Diabetic Foot Ulcers

Hi @thrasher3062 that must be awful to be losing toes and have another foot ulcer now.

I wanted to introduce you to fellow Connect user @ndttech who has spoken about diabetic wounds in the past and may be able to offer suggestions for you.

I also wanted to tag @dawn_giacabazi and @retiredteacher as they may have additional information to share, or may be able to offer you support.

Back to you @thrasher3062 how are you currently treating your foot ulcers?

Hello @thrasher3062
Certainly ulcers are difficult to treat at times. Can you share a bit more information? Has your physician given you a diagnosis of the type of ulcer you have? Have you been seen by your local wound clinic? What treatments have you tried and what are you currently doing? Your diet plays a huge roll in wound healing, hows your protein intake?

Thanks
Dawn

Dawn, I looked through my records and did not find an official diagnosis just that it was Type #2 Diabetic ulcer. I have lost toes on both feet and in order to heal those wounds they packed the wounds with an antibiotic that worked. The current ulcer, I am changing doctors so that I have more control over treatment. I change dressing twice a day and wash the area and trim the dead skin away and use 91% alcohol to disinfect the area then bandage the area. I have a new doctor I am seeing tomorrow and I will see what they say. This all just started again so I am hoping for better results this time around. I am currently looking to start on Pedyphar 60 to help in the healing process and as to my diet I have changed so much in the last year of dropping carbs to no soda and more water.

@thrasher3062 Based on my experience the
“Diabetic foot Ulcer”, would be the diagnosis. I ask because their are many different root causes to ulcers and knowing the type of ulcer dictates the type of treatment.

Diabetic ulcers can be complicated by uncontrolled blood sugars. How’s your blood sugars been?
I encourage you to discuss a high protein diet with your new physician tomorrow.

Prayers for successful treatment!!
Dawn

@thrasher3062 Hello and welcome to Connect. I am Carol, a diabetic 2. I wish I had words of medical wisdom for ulcers, but I have not had any experience with that part of diabetes. I am having problems with my feet as a result of neuropathy---lots of pain and difficulty with that. My endocrinologist checked last time but my feet are not numb; they are terribly painful. I have read about foot ulcers, but the treatment seems to be what you are having done. I don't know the medicine or other procedures that are used to help these ulcers heal. I am sorry I cannot give you any information from my perspective. All I can say is do what your doctor says and, hopefully, someone will get a handle on this situation.
Good luck.
Carol

Yes, there is a treatment that is known to heal diabetic foot ulcers reliably. It's called Hydrobaric Oxygen Therapy (HBOT). Basically you go every day for 1.5 hours treatment inside a chamber that operates at 2x atmospheric pressure. It makes your ears pop, but is safe. Cost in Canada is around $150/session. The HBOT therapist will tell you haw many sessions will be necessary and what other treatments you will need. During the treatment you will be breathing pure oxygen. Oxygen has really good healing properties and your wound will heal faster than without HBOT. You may be advised to go for "Debridement" first, which is a doctor or surgeon cutting away any dead tissue. I hope this helps you.

@retiredteacher, I have diabetes type two, and my feet are terribly painful as if I have a very bad sunburn. My rheumatologist checked me for gout (before I knew I was diabetic) and, finding no gout, told me there was nothing wrong with me and then wrote in my medical record that I was senile!!! When I saw him months later and told him I was diabetic and suffering from diabetic nerve pain, he had no comment. Not one word. After telling him I am not senile, I ended my relationship with him.

@capausz I am sorry that you had a bad experience with your doctor. It's difficult when they don't understand what some problems are and react in a way that is not beneficial to the patient. Did you go to another doctor for diabetic nerve pain? Were you able to get something to help reduce the pain in your feet? So far, I haven't found anything that works for me.I'll keep trying to find something that helps. I hope you are better too.
Carol

@retiredteacher, once my diabetes was diagnosed, I began taking metformen, changed my eating habits, and started a regular exercise program. These changes had a positive effect onmy A1c and also helped the diabetic nerve pain. Thanks for asking.

I really like my doctor, so it is difficult to mention that he has not been my educator about diabetes as it is not his specialty, I guess. To be blunt, which is not my real caring personality, I want to tell everyone who will listen that in my case, at least, I exercised my legs, ate a strict no sugar diet with the help of a nutritionist, and the pain went away and never comes back. I never took anything for the neuropathy because the doctor never responded to my pain.
I really don't believe some doctors think we will stop eating cookies, especially my home baked ones. The really shocking realization that hit me was that I read that sugar feeds cancer cells ten times faster than it feeds regular cells, and as a two time cancer survivor, that did it for me! I watched my late husband die from metasticized cancer to his spine and he never managed his diabetes because he lived in denial, eating to the point of obesity. He was also impossible to live with at the end, and lied about his health and everything else to impress people. I am blessed to be able to learn from reading on the web, and even though most cases are a little different, we can support each other mentally and join the No Sugar Club for recovery from this terrible disease. I reward myself and have one pasta meal a month with whole wheat pasta and homemade sauce. It is a good life, believe me. Yes, I know, there is more to give up besides cookies, but I grow fresh vegetables and eat all lots of new foods that are out there. It is a good life.