**Warning: Gross Medical Descriptions**

My neighbor is wheelchair bound because he is missing a leg. I never talked to him much, but my bf has. He found out that he was in the navy during Vietnam. I assumed that is how he lost his leg.

Well, last week an ambulance took him to the hospital. My other neighbor keeps an eye on him a little, but wasn't able to for a few days. Somehow his organs started to fail(it might be because he is diabetic) and he has been hospitalized since. I don't want to be nosy, so I am not pressing her for more info than what she says. She first told me his daughter never visits him at his apartment. So I thought, wow he is so neglected. Then she told me he was covered in maggot filled bed sores. I was like wow, he is really neglected! At some point I said something about him being injured in the war. She said, oh no he has only been amputated for seven years. Apparently he had an ingrown toenail that got so infected it became gangrene. He let it spread up his leg. She said it was because he hates doctors.

Ok, now I'm wondering why would someone let themselves go to that point? I have had plenty of ingrown toenails, some infected, but I aways eventually get them taken care of. 1) an ingrown toenail alone Hurts Horribly and 2) I don't want to lose even just a toe.

I'm assuming a decaying limb would hurt like hell, be impossible to move with, and smell awful. How could someone live like that? And how long would that take?

I'm sorry if this is too much. I tried googling this with no results. I am just a curious person, and confused about a fear of something as bad as this.