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Foot problem on holiday....what to do...

Enclave said:
O dear Molly, the wife sends her best wishes .. looks like you are in for a ruff ride here. I haven't had any foot problems (yet) but its not looking pretty for him is it. Best you keep recording things for when you get back, could you send the photos to his podiatrist ..so they can advise you/him online .. or at least know what to expect when you return from your holiday :)
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@Enclave ...was wondering if I could somehow track down the number of the podiatry service and email for an urgent appointment on our return...we get back early hours of next Friday so am guessing the earliest appointment he will get is sometime in the following week if I have to leave it till when we get back home.....
....to me it seems a long time to wait for something like this to be looked at but unless he makes the decision that it needs to be seen more urgently here there is little I can do other than keep him updated with pictures from my iPad .....the ball (excuse the pun) is really in his court...
....say 'thank you ' to the wife for her thoughts....and thank you as always for your comments and support....
 
Molly56 said:
As if one foot problem is not enough to contend with .....there is another one..
.View attachment 16163
...this one seems to be developing under an existing patch of hardened skin on the big toe of his other foot...have just taken photo on iPad and shown him....
....not sure what to do with this other than keep an eye on it and hope for the best for the next week...evidently he has just told me that podiatrist has told him to go back to her if he has any problems but difficult when a couple of thousand miles from home...did suggest he could see someone here but will be his decision to make that call....am guessing he won't....
....any suggestions in the meantime.....apologies for the gruesome picture....:sorry:
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Molly - are those other potential blisters on the pad of his foot, looks to be below the 4th toe and the darker area looking like it's below between the great toe and the next one?

Is his other blister healing and looking clean?
 
Molly, I'd try to get it seen now . Also, apart from all the other advice about keeping the area clean and dry, if there are signs of redness, puffiness, feeling hot to the touch, (or of course pus) on any of those areas,then try to get him to a doctor as antibiotics might be important.
 
Squire Fulwood said:
Bind the foot. I'm sure you have handkerchief or a scarf. Just keep it clean and stop it rubbing on the shoe. During a long drawn out golf game I once stuck the shiny side of a Senior Service cigarette pack to the foot blister and I was able to finish the round quite comfortably.
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That is rock & roll..! \m/ :cool:

Had a blister on my index finger, traveling through India once.. Lanced it & kept clean along with a carful eye on the BS.
It healed with no issue... But then the hand is easier to deal with without covering. If one remains conscious of what yer dealing with...
 
The podiatrist would have told him to see her if needed, but she would have had no way of knowing what issues he might develop at any time. I think the usual advice is - if in doubt, see a HCP (doctor, nurse or podiatrist) asap, ie within 24 hours. It doesn't have to be a podiatrist, that you have to wait for an appointment to see.

I've had cellulitis of the lower leg, a common infection that can become serious within hours. Just 8 hours after I got the first signs of it, I had a temperature of 40 deg C, was delirious, and being transported to hospital by ambulance. I was told by my consultant that 15% of people with my condition have their leg amputated. This was years before I got diabetes.

Keep taking photos of the foot issues, suggest he sees a HCP while on holiday (ask your travel insurer or hotel people where to go). If he refuses, fine. Apart from taking photos and suggesting he sees someone, there is nothing else you can do. Try to enjoy your holiday despite him not looking after himself.
 
AndBreathe said:
Molly - are those other potential blisters on the pad of his foot, looks to be below the 4th toe and the darker area looking like it's below between the great toe and the next one?

Is his other blister healing and looking clean?
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@AndBreathe ...don't think they are potential blisters but will look again later...I think the spot you refer to below 4th toe is a spot relating to a much earlier injury many years ago when he stepped on a nail or something...podiatrist has seen this and not concerned...more of a scar....
...re other blister ...think this is drying up even though skin split and had open wound...getting air to it seems to be helping with healing rather than covering it and allowing it to be warm and moist...hopefully neither will develop into something nasty over next few days...
....have worked out I can hopefully book doctors appointment for day of our return as have access to online booking system via iPad....if anything develops over next few days will look at getting appointment here under travel insurance...local medical centre is just down the road / short taxi trip away...
 
