O.T. Emergency toe amputation.

[rjwalker1973]

So I have been dealing with a foot ulcer for about a year and a half. I have been through IV antibiotics at home for a bone infection last year and thought I was on the mending path. Unfortunately I was wrong and had to have emergency surgery the week of Thanksgiving and have my second toe amputated and a bone taken out of my 4th toe. Any other diabetics or non diabetics been through this? I am back at work with a knee walker to keep weight of it and I am trying hard to slow down a bit and make sure it heals properly and I have no set backs. Just a little scared that it starts with a toe and it never stops til I get dead.

 

[candeservices]

My father in law went thru this and I always admired him on how positive his attitude was thru out the whole ordeal. It did slow him down a bit and I used to joke with him that he just mailed his toe ahead of time and he would be reunited with it later.

Good luck, stay positive if you can.

 

[Mtndew]

Oh man, sorry you had to do that. I couldn't begin to imagine how you must feel.

 

[rjwalker1973]

My father in law went thru this and I always admired him on how positive his attitude was thru out the whole ordeal. It did slow him down a bit and I used to joke with him that he just mailed his toe ahead of time and he would be reunited with it later.

Good luck, stay positive if you can.

Thanks I appreciate. I look around and see so many people going through much worse than me and think I am blessed. It is a toe I have 9 more lol.

 

[rjwalker1973]

Oh man, sorry you had to do that. I couldn't begin to imagine how you must feel.

If losing a toe gets the rest of my foot to heal up it is worth it buddy.

 

[implmex]

Hi rjwalker1973:
I assume your surgeon gave you the stern lecture about keeping weight off it and keeping it elevated if you want it to heal without further problems.
I encourage you to take it VERY seriously.
As you may know, the root problem you have is atherosclerotic end arteritis...this is a fancy way of saying the smaller arteries and arterioles become blocked and the tissues in the affected area die off because there is insufficient blood supply to them.

Counter intuitively, standing on a leg affected in this way makes the problem worse, and a common culprit is that the veins are compromised too, so blood cannot get back to the heart and everything backs up, so even though gravity is forcing blood down into your leg, it gets stuck down there which is worse than useless.
This is vastly oversimplified, but basically how it works and why it's so important.

So toughing it out will fuck you up...virtually guaranteed.
Do what you can to keep off your feet...even if you have to hire guys and change your duties...it's better than losing a goodish chunk of your leg.
Find a way to get lots of desk time with your leg elevated...if you have to build a custom computer workstation to do it comfortably, it'll be worth it.
Be the programmer, be the administrator and get out of the long shifts on the shop floor, even if you have to sacrifice some cash to do it.

Cheers

Marcus
www.implant-mechanix.com
www.vancouverwireedm.com

 

[rjwalker1973]

Hi rjwalker1973:
I assume your surgeon gave you the stern lecture about keeping weight off it and keeping it elevated if you want it to heal without further problems.
I encourage you to take it VERY seriously.
As you may know, the root problem you have is atherosclerotic end arteritis...this is a fancy way of saying the smaller arteries and arterioles become blocked and the tissues in the affected area die off because there is insufficient blood supply to them.

Counter intuitively, standing on a leg affected in this way makes the problem worse, and a common culprit is that the veins are compromised too, so blood cannot get back to the heart and everything backs up, so even though gravity is forcing blood down into your leg, it gets stuck down there which is worse than useless.
This is vastly oversimplified, but basically how it works and why it's so important.

So toughing it out will fuck you up...virtually guaranteed.
Do what you can to keep off your feet...even if you have to hire guys and change your duties...it's better than losing a goodish chunk of your leg.
Find a way to get lots of desk time with your leg elevated...if you have to build a custom computer workstation to do it comfortably, it'll be worth it.
Be the programmer, be the administrator and get out of the long shifts on the shop floor, even if you have to sacrifice some cash to do it.

Cheers

Marcus
www.implant-mechanix.com
www.vancouverwireedm.com

absolutely. I am getting better at this delegating stuff. It was hard for me in the beginning, but now I even learned to use the intercom system to call my guys to my office. I hope to reach wizard of oz level soon.

 

[Bill D]

Interesting to see Horrible Fright carries wheel chairs and walkers. So this stuff must be common enough for them to cater to those customers. They used to carry a nice stainless steel shoehorn made in India.
Be careful about how shoes and socks fit. Good luck with it all. I was expecting a thread about I dropped something and was not wearing steel toed boots.
Bill D

 

[Mark Rand]

Get on top of blood glucose control or the problems will continue (Type 1 diabetic for 58 years).

 

[implmex]

Hi Mark Rand:
Yeah, I agree (LADA diabetic here but not much history yet...only a couple of years)
Part of the problem is that if he's already having gangrenous ulcers, his circulatory system is already pretty beat up, and he has to nurse it along now, and get as much mileage as he still can out of it.

Glucose control is a big part of that, but he may need cholesterol control too, and if he's a smoker, the killer weed's gotta go pronto if he wants a decent chance.
I'm sure he knows all this already.

Not pushing it physically is the other big part of it...making sure his shoes fit well as Bill D has remarked, tending to even minor injuries at his extremities, and staying off his feet as much as possible.

RJWalker...we're all rooting for you to succeed with this...here's hoping you recover from the surgery uneventfully and that you can keep from having to go through it again!

