Larry “the spiderman” Mitchell was 60 years old when he first heard about peripheral artery disease (PAD). Mr. Mitchell visited his podiatrist after a spider bit his big toe in July of 2024. The podiatrist saw that the toe was in bad shape and referred Mr. Mitchell to Nurse Practitioner (NP) John Scallions at Southern VIP (Southern Vascular and Interventional Pain-Management).

NP Scallions performed diagnostic testing on Mr. Mitchell, informing him that in addition to the diabetes that he had recently been diagnosed with, Mr. Mitchell had advanced PAD in both legs that was keeping blood flow from his lower legs, feet, and toes. This was why his toe was not healing. Mr. Mitchell immediately knew he was in good hands. ‘I wasn’t nervous at all. The way he described it to me, I was just good with it.” NP Scallions said he did not know if he could save the toe but would improve his lower leg circulation, and that would reduce his risk for further amputations.

NP Scallions explained PAD to Mr. Mitchell in ways he understood and helped him to realize he had been experiencing symptoms of PAD for years but had just attributed it to having “bad feet.” Symptoms like pain while walking, pain when lying down, and a spider bite that would not heal did not seem related until NP Scallions explained the role of blood flow. Simply put, Mr. Mitchell did not have ample blood flow to the lower legs, feet, and toes; in fact, it was just a trickle.

Mr. Mitchell considers himself very lucky and attributes a lot of that “luck” to the spider bite and NP Scallions. “If I had not been bitten by the spider, I would probably have lost both of my legs in the next couple of years….God works in mysterious ways. If I had never gotten bitten by the spider, I never would have been to the hospital. I would be walking around, you know, dragging and hurting.” Only after discussing his diagnosis with his family did Mr. Mitchell learn that his mother and two siblings also had been diagnosed with PAD.

After his diagnosis, Mr. Mitchell was scheduled for treatment with Dr. Thomas Hodgkiss, the managing physician at Southern VIP and an interventional radiologist who specializes in the treatment of PAD. Dr. Hodgkiss performed Foot Rescue atherectomies on both his legs, restoring blood flow to his legs and, importantly, to his feet and toes. Mr. Mitchell said the procedures were easy. “The staff was so perfect. I had no worries. I was not afraid of anything.” When asked about discomfort, Mr. Mitchell laughed and said the worst part was the IV.

After his Foot Rescue procedures, Mr. Mitchell said he did not have to wait around for improvement. “My legs felt better instantly. They weren’t aching. They had been aching for 20-30 years. But right now, as I am talking to you, my legs feel better than they ever have. I can’t remember when they felt this good.“ Mr. Mitchell’s toe did need to be amputated, but he is fine with that. He says it was better to lose the toe and save his legs.

Mr. Mitchell and his wife are both happy with the outcome. “I am walking better. I feel better. I am back hunting and fishing again like I used to, and I have way less foot pain than I did before the surgery.” Mr. Mitchell reports losing 17 pounds and is visiting the gym for light workouts with his son-in-law. He is also sleeping better.

Mr. Mitchell’s gratitude runs deep. He visits the staff at Southern VIP and has brought them small gifts from time to time. He considers John Scallions “his brother for life”. He describes NP Scallions, Dr. Hodgkiss, and the staff at Southern VIP as something truly special. “It’s like a family atmosphere. Everybody makes you feel comfortable. I had never experienced anything like that before. I had never been that sick before.” The affection goes both ways. The staff at Southern VIP love Mr. Mitchell and look forward to visits from the man they affectionately have nicknamed “the spiderman.”

Mr. Mitchell is also grateful for the continuity of care he received from all his Memphis area doctors and nurses, including his podiatrist, Dr. Appling, and his wound care specialist, NP Jessica Brown. He choked up as he spoke about it, “I am just blessed …I could not have asked for a better network of people to get involved with me, and I’m here to let you know right now, because of them, that I have a better way of life. I can’t be any more honest than that.”