Inspiration And Expert Advice: Expert Columns

Don’t Gross Me Out!

By Joy Pape RN BSN CDE WOCN CFCN

NOTE: The following is not meant to scare you, but for you to realize these things can and do happen. We at dLife want you to prevent complications of diabetes.

When I ask people with diabetes what they are most afraid of, many say, “I don’t want to lose my feet.” I say to them as I say to you now…”Great! You don’t have to.” For the most part amputations are preventable. If you follow The Do’s and Don’ts of Foot Care you should do just fine.

Let’s look at one of the recommendations, with an example of a situation where someone didn’t follow the guidelines all people with diabetes are taught to do.

Foot Care Recommendation: Never walk barefoot, either indoors or out.

Most people know they aren’t supposed to go barefoot. What many don’t understand is that this includes when they are at home. So I always ask my patients if they go barefoot at home. Many say yes. I then tell them that most accidents happen at home.

Jane is a patient of mine. She didn’t take care of her diabetes. She didn’t change her unhealthy lifestyle to a healthy one. She would come to the class, she would listen, but she didn’t change, because she, like so many others, never thought anything would happen to her.

One evening, while preparing dinner, she opened her freezer. Out plopped a frozen package of meat on her bare foot. This caused a wound that didn’t heal. In time her toe, then her foot, then her lower leg, and then her entire leg was amputated. Yes, that’s how amputations usually happen – in steps.

Could this have been prevented? Yes! If Jane had realized that many people who have complications are like her, they don’t think anything will happen to them either, so they don’t take their diabetes seriously. They don’t make the changes they need to manage their diabetes. Managing your diabetes includes managing your blood glucose, blood pressure, lipids, and following foot care recommendations. Had her numbers been closer to the normal range, it may have been easier for her initial wound to heal. And, if she had been wearing shoes at home that protected her feet, no wound would have happened in the first place.

You may think this is gross, but it’s true. So, don’t gross me out, protect your feet wherever you are!

EnJOY!

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*Joy Pape values each question asked by the dLife community. However, due to the large volume of questions that she receives, Joy cannot answer every question received nor promise a timely response. Should your question be selected for answering in her column, dLife will contact you at that time.