Losing limbs to sepsis | DW Documentary

Losing limbs to sepsis | DW Documentary

[Music] a minor injury a mere cut on his finger led to sepsis and almost cost gor Vining his life he lost both arms and legs there are days when I want to go into the woods and scream my head off they do happen and happen often now he just wants to get his old life back as much of it as he can [Music] cont let your feet make contact with the floor as much as possible get yourself into a good starting position with good body tension before you stand up review all the important points in your head this will help you get up without using too much energy operating an electric wheelchair works well that guok is still alive is a small miracle he was in an induced coma for 16 days and underwent eight surgeries for months it was uncertain whether he would survive he now attends sessions at this Clinic to train his extremely weakened body when I arrived here after my operation my body was so weak and my muscles so atrophied that I could only lift my head the first thing I had to do was get fit again rebuild my body rebuild my musles so that I could do basic things of everyday life again like brushing my teeth or just getting out of bed and into my wheelchair it all started so innocently [Applause] what happened was that I cut myself on an old ear mattress in the cellar it was a very very small cut on my left index finger which became [Music] infected it turned into a strepto coal infection which ultimately triggered sepsis you can see this small small cut here and that then developed into a blister overnight the infection was caused by mouse droppings on the mattress soon was in severe pain had a fever and shortness of breath two doctors told him the infection was harmless gar survived because he was finally admitted to a hospital where he suffered septic shock he had to be placed in an induced coma during the infection his body diverted most of his oxygen to his vital organs the brain the heart and the lungs because of that large part of both his arms and legs didn’t receive enough blood this is what ultimately led to him needing the amputations it was a really serious case Professor Gran gook’s attending physician at the rehabilitation Clinic his major concern early on was that the residual Limbs and the skin protecting them heal properly only then was it possible for to be fitted with prosthesis sepsis is one of the most common diseases worldwide affecting around 50 million people every year most deaths could be avoided with a correct diagnosis and proper treatment sepsis is a severe inflammation of the body it’s triggered by bacteria entering the bloodstream via an injury for example sepsis occurs when the immune system overreacts damaging the body instead of fighting the infection left unchecked it attacks vital organs which start to fail this is exactly what makes it so dangerous I was completely unaware of what sepsis is and what it can lead to in the end I’ve only learned recently how bad sepsis can be in most cases it leads to death because it is not recognized properly in that respect I was very lucky to have survived it and to still be sitting here today so come on in the whole Space just for us this one’s mine shall we find a good place to practice standing up gook’s therapist kaston Schmidt doesn’t just give him practical tips he’s a cheerleader too he knew goog would need both psychological and physical help very nice well done I didn’t help that worked out well yes you did that all on your own I think what makes him different is that he doesn’t look back he only looks ahead I think he realized how things were going for him a few months ago that he had no alternative my sense is he seems to have woken up looked ahead and said well there’s no going back now and there’s only one way to go you can only go forward and not backward he told himself I was lucky I’m still alive and can now prepare myself for a new life and live by the Creed if I can no longer do what I want then I have to want what I can do happy it fits feels good no pressure points no pain nice every step takes enormous effort both physically and mentally one day guog velling hopes to be able to work again before the sepsis he was a marketing team leader at a medium-sized company work is a very important part of my life it’s integral it was part of my old life it’s part of my new life too I’m 40 years old I couldn’t imagine just sitting at home from now on and taking early retirement that feels strange just feels wrong one two go you did it didn’t crush your hand did I no standing walking gor wants to reclaim as much of his old life as possible Despair and doubt are his constant companions I have many inner demons no doubt about it there are days when I could just scream at the wall everyone can imagine what it’s like there are certain questions I simply shouldn’t ask myself right now questions like why me why not someone else above all it’s the question who’s to blame these are the two most important questions that I try to ignore all the time because there is no answer to them and they don’t get me anywhere either after 6 months gor velling is allowed to leave the clinic he is happy to be back in his home home in beaed and tries to apply what he has learned during his Rehabilitation a lot is possible a lot is no longer possible a lot simply has to be planned with the help of family members it starts with getting lunch out of the fridge I have to use my wheelchair to get food and then be able to heat it up there’s difficulties in the morning too using toothpaste when brushing my teeth the toothbrush can’t be too far away so that I can still reach it this is part of everyday life some of what I had taken for granted has suddenly become an obstacle and some things are just impossible G velling doesn’t give up if something doesn’t work right away he sees it all as a set of physical challenges something he used to seek out when he was younger I grew up on skis I used to ski off slow as much as possible and I mean really off slope in the back country the steeper the better there were no limits before and I was also a passionate dancer my wife was my dance partner of course I’m trying to instill this attitude into my children but of course that will be a bit more difficult to do in the future the fact that parts of his life are returning to normal is due mainly to his wife Alexandra she and goog have been married for 12 years you learn to adapt to the situation it’s like a movie and it didn’t feel like our life it’s only now that the four of us are back at home that everyday life has slowly crept back in what’s different driving the kids to where they need to go in the morning by myself that was a task we used to share that I have to make sure before I leave the house that I leave gar a coffee cup with a straw in it and that I wash an Apple for him to eat she will never forget the first time she visited her husband in the hospital after his amputation with their two children we came into G’s room the first thing fatan said was Dad where are your hands and I said I told you remember but then very soon it was just like always we all staged a race with the wheelchair fand ran alongside me leopo the little one was sitting on Gay’s lap so yes it was just like always giok and Alexandra share a coffee together in the late afternoon after she’s come home from work they talk about the traumatic experiences of the last few months and what has given them strength it’s so important to have family around you for emotional support my children and my wife have been such a comfort for me I don’t think I would have had the will and the motivation to work so hard on myself for such a long time without them gook’s high-tech prostheses cost thousands of Euros they’re paid for mainly by his health insurance solidarity is an important principle in German Society the healthy pay for the sick the rich for the poor everyone is entitled to the same medical treatment today orthopedist Ooty is giving guok new set of prostheses I’ve got your new feet with me they don’t feel natural or agile as I said at first it feels good to get a bit more support it helps now you don’t have so much play in them anymore great you leaned back but then adjusted all on your own [Applause] gor Vining is making progress but he’s eager for things to improve even more quickly things will continue to progress if one approach doesn’t work there’s always another and finding that new approach becomes the important thing to do the most important thing is to keep going and to keep at it gor velling has already captured aspects of his former life such as skiing of course it’s different than it was back then before his surgeries the way so many things are since that fateful day when he suffered what seemed like a minor injury in the cellar [Music]

Sepsis changed Georg Winterling’s life forever: both his arms and legs had to be amputated.

Blood poisoning or sepsis is one of the most common diseases and causes of death worldwide. But even in Germany, it is often not recognized immediately, as was the case for Georg Winterling. Winterling suffered a small cut on his finger when trying to inflate an old air mattress in the cellar. It seemed like a harmless injury that even the family doctor didn’t take seriously at first. But then the wound started to hurt badly. A few days later, Winterling could hardly breathe and was admitted to the hospital. Doctors there said he was suffering from sepsis, a condition which spreads throughout the body rapidly. They put Winterling into an induced coma and were eventually forced to amputate his limbs to save his life. Since then, many things he used to take for granted have become a challenge. He relies on his wife and two children to help him. DW reporter Miodrag Soric accompanied Georg Winterling as he took his first steps into his new life.

00:00 Intro
01:55 Progression of Georg’s sepsis
03:30 What happens in the body during sepsis?
04:30 Therapy: stepping back into life
07:23 Everyday life after rehab
10:40 How can prostheses help?
11:32 An optimistic look into the future

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