I am a diabetic? serious answers only please...?

I have been a diabetic for 7 yrs and have a huge ulcer on my right toe of my right foot, i went to the doctor yesterday and they prescribed a antibiotic for the infection and told me to see a wound care specialist... my question is as anyone ever been to a wound care specialist and what can i expect him to do that my general doctor can't do? also do u have any recommendations for how to take better care of my feet? i look at them every day and apply moisturizing lotion to my feet but they always get rough calluses and sores on them, am i prone to this for the rest of my life? i have fairly normal blood sugars controlled by insulin and pills and my hga1c was 7.1. thank u in advance for all the answers...

Foot care for diabetics is extremely important. Because we tend to have decreased circulation in our legs and arms, wounds take much longer to heal...and sometimes, they don't heal, leading to cellulitis, gangrene, amputation and in some cases, death.

See the wound care specialist ASAP. They will teach you how to take care of your feet and with proper treatment, the ulcer on your foot will hopefully heal. It will take some time and could take some intensive treatment (debridement, hyperbaric therapy, high dose antibiotics).

One thing you need to do is check your feet every single day, looking for any cuts, punctures, blisters and so on. See your doctor BEFORE it gets to the point of an ulcer. A foot ulcer can be very difficult to treat.

I hate to say this but you need to be aware that sometimes, an ulcer is too far gone to be treated. In a case such as that, amputation might be necessary to save your life.

Keep us posted and let us know how you're doing. I hope you get better...honestly.

EMT

I had a badly ingrown toenail on my left big toe. It would be cut out and then prompty grow back. After a year of this, I finally had the doctor permanently cut out the ingrown part of the nail and burn it with a laser so it will never grow back. I lost about a third of the nail. It's okay though...my foot completely healed and except where part of the nail is missing, it looks normal. I just have to be really careful not to drop anything on that toe. OUCH!!

A wound care specialist know just what it is going to take to get your ulcer to heal. they are speically trained to know what makes the body heal best for what wound. Your doctor knows they know more about treatment of wounds than he does. I am a diabetic as well. My endocronologist (diabetes doc) told me to alwasy wear supportvie shoes. Keep them clean. Lotion is a good idea which you are already doing. If you haven't yet you need to see an endocronologist. They know how diabetes affects the feet and can give you some tips on foot care as well.

How old are you? diabetic foot ulcers are no joke. If you cannot see a good wound clinic (where they would not only dress the ulcer but would also teach you how to properly care for your feet) at the very least ask your doctor to refer you to a podiatrist. You may need different shoes if you are always getting calluses and sores.

I have never been to wound care specialist but you could probably find people will a lot more experience with diabetes complications at www.dlife.com. They have great support forums and you can even ask doctors questions,

First I want you to know that an HbA1c of 7.1 indicates that your blood sugars are actually too high. You should be between 4 and 6% unless you are an older, insulin dependent diabetic prone to severe glucose swings. Any doctor who doesn't aggressively pursue normal blood sugars for you isn't giving you the care you deserve and either isn't taking the time to address your condition or doesn't have enough information to care for you well.

You will absolutely be prone to these sores if you don't keep your blood sugars in check. In order to give appropriate, relevant info to your doc to adjust your treatment, you need to check 5 times a day for at least a week. First thing in the morning, before two meals, and 2 hours after you started eating those meals (not 2 hours after you finish). Make a chart, with each new day under the one before, so you'll be able to see fasting morning in one column, before a meal, after, and so on, to compare what your response to food looks like, as well as your body's fasting response. Track unusual circumstances, like eating sweets, forgetting meds, etc.

NOW- give this info to your doc. If you think he won't be interested or this won't make a difference in the way your doctor cares for you, go to an endocrinologist. You may need to get a referral, but do it. It's the best way to have your treatment adjusted based on what your body is doing, and that will stave off amputations, blindness, and heart disease- all of which are on your map if you don't get your numbers down.

Bottom line is this: you need to eat foods that aren't processed, high in fat or sugar, and lower your caloric intake at each meal. White food indicates it's processed and high in starches. White=BAD. Eat brown rice, 100% whole wheat, etc.

Eating several small meals containing protein and vegetables is your best method of keeping your blood sugar stable...and your feet attached to your legs. It's harsh, I know, but I just had a friend lose a foot because of this- 28 years old, not very overweight, just unwilling to give up Coke and ice cream. She was too stubborn to do diet Coke and sugar free ice cream!

A wound care specialist would be able to spend more time addressing your foot than your doc. They also sometimes use alternative therapies to improve blood flow and oxygenation of the blood, accelerating the healing process. Try it, because the other options are negative.

You will be shocked at how much eating well will improve your daily life- my hubby stopped eating out for lunch and it dropped him 10 pounds, but his blood sugars went down almost 20%, and that's years I count growing old with him.

Bless you and best of luck- remember tiny steps add up to giant leaps, and you'll thank yourself for it, as will the people who love you!!

Cheers!

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