Warning to My diabetic Brothers

[Chuckball]

I am a diabetic- have been for years (and I keep my blood sugar levels in normal range) and like many of us I lost a certain amount of feeling on the bottoms of my feet. I also want to keep fit and active. So like many others I have become obsessive in keeping up my daily step count. To increase my numbers I got up early every morning and spent an hour on the treadmill. I would lose myself while exercising watching CNN and keeping current on the Trump soap opera.

What I didn't realize was that I was developing blisters on my big toes and soles. That went unchecked until I noticed blood on the towel after showering.

My blisters had become wounds and the wounds became infected. My family doctor prescribed a bout of intravenous antibiotics. Things got worse. A return visit to my GP led to an emergency referral last Tuesday morning to a vascular surgeon. By Tuesday afternoon my right big toe was amputated. I am hoping to be able to stand up tomorrow and return home by weekend. Surgeon says treadmills are always problematic to diabetics.

 

My point is to any member of the forum suffering from diabetes, take extra special care of your feet and report any lesion immediately.

[OneFinger]

Great warning. I really appreciate your post. Although I'm not diabetic, I do have neuropathy in my feet and am often unaware of issues due to the lack of feeling. In fact, I was hospitalized in May due to a foot infection that caused a bilateral psoas abscess.

[craigville beach]

I am also a diabetic I check my feet when in the shower and when I put socks on. taking a few moment to check between each toe and the bottom of my feet. doesn't take that much time to be safe

[Rudynate]

I have neuropathy in both feet from spine problems. Some days, my feet feel like blocks of wood. Ill be more vigilant.

[Bargara Leatherboy]

Oddly enough I made an appointment today for a foot check up.

[+ honcho]

My point is to any member of the forum suffering from diabetes, take extra special care of your feet and report any lesion immediately.

 

I cannot "Like" what happened to you , and you have my complete sympathy. I genuinely thank you for sharing that with us, and I hope there aren't any further problems.

[gallahadesquire]

Reading these make me feel a little less victimized for having had two six-week bouts of IV antibiotics this year for recurrent total knee replacement infections.

 

Gentlemen: Take care of yourselves: We're the only ones we've got!

[LoveNDino]

First - I hope you feel better soon. I am sorry that this happened to you.

Second - I run marathons and I've always thought that blisters on my sole are just things I've got to live with. Thanks to you, I'd be looking at them much more closely. Diabetes is in my family history, which is why I've learned to avoid sugar early in life, but still...

Hugs!

[edjames]

I'll try not to make this too long. I apologize if I told this tale a while back on another thread. I have been diabetic for 20+ years. Of course it's gotten worse as the years progress. A few years ago my left foot went totally amiss and began to curve in a direction that was not so pleasant. I went to NYU and the top foot/abkle surgeon there diagnosed me immediately with Charcot's disease (look it up) . The bones in my foot had begun to collapse. After a 3+ hour surgery, I now have more hardware in my foot than Home Depot! I was nob-weigh bearing for about six months and got around using one of theses knee scooters. Fortunately the foot is good, but the nueroparhy in both feet persists.

This past winter I developed a blister on the small toe of my right foot and it went neglected and untreated. Because of the neuropathy, I felt nothing. By the time I gave it a good look, the toe had turned a lovely shade of red and become infected. A course of antibiotics by the podiatrist seemed to clear up the problem and the toe began to heal. However, within weeks I began to suffer from low grade fevers and a burning sensation when I urinated. My doctor and I both thought it was a urinary tract infection and I was prescribed another course of antibiotics. The blood tests revealed a Staphylococcus aureus (a common skin bacteria) infection. The symptoms persisted for weeks and after visits to the urologist (who was an absolute idiot, and his office was incompetent!!!) my physician advised an infectious disease doctor. The infectious disease doc ( a very competent young Canadian doc) had me tested six ways from Sunday and immediately put me on a six week course of intravenous antibiotics (no covered by Medicare!) . We were never able to find the source of the infection within my body but the good news is that I am in better shape than I thought after being x-rayed, scanned mri'd and probed into my kidneys, liver, bladder, stomach and heart! I think I've learned my lesson and will pay a lot more attention to my feet.

