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amputation

brydo3226

Member
Messages
5
Type of diabetes
Treatment type
Insulin
hy iv been told I need amputation of my right foot not healing my wee toe was taken off cause it went black but the rest of my foot seems fine I have good pulse warm foot and toes and there is no infection its only been 2 weeks since the removal of my wee toe
any one got some advice iv heard doctors prefer amputation as its less hassle for them
 
Was it your GP or consultant who recommended the amputation? I would press for a second opinion if you have a good pulse & your feet are warm. I would have thought amputation is surely a last resort, not for the convenience of doctors
 
Welcome to the forum, I'm very sorry to hear about your foot. My only suggestion is to look into Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy. It's free if you have MS but I'm sure something could be done as I pay £20 a session and even with 15 1 hour sessions that's £300, which has to be cheaper than an amputation and subsequent help and assistance.

So long as your right foot is not going nasty and it's just a case of not getting better quickly for their liking, there's time to have a go. I go to The Chiltern Multiple Sclerosis Centre in Wendover, Bucks. I'm told that there are over a hundred of these centres across the UK and that's without all the private clinics that have one. In fact if you have several thousand handy, you can buy one.

Used primarily for people with MS, it is also used by people with ME, Fibermialgia, sports people with injuries as it speeds up the healing process, just the ticket for you.

If you can't find anything try https://www.hyperbaricoxygentherapy.org.uk/find-chamber and put in your post code. I'm more than happy to go into my place and ask if they know of other places that might not be widely advertised.

It has been used for people in your situation and has been successful allowing people to avoid amputation.

Good luck and please let us know how you get on.

I don't want to be a nag, please act now because I don't think even doctors know about this. It has to be worth a go. Good luck.
 
chris lowe said:
Was it your GP or consultant who recommended the amputation? I would press for a second opinion if you have a good pulse & your feet are warm. I would have thought amputation is surely a last resort, not for the convenience of doctors
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cheers for the advice
 
What are they using to dress your foot ? Some hospitals are now quite good with the natural antibiotics. Manuka honey is amazing for healing . It's worth an ask, My friend had a hip operation and got that awful flesh eating bug.. they used a seaweed dressing which worked wonderfully. Her only complaint was she smelled like old cabbage with the dressings on !
 
cheers for the advice
 

Raw Scottish heather honey is as good as Manuka honey and cheaper! - http://www.express.co.uk/life-style...sh-heather-honey-is-best-for-beating-bacteria
 
Last year when I was diagnosed as T1 I had a foot infection with necrotising fascitis and gangrene that needed debriding and amputation of my big toe. My foot was saved by an excellent surgeon despite several times signing consent for amputation of needed before surgery. Some doctors recommended amputation my sense was they genuinely thought it would be better for me to adapt to that than live with an uncertain future of further infections etc. On reflection I believe it's your wishes that matter and unless your life is at risk from spreading infection, as was mine, then it should be your choice based on above and information from the experts. Definitely worth gaining a second or even third opinion I'd say.
Will be thinking of you, all the very best
 
Not the same i know but I was unfortunate to get cellulites in my lower leg. I tripped getting onto a bus and the lower leg twisted. I fought the infection for at least a couple of months before succumbing to it. Antibiotic tablets didn't work and I ended up having to have the poison squeezed out and intravenous antibiotics in hospital. All was well but I wonder if honey might have prevented drug consumption? .....
 
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This is probably a niave comment, but would treating a wound that won't heal because blood sugar is too high with a form of sugar a good idea?
 
I have an eye infection at the moment and have some antibiotic drops which I have still to start. Apparently if I mix honey and milk and use that as drops it should work!
 
You really do need a second opinion, my sister got gangrene from a cut on her finger when she was 2 years old and the consultant wanted to remove her whole hand there and then. My dad sought a second opinion and found a surgeon who agreed to only remove some of her finger which did carry a risk of amputation from the elbow if it was unsuccessful. Thankfully it was successful and she only lost some of her finger. Ok she was not diabetic but I have been brought up to acknowledge that we are all only human and one person's opinion should be challenged if you have any doubts. Good luck.
 
A few months back I was on a ward with a person who's foot was in a bad way with sepsis they where treating his foot with maggots to clear the necrotic tissue together with antibiotics. I don't know what the outcome was as I left the hospital before his treatment was finished there are alternatives ask about them first before deciding on what is the best course of action for you.
 
I am sorry to hear about your foot. May I ask what your blood sugars are like?
 
JohnEGreen said:
treating his foot with maggots to clear the necrotic tissue together with antibiotics.
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My dad had maggots when they amputated his toe, very successful, I looked into it because my dad was very skeptical. It's a treatment that goes back to 1829 when Napoleon’s surgeon general, Baron Dominique Larrey, described observations that some flies destroyed dead tissue and aided wound healing.

Similar stories from the American Civil war and WW1.

Recent evidence points to Procteus mirabilis (which can be found in maggot salivary glands) may produce substances that kill pathogenic bacteria and promote wound healing.
 
What is important is to determine that there is still good blood flow and to be able to maintain good glucose level to improve the odds of wound healing and general vascular health.

It was a year long battle trying to save my father's foot. The doctor's suggested to amputate from the knee onwards although it looks like only a gangrenous toe. We opted for a couple vascular surgery to improve the blood flow. The restored blood flow didn't last long. Over the course of the year he lost a couple more toes. A year after the vascular surgery, sadly we lost him due to other complications.

All the best.
 
cheers il ask my doctor.....they are using aqacell and manuka honey but its failing
 
brydo3226 said:
but its failing
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Please do try and look into HbOT. I've been using it for things other than wounds although I have noticed that where I knock chunks out of my leg (cellulitis has wrecked the skin), healing is very much quicker.
 
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