Have shown him latest photo taken on iPad and am waiting for him to make the decision as to whether he needs to get it looked at sooner than waiting till we get home on Friday.....it has to be his call and his decision....have given him the information needed to make that decision so is all that I can do...
....not sure if it has got any worse but here is the evidence
....image.jpeg
....the points for concern are those on the big toe....the black spot underneath was dirt!.....he already had a patch of dry hardened skin which the podiatrist knew about and was dealing with....it is what is going on underneath that is the point of concern....
 
If you can't see your feet, maybe try kneeling on the floor, with your butt off your feet (kneeling up) and then looking behind you??
A lot less twisting and balance needed ;)
 
KeepSmiling said:
If you can't see your feet, maybe try kneeling on the floor, with your butt off your feet (kneeling up) and then looking behind you??
A lot less twisting and balance needed ;)
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@KeepSmiling ...thanks for the suggestion....the only problem is that if he knelt on the floor he would never get up again...problems with knees and hips would make kneeling on the floor an almost impossible task....and as for twisting round and looking behind I fear that stiff joints would also make this problematic...
.....probably a good suggestion for someone with better mobility and flexibility though....
 
KeepSmiling said:
If you can't see your feet, maybe try kneeling on the floor, with your butt off your feet (kneeling up) and then looking behind you??
A lot less twisting and balance needed ;)
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Think Molly's OH has problems with his knees ... I tried your suggestion and think I have cracked a rib !!!! and the wife has pulled a mussel laughing at me ... but I can easily see my feet sitting down and twisting my foot round on my lap ...
A selfie stick and mobile phone camera would be the best bet for Molly's other half I think
 
Molly56 said:
@KeepSmiling ...thanks for the suggestion....the only problem is that if he knelt on the floor he would never get up again...problems with knees and hips would make kneeling on the floor an almost impossible task....and as for twisting round and looking behind I fear that stiff joints would also make this problematic...
.....probably a good suggestion for someone with better mobility and flexibility though....
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Sorry Molly we crossed in the post ..
Edit to add .... how is he to day ...foot any better ?
 
Enclave said:
Sorry Molly we crossed in the post ..
Edit to add .... how is he to day ...foot any better ?
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@Enclave ...no problem....obviously we are on same wavelength....can just picture you trying out foot check position and wife laughing.....
...as for foot problem here I must admit I have not paid too much attention to it today....he said it hurt this morning so I made all the right noises about he should get it looked at if worried by it etc....he hasn't chosen to so far but will see what tomorrow brings....don't think he is making an effort to keep it clean or covered but there again is down to him...hope that doesn't sound as if I don't care but only so much I can do....
...as for me....took a nice long stroll along the beach today so doing what I can to enjoy the remainder of my holiday...:)
 
Molly we know you care ... but its lovely to hear your making the most of your holiday :)
I have size 11 feet .. so they are not easy to miss ..
 
Was just thinking....there doesn't seem to be any outward signs of problem on big toe getting any worse....however this may not be a good sign...am thinking that the patch of hard skin is probably preventing any infection from coming out so is potentially going the other way....into the foot...:(

....have just checked online to see if I can get GP appointment for the day of our return but nothing on the system at the moment...system is such that appointments are released on a daily basis with on the day / 24/48/next week appointments so will have to check another day....

...at last diabetic nurse appointment before our holiday I did ask the question if there was an email address that I could contact in case of emergency while we were away.....I was fobbed off with the answer that ...'no there isn't' ....'it is not checked regularly'.....'you can always phone the surgery'...(as if I am going to do that from abroad at the extortionate costs whilst waiting in some queue for a receptionist to answer!!!)..so as far as getting an email address.....that was not an option / necessary.........and by my partner in front of the nurse 'she is fussing'...:mad:.....at that point I just shut up.....
.....for the record, it was just such a circumstance as this that I was asking for ......:banghead::banghead::banghead:

Rant over......Time now to get on with my day and enjoy my holiday....:)
 
Molly56 said:
Was just thinking....there doesn't seem to be any outward signs of problem on big toe getting any worse....however this may not be a good sign...am thinking that the patch of hard skin is probably preventing any infection from coming out so is potentially going the other way....into the foot...:(

....have just checked online to see if I can get GP appointment for the day of our return but nothing on the system at the moment...system is such that appointments are released on a daily basis with on the day / 24/48/next week appointments so will have to check another day....