[BearBill]

Thank you all for sharing, opened my eyes, my partner has neuropathy in both feet, I'm borderline diabetic. Gotta be vigilant.

Thanks again

[+ Charlie]

Thanks for the info. I will pass this on to a friend who is in a similar situation.

[+ Funguy]

While I am glad all of this is focusing attention on us taking care of us, I am struck by tbe number of posters here who have neuropathy, be it diabetic or otherwise.

 

Up until recently i had a single person hyperbaric oxygen chamber in my office to help with healing after cosmetic procedures done by other physicians. I have also used it for stroke healing. It is a fantastic option for diabetics who have the very first appearances of circulatory problems or en major ones in order to prevent amputations!

In for an hour 5 days in a row can do WONDERS for healing.

 

Unfortunately, after having the chamber for many years it sprung a major terminal repair issue and I gave it a send off. Fortunately, there is an office nearby which has a chamber so my patients are not completely SOL.

 

It might be a good idea, no matter where in the country you may be, to scout around BEFORE you might have emergent need of such services. All you do is lie down, bring a book or music, or just close your eyes and you will treat your body to wonderful relaxation too.

 

For those who are not aware, oxygen under pressure is pumped into a sealed chamber. When you breathe, a higher concentration of oxygen enters your blood stream - not just to be carried by red blood cells but also in the plasma which gets to the tiniest areas where even the red cells do not. Tissues are then bathed in oxygen which aids healing anywhere in the body.

 

Hope this helps!

[+ Gar1eth]

I am a diabetic- have been for years (and I keep my blood sugar levels in normal range) and like many of us I lost a certain amount of feeling on the bottoms of my feet. I also want to keep fit and active. So like many others I have become obsessive in keeping up my daily step count. To increase my numbers I got up early every morning and spent an hour on the treadmill. I would lose myself while exercising watching CNN and keeping current on the Trump soap opera.

What I didn't realize was that I was developing blisters on my big toes and soles. That went unchecked until I noticed blood on the towel after showering.

My blisters had become wounds and the wounds became infected. My family doctor prescribed a bout of intravenous antibiotics. Things got worse. A return visit to my GP led to an emergency referral last Tuesday morning to a vascular surgeon. By Tuesday afternoon my right big toe was amputated. I am hoping to be able to stand up tomorrow and return home by weekend. Surgeon says treadmills are always problematic to diabetics.

 

My point is to any member of the forum suffering from diabetes, take extra special care of your feet and report any lesion immediately.

 

I am so sorry this has happened to you. I'd like to wish you a Refua Shlema-a complete and total healing.

 

Gman

[Bargara Leatherboy]

First - I hope you feel better soon. I am sorry that this happened to you.

Second - I run marathons and I've always thought that blisters on my sole are just things I've got to live with. Thanks to you, I'd be looking at them much more closely. Diabetes is in my family history, which is why I've learned to avoid sugar early in life, but still...

Hugs!

 

It's not JUST sugar, it's carbs, as they convert to sugars

[Bargara Leatherboy]

Thank you all for sharing, opened my eyes, my partner has neuropathy in both feet, I'm borderline diabetic. Gotta be vigilant.

Thanks again

 

It's horrible, and so many side effects.

 

Do everything you can to stay Pre diabetic, and even get below that level.

[edjames]

STARCHES, too!!!! Avoid them. A baked potato is as dangerous as a slice of cherry pie for a diabetic. Avoid white potatoes and switch to moderate amounts of sweet potato or yams which are on the low glycemic scale. A good diabetes nurse educator is a great investment, too. Learn what to eat, when to eat it, and how to adjust your insulin accordingly. Remember, all insulin and drugs should be taken about 15 minutes before you eat.