Woman loses half her thigh following fish hook infection

Michelle Milton, 36, now has a wound that oozes with pus and is begging doctors to remove her ravaged limb altogether.

Her ordeal began on August 18, 2019, on a fishing trip when a line in her front pocket pierced her right thigh.

Four days later, Michelle was rushed to Basildon University Hospital, Basildon, Essex, after her leg swelled up and she developed a high temperature.

Doctors battled to stop the infection but after it became resistant to antibiotics they were forced to cut into her thigh.

Leg - Michelle's ravaged leg (Image: Newsquest)

The mum-of-two now has a gaping hole on her inner leg after enduring 55 operations, including skin grafts, washouts, and tissue removal.

Despite receiving a myriad of treatments over the last five years, Michelle has not fully recovered and now says she is highly resistant to antibiotics.

Michelle, from Stanford-le-Hope, Essex, said: "I never thought a fishing line could cause so much damage.

''I just want my leg off. Everyday is filled with agony and I've begged them to take it off, they just keep cutting away at my leg.

''I can barely walk or sit down. There's going to be nothing left of me," Michelle said. 

In August 2019, Michelle went on a fishing trip with her brother, Martyn Milton, 41, window glazer.

On the first day of the trip a part of the nylon fishing line got stuck in her leg after she slipped on some rocks.

Within days the infection had spread through her leg and medics gave her a course of antibiotics after she attended A&E.

But when the wound began to weep pus, doctors decided to x-ray and sent her home with antibiotics.

Over the following nine months, Michelle returned to the hospital where they tried to repair her wound.

Wound - Michelle's infected wound (Image: Newsquest)

In December 2019 she had a washout, a medical procedure to clean the open wound, that left her leg gaping open.

Michelle said: "They had no idea what was going on, the pain grew and the infection kept spreading across my leg.

"I was in a lot of pain, but I thought some antibiotics could fix the issue.

"I'm in agony, every second of every day.

"I miss my family and my kids.

"The doctors have no idea what's going on, they just keep discharging me, and prescribing me antibiotics."

Over five years she endured four skin grafts, 30 wash-outs, and 21 debridement's to remove the damaged tissue and spent most of her time in hospital.

Despite the multiple treatments, the infection showed no sign of clearing and kept Michelle hospital bound.

She said: ''I wanted the leg off, they kept saying because I was ambulant, they wouldn't do it.

"This isn't a way to live your life, I'm constantly in and out of hospital.

On 24 October 2023, surgeons at Basildon Hospital operated on her again with a washout and fitted the wound with a pump to suck out all the pus.

Medics have revealed the infection is now spreading down her right leg - they have warned this would also have to be removed if an amputation were to go ahead.

The mum-of-two has been fitted with a portable vacuum sack to suck out the pus that is continuously oozing from her leg.

Michelle - who is mum to Jade, 17, and son, 20 - said: "I don't know how much more I can take.

''Nothing seems to work, none of the treatments help at all.

''It's very worrying and makes me feel like my only option will be to have it amputated all together.

"I just want it off, I want to live my life. I haven't been in a mum in years, my mum's been doing everything for my kids."

Michelle is currently in hospital waiting for further results and if she has a blood clot in her right leg.

Michaell said: "I'm mentally and physically drained.

"I have pus constantly leaking from my body, everything is ticking down.

"I'm scared I'm going to die, I'm so poorly.

"I'm sick of spending my life in hospital, I can't believe a simple scratch has left me like this.''