be amputated. So too nose and lips. There would also have to be considerable skin grafting to cover areas of blistering and splitting. Christmas Eve saw the first major surgery, carried out by a Plastics Consultant from Addenbrookes, Cambridge. Several revisions took place over the ensuing weeks. By the time Tom regained consciousness in the last week of January 2000 both lower limbs had been amputated below knee, and both arms below the elbow. He had areas of scarring to his chest, upper arms, and fronts of his legs. His back, and the backs of legs are totally untouched. Kidney function was starting to return, he was breathing on his own, and Adrenal Gland failure was being treated with steroids.

Tom was transferred to Addenbrookes at around this point. After a brief spell in Intensive Care, spent finally getting the better of a 40 degree temperature of several weeks' standing he was taken to the Plastic Surgery Unit. It was here that he finally came to realise not only the awful truth of his condition, he also learned of the birth of his son Freddie on 17th January. After a brief spell in the Rehabilitation Unit in March and April 2000, Tom went back to Plastics for the start of the facial reconstruction process. In a gruelling 10 hour operation muscle and skin tissue was taken from his abdomen and scalp, and connected to a blood vessel in his neck. The new skin was laid across his damaged nose and mouth area to create a supply of viable tissue for future reconstruction. After several weeks in Plastics, where the Physiotherapy and Occupational Therapy programme was initiated, Tom was moved back down to Re-hab.

Four hours a day of intensive physiotherapy has made a huge positive impact on Tom's stamina and flexibility. He has split hook prostheses for lower arms. With these he's making huge strides in being able to look after himself, operate a wheelchair and type. In the last two weeks he has also at last been able to find his feet, thanks to functional but not particularly attractive lower limb prostheses. He can walk about 50 feet using a tall walking frame. Elbow crutches will be the next stage. He can also stand unaided for a while. In a few days he will also be undergoing more facial surgery to fashion the tissue placed there so many weeks ago. The first step is to create the lower half of his nose. A small piece of rib will be used to form a bridge. After that he will be able to come home to his family.

It has been an incredible journey.

Tom is an incredible man.

For Tom's story in his own words, read the Tom's Progess page.





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[onthepequod]

It's amazing what some go through. And all the while the rest of the world goes on, oblivious.

[Bahamut]

wow... that was indeed a great journey!

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We have merged... and now we are called Chiharumut..wehehehe

Blimey! I thought I was fear less, but I'd have given up long before that! Amazing the incentive family adds to one's resolve!!!

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In the kingdom of the blind, the one-eyed man is pimp

[Dreamer128]

I´ve seen a lot of terrible things in my life, childeren losing their parents at very young age and more.
But nothing commes close to this.

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Those who watch their backs meet death from the front

I just thanked you out loud Fljotsdale. This brought me back to real life... How hard it can be sometimes. When health, money and happiness are a everyday part of life I tend to have tunnel vision going from day to day. Thank you again for reminding me.
Conan

[Fljotsdale]

Yeah, Conan. Gutted me. Real life can be a brute - but this family sure have some guts, don't you think? I listened to the interview and they were SO positive and forward-looking. An amazing couple.
His face is partially rebuilt now, and he can get about ok - but it took a while for his little daughter to accept him 'cos he looked so scary. That must have really hurt!
He has to have lots more plastic surgery before he looks anything like normal, too.
I really admire his wife, too. Lots of women would have just taken off, but apparantly it never occured to her. They said they are closer now than ever.
Good, hey?

[Sazerac]

After what I went through last year in ICU, I can empathize to some extent with Tom...although what he went through and is still going through is far, far worse.

Blessings on him and his wife for their strength and courage. He's a fighter, he is!



[This message has been edited by Sazerac (edited 05-26-2001).]

[Tancred]

Jesus Christ. Hats off to him.

[Lifetime]

Yikes..the suffering people go through to live!

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Why?