A prominent Liverpool councillor was facing multiple organ failure and required emergency surgery after suddenly falling ill.
Cllr Nick Small, who represents the city centre for Labour is spending his 49th birthday today (Sunday) recovering from surgery after a sudden and worrying health issue.
Cllr Small said he had been "floored" by what he thought was a bug over the Christmas period and had no energy or appetite. He also had a bump that had emerged on the back of his neck.
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When his family came to visit him on Friday afternoon they were shocked by his state and made him go to the Accident and Emergency department at the new Royal Liverpool Hospital.
Cllr Small explained: "My glucose levels were off the scale. I was diagnosed with diabetes on Friday night, which was behind it all, and sent for emergency surgery to drain the abscess on my neck. I was perhaps a few days away from multiple organ failure."
The surgery was carried out on Saturday and doctors removed the abscess and crucially also dealt with some necrotizing fasciitis, which is a flesh-eating bug that can spread quickly and can lead to organ failure and death.
Cllr Small said he has been on the mend since the operation was finished and is "making good progress." Speaking about his diagnosis, he added: "It seems the form of diabetes I've had, perhaps for sometime, is type one and not type two. I hadn't noticed any symptoms before.
"This is the type of diabetes caused by a lack of insulin, not lifestyle. It's also the type that doesn't go into remission and something I'll have to manage for the rest of my life, but I'm just glad it's all over and I can start focussing on this."
Cllr Small said he will meet with the hospital's diabetes management team tomorrow (Monday) and despite his ordeal is "optimistic about the future." He thanked his family and friends for their support, adding: "I cannot imagine how I could have got through all this without you."
The New Royal Hospital is facing a challenging time during the current NHS crisis. The move to a hospital with fewer beds has been criticised by some doctors working there and difficult scenes of people being cared for in corridors have been regularly witnessed.
Despite this, Cllr Small said he had only positive words for the care he has received. He added: "The level of care I have received at the New Royal has been exceptional. I was proud to have campaigned since I was first elected to get a new hospital built in Liverpool City Centre. What I've seen first-hand over the last few days is how the building is helping staff deliver person-centred healthcare, free at the point of need. Thank you our NHS."
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