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Eye & Foot Clinic - what to expect?

K

Keith Saunders

Active Member
Messages
44
Location
Teesside
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Diet only
Dislikes
Not being able to eat the food I used to.
So after what feels like an eternity (OK only six weeks), I have at last got an appointment for my eye and feet clinic, but been given no information on what to expect. It's not for anothe four weeks so I'm not going to get worried about it, just interested to know what will happen while I'm there.
 
Eye clinic, is 10 mins before you go in, they will get you in and put some drops in your eyes. Sometimes they sting like buggery and some times they don't. Then you will wait outside for 10 mins, and then go in, and a photograph will be taken of each eye. Job done, blurry vision for a couple of hours or so, so don't drive there, get someone to take you.
The foot check, is looking for cuts etc, dry skin, they can prescribe creams for this. Temperature to touch, ie is circulation good, then they will lightly touch the soles of your feet, to gauge how your nerves are sensing things, this just tickles me, they've reached the point where they say "oh you're the one with very sensitive feet". The last thing is a tuning fork is struck and placed on your big toe of each foot. Last year i never felt it on my right foot, this year i nearly hit the ceiling, as i wasn't expecting to feel anything.
 
One little tip is take a pair of sunglasses with you for they eye test, even an ordinary cloudy day the light can be painful for a while as your pupils remain dilated for a while, some get away with a couple of hours, I tend to suffer for about 4 hrs
 
I have not had the tuning fork thing but I do get gel put on my feet and a hand held scanner thing (technical term) is used on my feet like they do with pregnant women’s stomachs. No clue what they are looking for - I suppose I should ask.
 
ajbod said:
Ultrasound scanner, that will be listening for blood flow, checking circulation. Probably due to slight temperature difference between your feet.
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Not necessarily, my surgery use them on everyone (I know because I asked last week when I had my foot check was there a problem when she got it out and she said no it’s their policy to use it on everyone)
 
As @ajbod says.

Apart from the tuning fork, every year of mine has been the same.

This year was first time with tuning fork
Never had my feet scanned or gelled

A deffo on sunglasses though after eye test. Very easy to dismiss the warnings, I did .

My first year I didn't bring them, walked home ok (lived nearby) but to my eyes Everything was EXTREMELY bright, & seeing clearly wasn't that easy.

Just a note, I'm not currently so able to travel, and my first appointment this year was a good way away from me.

Called & explained it was too far, no problem, got given a later date at the nearby centre I usually get sent to .

So if anyone's is travelling further than they like, try asking for somewhere closer.
 
lovinglife said:
Not necessarily, my surgery use them on everyone (I know because I asked last week when I had my foot check was there a problem when she got it out and she said no it’s their policy to use it on everyone)
Click to expand...
I find sometimes they use it other times they don't. When I asked the nurse said that some nurses are better at detecting strong pulse manually others prefer to use the machine.
 
For my feet they’ve just checked pulses and used a machine that creates a vibration and I have to say when I feel it. Never had my feet looked at for cuts/sores or dry heels.
 
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