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Permalink Reply by brownchops on February 16, 2013 at 1:27am

Continued from post. Plus I have hard skin from years of manual labour and on my big left toe there is a tiny part of it that I've just noticed isn't as sensitive as the t
Rest of the toe, I don't know what this is from I did have somebody stand on it at football which was rather painful!!

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Permalink Reply by karen on February 16, 2013 at 9:23am

Have a doctor look at your feet, especially that toe and if possible do see a foot doc. Do you have to wear a certain boot at the warehouse? If this is the case, ask the doc about them. Hopefully your foot issues won't become a discussion at the job, that is not okay!

My own foot care is to have a look at my feet everyday, make sure they are dry, wear shoes that are comfortable (I prefer flip flops!), and keep the nails trimmed. I see a foot doctor but not because of diabetes.

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Permalink Reply by Leo2 on February 16, 2013 at 8:54am

It is that part that's not as sensitive that requires extra care, since not knowing when it is being hurt by a stone, by anything in your shoe, leads to lesions over time. Any lesions need podiatrist care, in my opinion. Prevention of lesions might need a podiatrist, too.
I wear SAS shoes, no open shoes or high heels. Lots of room for toes to move around, my orthotic gives support at the arch. I have been a fanatic about my feet and it has paid off. I avoid going barefoot.
I put on a hydrating lotion smeared thick on my feet, each toe, heel, ankle before socks are put on. Morning and night.

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Permalink Reply by Kathy on February 16, 2013 at 9:09am

I think it's really important to simply LOOK at them, every day. I even use a mirror to check the soles.
And, a podiatrist is essential.

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Permalink Reply by acidrock23 on February 16, 2013 at 9:34am

I don't think your feet are his feet. If there's a particular boot you have to wear (which seems stupid on their part, since everyone's feet are different...). If you are concerned about your feet, get them evaluated by a podiatrist. One other thing may be to get shoes that fit. A lot of people assume their feet don't keep growing but they do.

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Permalink Reply by rubidoux on February 16, 2013 at 2:26pm

That is really scary. I'd be freaked out, too. Was he having problems before this or was it out of the blue? I heard a story of something like this (but worse, like a whole limb) happening after someone had thought that she was totally fine and then got a scratch that got infected. I was really hoping it didn't happen quite like that. I've always thought there'd be a lot of warning, even time to turn yourself around, yk?

Anyhow... I know nothing about foot care. So I wanted to tack on a couple of questions about it. Mostly I'm concerned about callouses. Is it good or bad to have them on your feet? About once a year or so I get them removed when I get a pedicure and I'm wondering if that is a good or bad idea. It freaks me out when they come at me with that scraper thing, but afterwards my feet seem so smooth and healthy. I can never decide whether I should be doing this more often or not at all. And is it okay to even get pedicures? Like, can something bad come of having them trim your cuticles?

And I really, really like to wear minimal shoes, flip flops usually, and kick them off whenever I get a chance. Is this just a recipe for disaster? It's an odd thing for me, like a little symbolic or something. I feel freer without shoes and I know that if I start to wear shoes that cover my feet and aren't slip ons that I'm going to really resent it and for some reason, feel old. Like flip flops were only for my younger freer self. I know that sounds silly and I can probably just grit my teeth and get over it if I need to, but I don't want to give up my flip flops if I don't have to.

Oh... and one more thing, is there anything that we can do to improve our feet? I always think that just walking regularly and getting the blood moving is probably the best. But is there anything else protective we can do?

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Permalink Reply by Zoe on February 16, 2013 at 3:47pm

I walk barefoot around the house all summer, rubidoux and wear sandals outside. In winter I wear "booties", or warm socks, as little shoeness as I can have! I don't see any harm in this. The issue with feet is if, through prolonged highs we develop neuropathy, then we could injure our feet and not even know it. While I don't push my luck walking outside barefoot that was probably not even a great idea when I was younger! I watch for infections, but basically I am a lot more prone to infections on my fingers which I put antibiotic creme and bandages on. I have happy feet! Personally if I were to worry about every thing that says "If you have diabetes..." I'd never leave the house...except to go to another doctors appointment! So check your feet for injury or numbness, or have your doctor do so when you visit and otherwise...wiggle those toes! (Just my opinion!)

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Permalink Reply by Terry on February 16, 2013 at 2:39pm

I've had incidents of in-grown toenails that would cause me to go to the podiatrist over the years. Not a lot but about four or five over a 20 year period.

Since I have good health coverage, I decided two years ago to start seeing a podiatrist once a month. He's been able to pre-empt a couple of in-grown toenail crisis and has also help me deal with plantar fasciitis.

In addition to cutting my toenails every month, he also shaves off caluses from my big toes. My eyesight is not as good as it used to be and having someone else check out my feet is my least stressful doctor's visit! His care has enabled me to keep up with my daily walking regimen, a critical piece of my daily BG control.

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Permalink Reply by rubidoux on February 17, 2013 at 2:00pm

That's great that you can go every month! I'm going to keep that in mind for later. I see my endo in march and I'm going to ask him to take a look at my feet and maybe tell me a little bit about how to take care of them. Since he starts getting antsy at around 7 minutes into the appointment, I'm guessing he'll give me the name of a podiatrist. lol

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Permalink Reply by Gerri on February 16, 2013 at 3:19pm

Wearing the same type boot doesn't mean anything regarding your feet. If they fit well, are comfortable & don't rub, no problem.

Neuropathy (nerve damage from high BG)causes loss of feeling. People have foot injuries they can't feel & aren't aware of. Infection, of course, is a huge concern.

Admit I don't have a routine, other than checking my feet. Before diabetes I was barefoot whenever I could. That's a thing of the past.

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Permalink Reply by Kathy on February 19, 2013 at 2:54am

First of all, not all foot problems are caused by high blood sugars over a long perid of time. They can also be caused by other reasons. The thing is it sounds like your co-worker has had ongoing problems with his feet for a long time. My question is, "Is everyone required to wear the same shoes and they are provided by the company or can you buy your own shoes and make sure they fit?
The thing is I would ust check your feet each night and ask for a referral to a podiatrist
just ot make sure your feet are okay. Other than that as long as you are taking care of yoru feet I would not worry.

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Permalink Reply by Capin101 on February 19, 2013 at 7:46am

If you are concerned about neropathy or any other foot problems, then I suggest that you get a professional to check it. If you do not have any diagnosed foot problems, then I think your feet are "healthy" and you can take reasonable actions. I always wear shoes or sandals that strap onto my feet outside and examine my feet daily. If I get a cut or injury on my feet than I treat with antibiotics and/or bandaids and monitor a few times a day. Diabetics often heal a little slower and this is my biggest concern. I see no need to buy any special products for my feet unless a professional would recomend them as beneficial.

You are correct that complications are usually associated with years of high BGs, but there are also no set rules on what someone's body can tolerate.

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