Nic Olsen, 80, had both legs amputated after peripheral artery disease (PAD) went undiagnosed for four years, despite severe symptoms and numerous medical appointments. The condition, which causes blocked arteries in the legs, was only identified in October 2024 when a podiatrist used a Doppler scanner to measure blood flow in his feet.
Misdiagnosis and Delayed Treatment
Olsen first noticed symptoms in 2020, including dragging his right foot, cold feet, aching calves, and stabbing pain in his toes at night. He initially attributed these to a spinal injury from a 1976 farming accident. In January 2021, he visited a GP who prescribed painkillers and referred him to an orthopaedic specialist, but no one checked the blood flow in his feet.
Over the next four years, Olsen underwent approximately 30 appointments and tests, including MRIs, spinal injections, and various orthopaedic procedures. He was on high doses of morphine and barely knew what day it was. One doctor suggested foam insoles, while another told him, 'GPs don’t do feet any more.'
Diagnosis and Amputations
When Olsen finally saw a podiatrist in October 2024, she immediately recognised the condition. 'Mr Olsen, you haven’t got any blood going to your feet,' she said. He was diagnosed with critical limb ischaemia, a severe complication of PAD. Despite attempts at angioplasty and bypass surgery, his right leg was amputated below the knee in April 2025. His left leg followed in July 2025.
'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 unaided steps. He shares his story to raise awareness of PAD symptoms, which can include leg pain while walking, ulcers, skin discolouration, and slow-growing toenails.
'I’d like five more good years at least – and I’ll continue sharing our story so that others might be spared my fate,' he said.
