[acb-diabetics] personal up-date

[armando del gobbo]

Marilyn,
thank you for sharing your story!  Sorry to hear of the loss of your toe! 
It is a good reminder to all of us!

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "MARILYN LUTTER" <marlutt at verizon.net>
To: "Discussion list for diabetics and/or ACB issues" 
<acb-diabetics at acb.org>
Sent: Tuesday, November 08, 2011 2:48 PM
Subject: [acb-diabetics] personal up-date


> Hi Everyone,
>
> I am sending this update so that everyone who ever wonders about how I am
> doing will know what has happened to me since the July convention.
>
> I was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes in 1998.  I have seen myself as doing
> well for the most part.  Once my blood glucose levels were initially
> stabilized my a 1 c has been below 7.  The only complication I had was
> neuropathy in my feet.  That has been well controlled with lyrica for the
> past several years.
>
> On August 8, I noticed a lot of burning in my feet which felt like my
> neuropathy did before I found any medication to help.
>
> I forgot to take my medicine that night which is extremely unusual for me.
> The next day I had a lot of pain in my right foot.  I have a chronic pain
> problem there and thought  it was an extreme episode of that pain.  My
> cleaning lady said there was something on my foot.  Since I had seen my
> podiatrist the day before and he had said I had a little athlete's foot on 
> a
> couple toes.  I told her I had athletes foot and nothing else was said.  I
> should have asked what it was and where it was.  Lesson learned.
>
> On the tenth I woke up with a very swollen toe.  It was the one next to 
> the
> big toe on my right foot.  Ordinarily I would have called my podiatrist
> immediately.  I had an appointment for ten am. for my annual check-up. 
> When
> my doctor saw my foot he said "forget about the annual check-up.  You are
> going to the hospital."
>
> To make a long story short, I had a severe staph infection and had to have
> the toe amputated two days later.
>
> I have recovered and am doing well, but I learned a lesson about the
> importance of foot care.  I thought I was doing a good job, but apparently
> not good enough.
>
> After I got out of the hospital I asked my cleaning lady what she had seen
> on my foot the day before I went to the hospital.  It was a red spot.  If 
> I
> had asked that question the day before I went to the hospital I could have
> gotten medical treatment more promptly.  Of course I don't know if this
> could have prevented the amputation, but maybe It would have.
>
> Hope this doesn't scare any one to death, but I will never forget it, and
> don't want anyone else to experience such a thing.
>
> Marilyn Lutter
>
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