20 years of service
Mrs Holman
I first met Bob Watts in September, 1986, when he worked for Otto Bock at Egham.
A feature on the programme That's Life with Esther Rantzen highlighted the shortcomings of the current limb fitting service, then provided by the Disablement Services Authority. It described the greater quality of fitting provided by the German prosthetists at the Otto Bock Company.
As a below-knee amputee of twenty-eight years with a residual limb severely damaged by radium treatment as a baby, I was desperate to find a comfortable prosthesis, and made an appointment.
Bob had worked with the German prosthetist (Mr Frusjinski?)who pioneered the lightweight modular limbs, and he felt that if I had a comfortable socket, it would be possible for me to change from the cumbersome and ill-fitting number 8 limb I was wearing.
This presented a major life-change for me, to say the least. Having been disabled since a baby, I had never properly used my right thigh muscles, although I had always been as active as possible, had had my own horse throughout my teenage years, and rode every day.
There were very many challenges with the pain of newly-expanding muscles and the need for a constantly changing socket over the next two years that it took to properly acclimatise to my new type of prosthesis, and Bob gave me enormous support throughout. He and Ken and Ray became real friends whom I valued.
Bob had family in Dorset, and a keen interest in sailing, and for these reasons chose to set up his own company in Dorset. This was a great benefit to me, as I no longer had the long journey to Egham, but any journey necessary would have been worth it as Bob's dedication to perfection of quality of service is something not found often.
Over the years, every time there was a new innovation - the silicone socket, the Flexfoot, Bob saw that I had it, and I benefited enormously from these things.
Some eight years ago, Mathew Hughes took over as my prosthetist, and he has been absolutely wonderful, continuing Bob's high standard of care and coming up with many further innovations that have improved things for me.
I am also privileged to be an NHS patient at Dorset Orthopaedic, as Dorset Health Authority has recognised (not without a fight supported by my lovely GP, Tim Harley, and local MP) that this is what I need.
Two bad falls in which I fractured my right femur in 1992 and 2000 set me back each time for some time. I have rebuilt my fitness with the aid of daily use of home gym equipment in that time, using a rowing machine, stepper and weights. More recently, I have acquired an air-walker and this has been a real innovation, revealing just how much the right side of my whole body was weak, and improving this beyond belief.
Although I am now rather older than I was in 1986 when I first met Bob, I am still leading an active life enjoying hobbies and the three gorgeous grandchildren I have acquired along the way.
For the past thirty years, my main hobby has been competition flower arranging. In case you are visualising a picture of old ladies in crimplene frocks arranging delicate blooms in glass vases, I would hasten to add that the reality of competitive work is more about lugging huge bits of driftwood and heavy stands around, particularly when you are staging a seven-foot exhibit overnight at Chelsea Flower Show.
I manage this with the aid of a trolley, a stool adapted by Remap and a lovely husband - who has also incidentally become a dab-hand with a pair of flower scissors when we are doing weddings.
I could easily ramble on for another 600 words to say what Dorset Orthopaedic and its care has meant to me. However, I will limit it to four more words:
Thank you, Bob Watts.
Margaret and Roy Daisley - long-standing patients of Dorset Orthopaedic
We are in our mid-70s and are an unusual couple in that we've both had a below-knee amputation and our "good" legs are not very good.
Our story begins on 20th August 1992 when, on the first day of an intended walking holiday in Austria, we were knocked down by a motor cycle and both suffered very serious injuries. A brief account of that event appeared in the Spring 1998 issue of docNEWS. Attempts were made to save our legs but Margaret's left leg had to be amputated below the knee just after Christmas 1992. Mine lasted a few months longer but towards the end of August 1993 my right leg was amputated below the knee.
Following lengthy periods in hospital we acquired prosthetic limbs supplied by the NHS. We have no complaints about our NHS hospital treatment; it was first-class. However, we did think their prostheses could be improved; we asked if we could pay extra for something superior but were assured that nothing better was available. Remember that this was in 1993 and there must have been substantial improvements since then. Those first prostheses were really quite awful to behold, being held on by straps just above the knee. However, because of the delicate nature of Margaret's stump, it was agreed somewhat reluctantly that she could have an Iceross with a ratchet fitting, but they wouldn't let me have one!