...at last diabetic nurse appointment before our holiday I did ask the question if there was an email address that I could contact in case of emergency while we were away.....I was fobbed off with the answer that ...'no there isn't' ....'it is not checked regularly'.....'you can always phone the surgery'...(as if I am going to do that from abroad at the extortionate costs whilst waiting in some queue for a receptionist to answer!!!)..so as far as getting an email address.....that was not an option / necessary.........and by my partner in front of the nurse 'she is fussing'...:mad:.....at that point I just shut up.....
.....for the record, it was just such a circumstance as this that I was asking for ......:banghead::banghead::banghead:

Rant over......Time now to get on with my day and enjoy my holiday....:)
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You could use Skype - That's usually one of the cheaper ways of calling from overseas.

If your OH's toe is a bloody blister (i.e. the blister itself has some blood in it), it may not be infected at all for all any of us know. The photos of his toe didn't look overly inflamed, but let's be clear that isn't a clinical diagnosis or advice, just offering another perspective.
 
AndBreathe said:
You could use Skype - That's usually one of the cheaper ways of calling from overseas.

If your OH's toe is a bloody blister (i.e. the blister itself has some blood in it), it may not be infected at all for all any of us know. The photos of his toe didn't look overly inflamed, but let's be clear that isn't a clinical diagnosis or advice, just offering another perspective.
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@AndBreathe ....thanks for reply.....good idea about Skype but not sure that doctors receptionist system would have that facility..they are notoriously difficult to get hold of at the best of times....
.....am just a bit annoyed how I was completely fobbed off by my partner and the diabetic nurse when I was asking what I feel was a perfectly legitimate question....at least I can now use this as an example as to precisely why I was asking the question in the first place.....
 
Molly56 said:
.....am just a bit annoyed how I was completely fobbed off by my partner and the diabetic nurse when I was asking what I feel was a perfectly legitimate question.
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and so the journey begins ... or in this instance, never ends.
 
Molly56 said:
@AndBreathe ....thanks for reply.....good idea about Skype but not sure that doctors receptionist system would have that facility..they are notoriously difficult to get hold of at the best of times....
.....am just a bit annoyed how I was completely fobbed off by my partner and the diabetic nurse when I was asking what I feel was a perfectly legitimate question....at least I can now use this as an example as to precisely why I was asking the question in the first place.....
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Skype can be used to call landlines, usually at competitive rates, depending on where you are calling. It is usually by far the cheapest way to call home - especially as you would be calling a landline. I think it's about 2p a minute to call a UK landline, using Shype over the Internet.

Your holiday rep might be able to help with that.
 
Molly56 said:
...at last diabetic nurse appointment before our holiday I did ask the question if there was an email address that I could contact in case of emergency while we were away.....I was fobbed off with the answer that ...'no there isn't' ....'it is not checked
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My Drs are the same ... saying they can be contacted anytime .. then NO not online or email .. we don't do stuff like that here !!!
All that tells us is our diabetes team is stuck in the dark ages without any forward thinking. When the wife asked my DBN about the Newcastle diet .. the reply was 'never heard of it .. but it will be a load of rubbish, you must eat carbs'
So Molly .. you appear to be firmly stuck between a rock and a hard place.
Enjoy your holiday and if other half want a dr to see his foot then let him make an appointment

edit spelling
 
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Slightly off topic but with four days still to go he has discovered he only has one needle left for insulin pen.....no option really but to try to extract used needles from sharps box and reuse....am guessing these will not be sterile like new unused needles but chance he will have to take....have suggested keeping last unused needle for plane journey home...
.....must admit that I left him to count and pack needles that he required....obviously he managed to miscalculate somewhere along the line.....and no I did not double check!!!
 
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