Live to Ride. Ride to Live

Ever since his first trip on the age of 11, Thomas Phillips has liked the sensation of getting on a motorbike and taking off down a winding nation street.

Final summer season, he feared he would possibly by no means expertise that feeling once more.

It began with what Thomas thought was only a minor lower on his left foot. A number of weeks later, he grew to become alarmed when the wound worsened and his toes began to show inexperienced. A visit to the Emergency Division close to his residence in Newark confirmed his worst fears: He had gangrene and cellulitis, and his toes would should be amputated.

“They scheduled the surgical procedure to take away my toes for the next day,” stated Thomas, 73. “The physician informed me they might ultimately need to take my leg off beneath the knee, after which above the knee later.”

The prognosis was a blow to Thomas and his fiancée, Glenna Lee, who each lead energetic existence. “I couldn’t settle for the truth that he was going to lose his leg, I simply couldn’t,” Glenna stated.

Thomas and Glenna’s dedication led them to hunt a second opinion on the Wound Clinic at Fairfield Medical Heart, which makes a speciality of therapeutic persistent wounds. Via the clinic, the couple discovered hope for his or her scenario with the assistance of 4 physicians – Andrew Murry, M.D., C.W.S, F.A.C.P., assistant medical director for an infection management; vascular surgeon Krishna Mannava, M.D.; podiatrist Animesh Bhatia, D.P.M.; and podiatrist Christopher Walker, D.P.M.

“Dr. Murry listened to my story and stated, ‘we are able to repair you’,” Thomas stated.

The Wound Clinic offers a team-based method to coordinate a spectrum of take care of every affected person.

“We pull from quite a lot of disciplines to construct a group with expertise in nursing care, infectious ailments, wound care and vascular surgical procedure,” Dr. Murry stated.

Following his first appointment with Dr. Murry on the Wound Clinic, Thomas underwent a bypass process during which Dr. Mannava eliminated the build-up of plaque in his leg to revive blood stream. He was then despatched to Dr. Walker, who did negative-pressure wound remedy, a course of during which a vacuum dressing is used to heal the wound. Thomas additionally began seeing podiatrist Dr. Bhatia for pores and skin graft remedies.

Inside weeks, Thomas was not in ache – and not at risk of dropping his leg.

“What amazes me is the docs on the Wound Clinic don’t say, ‘let’s do this,’ or ‘let’s see if it will work’.” Glenna stated. “They are saying, ‘that is what I’m going to do.’ And case closed, that’s what we do. After which he will get fabulous outcomes.”

Thomas and Glenna stated as soon as Thomas’ wound is totally healed, there shall be nothing holding them again from their energetic life-style – which is for certain to incorporate many bike rides.

“We are able to’t change the previous, however the good factor is we discovered these 4 docs,” Glenna stated. “Now the longer term is trying a complete lot brighter.”

Watch Thomas’ story at