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Normally, many women dread developing varicose veins as they age.
Having an extreme fear of veins is another story. Apparently, a 39-year-old mother wants her healthy legs amputated because of venephobia, a condition in which an individual has an irrational fear of veins.
After experiencing several panic attacks in a day, Claire Jones, a mom of three and a bank cashier from Liverpool, begged her GP to refer her for a surgery that will amputate her legs.
According to Jones, her phobia might have been caused by a careless attempt to remove her shaky tooth when she was 6 years old. She remembers seeing her tooth hanging loosely from what she believed was a vein.
“It’s impossible to live hiding from your own legs and in the end I just thought I could be a better parent without them triggering anxiety all the time,” Jones said.
She added that staying in a wheelchair is a better option rather than dealing with her extreme anxiety.
When Jones was a child, she would freak out at the sight of her mom’s varicose veins.
“I would freeze and cry at the sight of them so my mother always knew to wear trousers so I didn’t get upset.”
Her condition became even worse as she got older. At times, Jones had to cross the street to avoid older women wearing dresses that might show their veins. She also stayed away from doing strenuous activities that may cause her veins to swell.
Jones’ biggest fear came true three years ago when she started developing varicose veins after giving birth.
“Catching sight of them would trigger major anxiety and end up with a full-blown panic attack,” she explained.
Instead of having her legs amputated through a surgery, her GP recommended her to undergo an operation that will remove her varicose veins.
