Simon Downe's journey from hurt to hope

While at lunch with friends on a trip to Cape Town in January 2024, 65-year-old Simon Downes' left knee buckled."I tried to stand up and collapsed," explains Simon. "That night I was very uncomfortable. The next morning I was in so much pain that I barely remember what was happening around me."

A history of knee trouble

This wasn't the first time that Simon had struggled with his left knee. In 2010, he had a knee replacement.

"The knee replacement wasn't very successful because my body rejected the implant. It was loose and very painful. A year later, in 2011, I had to have another knee replacement."

Despite these procedures, Simon's left knee continued to give him problems. Towards the end of 2023, he stopped going for regular appointments with his biokineticist because his knee was in pain again. Around Christmas 2023, he underwent a simple operation to remove a screw from the implant in that knee.

Simon battles severe septicaemia

Fast forward to January 2024. Simon's wife rushed him to a Cape Town hospital the day after his knee had given way. At hospital, in extreme pain, Simon was found to have severe, life-threatening septicaemia (a life-threatening infection in the bloodstream that can spread through the whole body).

"The septicaemia affected all my joints. I had to have arthroscopies on both knees, and my doctor drained more than 200 millilitres of infected fluid from the left one. The doctor also operated on my infected wrist."

- An arthroscopy is a minimally invasive procedure on a joint in which an arthroscope (camera) is used to examine the area and sometimes to treat damage.

"While I was in hospital, the pain got progressively worse. The doctors couldn't give me antibiotics until they had the results of tests that they were doing - cultures of my blood - that would show exactly what bacteria had caused the infection and which medicine I needed. By the time doctors knew which antibiotics to give me, the infection levels in my blood were 36 times higher than safe levels and my life was hanging in the balance. Also, I had eaten hardly anything for 10 days and was immensely weak. My memory of my time in hospital is hazy because I was so ill and in so much pain."

Simon's road to recovery

After Simon was started on intravenous antibiotics, he was moved to a hospital with a specialised orthopaedic unit to be treated by a surgeon who specialises in infected joint replacements. "After a few days on antibiotics, I had surgery to replace my knee joint implant with a temporary cement spacer. I was discharged and eventually given permission to go back home to Durban. While at home, I took heavy-duty oral antibiotics to completely rid my body of infection. The cement spacer was very unpleasant and uncomfortable and as a result, I wasn't very mobile at home."

"Eight weeks later we headed back to Cape Town for my second knee replacement (fourth in total). The cement spacer was removed and a knee joint implant was put in. Amazingly, the day after the operation I had no more pain. For the first time in months I was pain-free! I was discharged a few days after the procedure. My doctors monitored my progress for three weeks before removing my stitches and allowing me to fly home to Durban again."

"Once home, I worked hard to build up my strength and mobility. I saw my biokineticist every day. And, only four weeks after getting back to Durban, I was able to go on a long overseas trip without needing crutches."

Simon praises seamless support from Discovery Health Medical Scheme through his health journey

"Overall, I spent many weeks in hospitals, underwent several procedures and surgeries, and had various medicines prescribed for me - the total cost was significant. The last thing you want when facing a major healthcare episode, is to have to worry about admin or costs. Throughout my ordeal Discovery Health Medical Scheme supported me in a truly seamless and caring way. That makes DHMS so exceptional."

Simon was so impressed by the support he got from Discovery Health Medical Scheme that he sent the Scheme an email saying, "I salute you, your management team, and all your staff for remarkable service."