A Co Down man has opened up on the nightmare run of health problems he has had – and his three and a half year wait for surgery.
Chuck Louden is from Dromore and suffered a bowel perforation which led to a 14-week coma in ICU at Craigavon Area Hospital.
"During that time I had two heart attacks and I took sepsis as well which almost ended up with me losing a leg, thankfully they got it quick enough and didn't have to do it," he told Belfast Live.
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"I had never been in a hospital before, I had never really been sick before this.
"The pain's there every day, all the time, but it's something you gradually get used to - I would say I'm sitting at a five or six out of 10 each day.
"They have me on morphine tablets which is helping a bit but walking, standing or even sitting the pain is there, even when you're sleeping."
His health is in such a delicate state that his stomach is barely holding together and he would face emergency surgery if anything was to happen to it.
"They had said there was nothing they could do - the only thing was if the stomach did tear open they could go ahead and do the operation as an emergency.
"So they have me wearing this belt around my waist which is keeping my stomach together, as there's no muscle there, there's only skin."
Despite facing more health problems in this period than most will in a lifetime, Chuck remains upbeat and supportive of the "fantastic" healthcare staff who have looked after him.
He said that having worked for 20 years as a porter at Lagan Valley Hospital before his ill health meant he had to stop working, he had seen the kind of pressures doctors and nurses faced.
"I'm under no misunderstanding that I'm the worst on the list, there's people the same as me and worse than me out there," he added.
"If the politicians could get together and focus on the real things like waiting lists and that, it would be better for everyone."
At the minute, his family have been a rock for Chuck as he adjusts to living with his health complications.
"My wife Cordelia would help so much and she's great, she's been looking after me, changing my dressings regularly for me and the bag and everything, she's been a great comfort to me," he said.
"And I've my daughter Charlie here too, she's only 16 but she's a godsend, she looks after me too - I've got good friends and family around me here.
"If all this was over me, realistically I'd like to still be working - it's even affecting my mental health greatly."
Chuck said that unfortunately due to costs, private treatment was not an option for him and that he wasn't hopeful of being seen soon, despite wanting to go back to work if he was fit and healthy to.
"I've had an influx of young grandchildren arrive recently and it's really limiting what I can do with them as well," he said.
"I should be able to take them out and play with them and do things that other grandparents can do, but physically you're just not able, it's holding me back something shocking.
"I'm not hopeful of getting seen soon at all but I just have to put my head down and wait my turn and hope it comes sooner rather than later."
The Southern Trust has been contacted for comment on this story.
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