Cheers

Marcus
www.implant-mechanix.com
www.vancouverwireedm.com

 

[rjwalker1973]

Mark and Marcus you are both right . My sugar is well under control. My A1C stays at around 5.1-5.7. The problem stems from 2 situations . One I had a callus I did not take care of that turned into an ulcer when it was debrided. Two I have a condition I was born with called FSP (Familial Spastic Paraparesis) . This condition also can lead to sugar issues and Neuropathy along with causing a drop foot when I walk along with a host of other problems. So monitoring my sugar and keeping a good diet is even more important for me. My endocrinologist actually believes I may not be diabetic at all since the ulcer healed in less than a week to about 90% closed after the surgery relieved the pressure the bone was putting on the wound.

 

[TheOldCar]

Lost a big toe plus the one next to it, and the metatarsal behind the big toe. These were where electricity exited my body. Totally used to it now. I hope the best for you!

 

[EPAIII]

Sorry to hear that. I also am diabetic and I watch my glucose level like a hawk. Take all my meds every day.

One thing I have done is to have a foot doctor and make regular visits. They trim my toe nails which always results in some bleeding if I do it. And give my feet a good check-over. My insurance always paid for the visits while I was working and now Medicare pays the full bill most of the time. It pays to take care. I hope I am taking enough of it.

 

[rjwalker1973]

Lost a big toe plus the one next to it, and the metatarsal behind the big toe. These were where electricity exited my body. Totally used to it now. I hope the best for you!

2nd toe and a metatarsal from the 4th toe was also taken out, but that toe is still there just floppy. I do have a hell of a field goal for paper football now.

 

[rjwalker1973]

Sorry to hear that. I also am diabetic and I watch my glucose level like a hawk. Take all my meds every day.

One thing I have done is to have a foot doctor and make regular visits. They trim my toe nails which always results in some bleeding if I do it. And give my feet a good check-over. My insurance always paid for the visits while I was working and now Medicare pays the full bill most of the time. It pays to take care. I hope I am taking enough of it.

I do the same now. I get my nails trimmed about every 2-3 months according to how they grow and watch for any callus's.

 

[WizardOfBoz]

Sorry to hear that you had to get this surgery.

Healthy eating, enough exercise, enough sleep, and vigilent attention to your meds and FPG numbers are all things I think a doctor will emphasize (check with a doctor - I'm not one).

There is a company that offers therapy that involves a sleeve in a rigid boot. Your leg goes in the sleeve, the sleeve goes in the boot, and an air pressure unit attaches to the sleeve. The air valving is set up so that the sleeve can expand every heartbeat. So your heart beats, your arteries get blood into the leg, and then the sleeve squashes the blood out the arteries. IIRC the therapeutic effect is considerable. Lessens ulcers, neuropathic pain, and amputations.

It kind of is closing the barn door after the cows got out (or, forgive me, the little piggies), but this may be something that you want to search out with your doctor and discuss whether this will help you avoid further amputations, and also avoiding ulcers and infections.
I just saw a youtube video of a young, very pretty gal, who had one foot amputated. She didn't give the root cause, but said that after years of the foot not allowing her to live, and not ever not feeling pain, she was really glad that she'd had the amputation. It allowed her to get on with her life.

Ideally though, it would be good to have the remaining parts of the foot to be healthy. You may wish to check out:

Circulator Boot™

Since 1993, American Medical Equipment (AME) has been recognized as a leading provider of medical products and clinical services for patients from hospital to home.

www.amemedbeds.com

Circulator Boot™ Long-Boot, Valve Assembly and Heart Monitor

Long-Boot, Valve Assembly and Heart Monitor Many people with diabetes are at risk of developing wounds on their feet that just won't heal Circulator

www.diabetesincontrol.com

Good luck.

 

[rjwalker1973]

Sorry to hear that you had to get this surgery.

Healthy eating, enough exercise, enough sleep, and vigilent attention to your meds and FPG numbers are all things I think a doctor will emphasize (check with a doctor - I'm not one).

There is a company that offers therapy that involves a sleeve in a rigid boot. Your leg goes in the sleeve, the sleeve goes in the boot, and an air pressure unit attaches to the sleeve. The air valving is set up so that the sleeve can expand every heartbeat. So your heart beats, your arteries get blood into the leg, and then the sleeve squashes the blood out the arteries. IIRC the therapeutic effect is considerable. Lessens ulcers, neuropathic pain, and amputations.

It kind of is closing the barn door after the cows got out (or, forgive me, the little piggies), but this may be something that you want to search out with your doctor and discuss whether this will help you avoid further amputations, and also avoiding ulcers and infections.
I just saw a youtube video of a young, very pretty gal, who had one foot amputated. She didn't give the root cause, but said that after years of the foot not allowing her to live, and not ever not feeling pain, she was really glad that she'd had the amputation. It allowed her to get on with her life.

Ideally though, it would be good to have the remaining parts of the foot to be healthy. You may wish to check out:

Circulator Boot™

Since 1993, American Medical Equipment (AME) has been recognized as a leading provider of medical products and clinical services for patients from hospital to home.

www.amemedbeds.com

Circulator Boot™ Long-Boot, Valve Assembly and Heart Monitor

Long-Boot, Valve Assembly and Heart Monitor Many people with diabetes are at risk of developing wounds on their feet that just won't heal Circulator

www.diabetesincontrol.com

Good luck.

Thanks I actually just got some leg and foot massagers. OMG they are the best thing ever. I wish I would have known about these years ago.

 

[WizardOfBoz]

Glad that you are getting relief. As someone who works in analysis of healthcare data, I would love to get some data comparing the efficacy of the foot and leg massagers with the circulator boot. But for now, it's good to know that you are finding relief.