Shortly after that we made a discovery. A local television programme featured a young man with an artificial leg who played rugby. I phoned the BBC and the man who had conducted the interview got back to us very quickly to tell us about Bob Watts at St Leonard's and give us a contact telephone number. We quickly made an appointment to see Bob and visited him for an initial assessment on 14 October 1993. In due course, when our stumps were judged to have settled down sufficiently, we were both fitted with Flex-Foot below-knee prostheses.
Thus, for sixteen years we have continued to visit Dorset Orthopaedic for our prostheses, seeing it grow from Bob's little patch at St Leonard's to its present size. Despite the growth, and the fact that we are no longer treated by Bob himself, we have been very satisfied with DO's prosthetists and the way they have cared for us. Margaret's stump is particularly troublesome and has frequently caused us to return for adjustments and modifications but we are always treated with patience and understanding. When we arrive, it's like being greeted as old friends.
Cressida Potter
I first travelled down to Ringwood some 14 years ago. I did not make that journey with any confidence or expectation of a happy outcome: the reason - I had spent 18 months in an NHS limb centre just trying to find comfort. I had no more expectation than that. During those 18 long months the prosthetists had made me about 11 liners and two sockets for my above knee leg, no-one could say they hadn't tried, but for me nothing worked, I could not walk more than a few yards without severe chaffing on my residual limb. I had lost my left leg above the knee in a motor bike accident and was airlifted to hospital in an attempt to reattach the limb, unfortunately it was too badly severed and although I begged them to try, the outcome was the leg had to be removed just above the knee. On talking to the anaesthetist after the operation, himself an above knee amputee, I was assured that a comfortable limb would be made for me with state of the art cover so that it would virtually match my own.
These then were my expectations when I first attended the NHS limb fitting centre. So I am sure that most people would understand how depressed I had become over the 18 months I had been travelling backwards and forwards to the centre. I obviously wasn't the only one, as I lost count of the number of patients attending in wheelchairs carrying their legs!
On the first visit to Dorset Orthopaedic, I was assessed and asked what my expectations were. I remember clearly saying that all I really wanted was a comfortable limb that would not rub, chafe or cause blisters. Dear Bob assured me that they would do just that. But of course I didn't really believe him, how could he achieve what the prosthetists at the NHS limb centre had spent 18 months trying to achieve without a glimmer of success.
I am sure dear readers you can guess the outcome - yes he did just that, no it wasn't perfect the first time, but with persistence skill and expertise we achieved it. But of course that wasn't all, in addition to a comfortable fit, I had a silicone cosmetic cover in a skin tone which virtually matched the other leg, together with skilfully crafted toes, nails and yes veins, I declined the hairs!
Since then it has been onwards and upwards, two more legs have been made, I have trialled the 'C' leg at Otto Bock's Egham headquarters with my then prosthetist Brian Wade in close attendance. Unfortunately it wasn't for right for me, so now I have settled on my trusty Endolite.
The other point I must mention is the caring and helpfulness of the Dorset Orthopaedic staff. It is always nice to come into reception and find Karen - a more welcoming, helpful and personable receptionist it would be difficult to find and Julie McKay has always been a caring, kind and resourceful person. Both Karen and Julie manage to find me an elusive appointment just when I need it and I can't thank them enough for their help over the years. And of course, David Hills, now my prosthetist after Brian Wade's retirement: David always has the 'can do' attitude, I always know I can e-mail him with a problem and he will sort it out. I would like him to know how much that gives me confidence and trust, he will always try to fit me into his manically busy schedule and emerge with my problem resolved.
Finally there is Bob Watts, without whom, of course, none of this would exist. We all have cause to be thankful that he had the foresight to set up such a company using his skill and flare to provide the ultimate all encompassing prosthetic and orthotic service that we enjoy today.
