A Scots dad who has been left disabled from a one-inch blood clot has told how there were 'no real warning signs' before the lump was found in his leg.
Glenn Merilees once regarded himself as fit and healthy and is now unable to walk without the aid of a zimmer frame. The 57-year-old, from Hallglen in Falkirk, needs his partner, Aileen Muirhead, 62, to help him get up, washed and dressed on a daily basis.
The only symptom the father-of-seven, who works as a writer and poet, reported having prior to the clot was his loss of appetite in November last year. It wasn't until weight began falling from his body that he noticed something wasn't right.
Doctors found a rash on his leg and diagnosed him with cellulitis - a common bacterial skin infection that causes redness, swelling, and pain. But after persistent visits to Glenn's local GP, the lump wasn't found until August.
Glenn told the Record: "It was a shock, there were no real warning signs. I wasn't able to eat and the strength just started draining from me.
"I went to the doctors and they noticed a rash, they put me on a course of antibiotics but I started going downhill and was struggling to walk upstairs, my energy levels were rock bottom."
Glenn was kept in at Forth Valley Hospital hospital for six weeks to allow medics to begin dissolving the lump. His leg slowly started to swell, with 23 litres of fluid later drained from his limb.
During the process, Glenn also lost two-and-a-half stone and began suffering from chronic back pain.
He added: "There wasn't anything wrong with me until the clot. Now, I need my wife to help me get out of bed and even help wash me, it has put her under a lot of strain, too.
"The pain is excruciating, the first thing I do when I wake up is take to painkillers - I can't move until they've kicked in."
The matter has left the couple trapped in their house with Glenn suffering from mobility issues.
Aileen said: "It has been really difficult for him, he's unable to do simple things that he once could. He can't even get up or down the stairs.
"He was very independent but now he can't do any of the basic things he used to be able to do for himself, I can tell it's frustrating for him. We aren't able to leave the home as he's unable to go anywhere.
"When I leave, it's only for a short period of time so I can get back to him. Due to the fact we can't leave, we're starting to feel really isolated and we've just come from two years of lockdown during Covid.
"It's starting to take its toll mentally on him, he has become really reliant on me."
District nurses have been visiting Glenn's home every day to give him injections to dissolve the clot, with the course of jabs expected to be finished by January next year. In the meantime, his family are fundraising to buy him a mobility scooter to help return his independence.
Glenn added: "When I do go out, I'm unable to walk and I lose my balance. It's not doing my mental health any good.
"I'm needing to get out and about, it's a big shock being independent and going out on your own to not being able to go out at all. I'm due an MRI scan later this month, so it will be good to understand where this clot came from and what caused it. It has been really life-altering."
Donate to the family's online fundraiser by visiting here.
According to Scotland's NHS Inform, blood clot symptoms can include the following.
- pain, swelling and tenderness in one of your legs
- a heavy ache in the affected area
- warm skin in the area of the clot
- red skin, particularly at the back of your leg below the knee
More information on blood clots can be found on the NHS website here.
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