Nic Olsen, 80, had both legs amputated after suffering from peripheral artery disease (PAD) that was misdiagnosed for four years. A podiatrist finally identified the condition in October 2024 using a Doppler scanner, but by then it had progressed to critical limb ischaemia, leading to the loss of both legs.
Four years of misdiagnosis
Olsen first noticed symptoms in 2020, including dragging his right foot, cold feet, calf aches, and stabbing toe pain at night. He visited his GP in January 2021, who attributed the pain to a spinal injury from a 1976 farming accident. He was prescribed painkillers and referred to an orthopaedic specialist, but MRIs, spinal injections, and other procedures failed to identify the real cause.
Over the next four years, Olsen underwent about 30 appointments and tests, saw multiple orthopaedic surgeons, and was on heavy morphine. Despite worsening symptoms—limping, swollen feet, discoloured skin, and thickened toenails—no doctor checked blood flow in his feet. One doctor suggested foam insoles, another told him 'GPs don’t do feet any more.'
Diagnosis and amputation
In October 2024, a podiatrist used a Doppler scanner to measure blood flow and immediately diagnosed PAD. Olsen was fast-tracked to Leicester’s Glenfield Hospital, where angioplasty and bypass surgery failed. In April 2025, his right leg was amputated below the knee. His left leg deteriorated soon after, and in July 2025, he chose to have it amputated at the knee.
'I was devastated; but I couldn’t see how my life could continue with any level of normality,' Olsen said.
Recovery and advocacy
Olsen spent nine weeks at a rehabilitation unit at St Thomas’ Hospital in London, where maggots were used to clean his wounds. He now uses a wheelchair but has taken a few steps with prostheses and a walking frame. On Easter Sunday, he walked unaided for the first time to take communion.
'I’m still here and mentally sharp. I have a wife and daughter I love. I’d like five more good years at least,' Olsen said. He shares his story to help others avoid his fate, emphasising that a simple Doppler scan could have changed everything.
