Today I met Joan for her final check up after her laser treatment and she is delighted. “This was my best Christmas present”
I first met Joan in my Bristol clinic in the summer. She had developed varicose veins when she was quite young and she had always been concerned. Here’s her story.
“My mother had been troubled by leg ulcers for years and I didn’t want to end up with ulcerated legs. I saw my GP as a young woman and he dismissed me in an off-hand manner saying that they were simply cosmetic. Nothing was done and as the years went by they got worse. Despite seeing a number of different doctors, I was told the same story – they were cosmetic and that they wouldn’t cause me any serious problems. A couple of years ago, I developed a rash around my left ankle. It was red and very itchy and my ankles began to swell. I was prescribed antihistamines and support tights but nothing more was done. I now know that this rash was varicose eczema. Well 18 months later I got an ulcer. The very thing I was worried about, the thing that had affected my Mother and the thing I was repeatedly assured I would not get. I was very angry and I felt let down.
I saw Dr Gajraj in Bristol and he immediately scanned my legs and found the problem. A weakness of the vein valves causing reflux. He arranged for me to have stronger medical socks as the ones my own doctor had prescribed were far too weak. Within a couple of weeks, I had had treatment by laser under local anaesthetic. My ulcer has now gone, my legs look and feel so much better. This was my best Christmas present!”
It is very unfortunate that Joan’s concerns were not taken seriously. She had a family history of leg ulcers, she herself had developed leg veins at a very early age and they had deteriorated progressively. When she developed varicose eczema, she really should have received urgent treatment at that stage to prevent leg ulceration.
Contact me today for a confidential chat
If you’re worried about your veins and would like a confidential chat please do get in touch. I am happy to offer simple advice by telephone or email for free and without obligation.
The VeinCare Centre also offers a screening assessment with our vascular technologist. For £25 you can have a scan with Wendy Parsons. She is not a doctor and so she cannot give you medical advice but she can check your deep veins and your varicose veins and give you an idea of how bad they are and whether laser might be suitable for you. If you would like to have an appointment with Wendy please call 01935 873 951
Read Reviews about the treatment that some of our patients have received