Diabetes: Patient chose to amputate limb to save his life

He said having that “hole in your foot” for almost four years “took me to a very dark place on more than one occasion”.

“It’s the mental pain of sitting down and looking at a wall, you’ve watched everything on all the streaming services… you don’t want to listen to music, turn on the TV or do anything.”

Mr Paterson, who works as a counsellor helping vulnerable families, has type 1, external and type 2 diabetes, external, which causes a person’s blood sugar level to become too high.

It can also reduce the blood supply to the feet, damage nerves and cause a loss of feeling.

As a result, someone might not notice if they have an injury, which can lead to ulcers, infections, and even amputations.

Mr Paterson said: “To have to sit down and think – do I have my life taken or do I save it? Do I lose a limb to save my life?”