I flew out to Hong Kong, and while I was there I suffered pain in my legs for which I saw a doctor.

He was sufficiently concerned that he had my leg scanned but unfortunately at that time it didn't actually show anything.

But he was worried enough to give me a letter to suggest that I try to get more leg room.

My husband got up to let me past - I collapsed and was unconscious

We telephoned the airline five or six times before flying back to make them aware of the situation and to ask if we could pay for an upgrade so that I could have more leg room.

We were told that seats weren't available... they weren't at all interested and didn't ask to see the letter.

We asked for the cabin crew to be made aware of the situation and that didn't happen, from what occurred later.

Two hours into the flight I felt very unwell.

Limited first aid

My husband got up to let me go past him and as I did so I collapsed and was unconscious, pinning him to the opposite seat in the aisle.

The crew did not know the recovery position

He shouted for help.

The flight attendants did come down but they didn't actually do anything. My husband had to drag me in to a space - I was still unconscious.

He asked them to put me in the recovery position, which they didn't know how to do, which in fact my husband had to do, and somebody came down with a bucket of ice.

My husband grabbed the ice and put it on my head and that brought me round.

I was taken to business class where there were seats available, but my husband and son were not allowed to join me.

I was very distressed at this time and in pain.

They didn't check on me. I had to ask for a glass of water.

Put on a drip

I then went to use the bathroom.

On the first occasion there was no problem, but the second time, the first class stewardess came out and said: "I'm sorry you're in economy, your bathroom is the other end of the plane."

By this time I just wanted to be back with the people who cared about me - who were also worried and so I went and sat back with them.

It's the leg room, but it's also the air quality

Luckily for me, I work in a hospital and the following day when I got home I went in to work and the vascular surgeon was there, who saw me.

He had a look at my leg and within about an hour I was upstairs in bed on a heparin drip with warfarin and he in fact informed me that I had suffered a slight induced thrombosis.

I had another thrombosis in June of this year because once you have had one you're predisposed to it.

I have flown twice since - only short haul to Spain - and there are still no warnings from airlines.

The airlines should be responsible for passengers while they're on their aircraft and they should make people aware that these things don't happen to everybody.

They have got to do something about it.

It's the leg room, but it's also the air quality because of the recycled air that they use and people must be encouraged to drink plenty of water because part of it is being dehydrated.