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How quickly life can change....

Molly56

Well-Known Member
During the course of my work this week I came across someone whose life has been changed quite dramatically by their diabetes (Type 2) in recent weeks.
..less than a month ago all was relatively normal...in less than a month a small foot problem escalated to the point where they had to have their foot / leg amputated at the shin and is also now on dialysis three times a week due to the infection causing kidney damage...the rate of infection spreading was at a worrying pace to the extent that they may not be here today if it hadn't been caught when it had...
...on the face of it they seemed to be coping quite well with these life changing issues and I was impressed at how well they seemed to be dealing with it and the positive attitude they had about the future.

On a personal level just think that this has really brought home to me how quickly things in life can change.....just really makes me think about how diabetes can make such dramatic changes to someone's life in what appears to be such a short space of time.
 

What a dreadful thing to happen to the person.

I think in those circumstances, one's mind is in survival mode, and considering the alternative, the upbeat approach is often seen.

When both my parents had their terminal diagnoses they were each incredibly up-beat about how good their lives had been, how happy they had been and what a joy my brother and I had been to them during their lives. I was absolutely humbled, and in awe, and I just hope should my time come to hear that dreadful news that I will also be able to reflect in such a positive way. Indeed, those were two periods in my life which significantly influenced my need to make the best of every day, and to get what had been, until then, a poor work/life balance into better order.

Not one single one of us knows when the day will be that tomorrow just doesn't come. I hope for us all, it's a long, long time ahead.

What has your husband's reaction to this been, Molly? Does he know the individual concerned?
 
Truly awful for them @Molly56 but pleased they are coping well and staying positive about the future.

Yes life can be cruel and you never know what is around the corner, it can never be said enough how important it is to check your feet regularly.
 
The nature of my work means that I meet different people each week from different backgrounds...all are just one-off encounters for a very brief period...invariably conversation often diverts from my original reason for meeting them ...

@AndBreathe ...I did briefly mention meeting this person to my partner (he sometimes asks if I met anyone interesting).......he is adamant that this will 'never happen to me' and 'they are not taking my leg'....think he is kidding himself that he has control over his diabetes....he is far from in control....and no he doesn't know the person concerned...confidentiality would prevent me from saying any more than I already have....

@teacher123 ....our conversation was very brief (and not my original reason for being there) so I have no idea about what control they had (am guessing type 2 and on insulin but not sure)....was just devastating how fast this happened...was literally a matter of days as far as I understood...was not appropriate to question in detail...

Just wanted to post this as an example of what can potentially happen....has certainly had a profound effect on me and certainly made me think about it....
 
It sounds like the person has had an horrific time of it. I thought my year had been bad, this situation puts some perspective in it for me. I've had an emergency hosp admission for dka & 2 emergency op's to literally cut out 2 infected abscesses that didn't respond to IV antibiotics. Found I was suddenly allergic to penicillin in all this. Then end up with neuropathy, a foot ulcer, my circulation gave up- I have to wear sexy compression stockings forever. Then a heart attack and a stent put in and now a wait for follow-up. So for this person to have to deal with amputation, I cannot imagine this at all.
 
Indeed they can. I had an incident traveling through India a number of years ago with a blister on my index finger. The puss started to travel up the side of the finger.. Getting hold of some basic antiseptic. I lanced the blister using a fresh BS lancet, squeezing out the puss then bathed the infected area in a mixture of antiseptic & bottled water.. Repeating as necessary, keeping the area clean & un bandaged so it could breath.. It was **** hot in that part of the world!
Making sure my BS was under control. It healed with the dead skin peeling away revealing new skin underneath..?

It can happen.. Though to be positive. Healthy blood sugar level management can avert any complications..
 
it is scary how fast life can go downhill, I was there a few weeks back but not with a diabetes related illness (apart from the blockage in my heart which I never knew was there) just make sure you look after yourselves and check what needs checking .............

I try not to look on a bleak side but every now and again you get a reminder of how easy it is to fall into trouble with this illness
 
I used to regularly see a podiatrist for ingrown toenail issues, which cleared up when I lost weight (she said extra weight means a tighter space for the nail to try and grow correctly).

She often told me how important it was to check my feet every day and to always check shoes for tiny stones before putting them on. I said but my BGs are good - she said that regardless, I should be just as careful as any other diabetic because in her experience foot problems can happen without warning even to those with good BGs.

I haven't really taken her advice seriously until now but with what I've read on the forum I think it's better to be safe than sorry.
 
The worrying issue here is that I think that my partner is at high risk of the complications referred to in my original post but he refuses to see this....and is adamant that he would never lose his leg....

He refuses to wear socks at all (in shoes or in trainers) and insists on walking barefoot around the house....he never checks his feet (he can't even reach them to dry them properly) and relies on six or eight weekly podiatrist appointments to check his feet...he also has discoloured skin (brown patches) on his shins which he just dismisses as "due to my diabetes" and "poor circulation" ....am not sure as haven't inspected too closely but would say this is getting worse and skin on ankles / feet shows some change in colour....all of which I understand could be signs of potential foot problems and risk of leg ulcers...
...bs control is not good with morning readings around 9 or 10 and the last two evening readings being 17....

As I indicated in my earlier posts I do not know the full circumstances of how the person I met ended up with the foot problem but didn't get the impression that it was a blister or puncture wound that caused it....i seem to remember 'flaking skin' was mentioned which makes it even more worrying that such a simple beginning can lead to such devastating consequences....

Unfortunately my partner is in total denial that this could ever happen to him and is not doing anything to prevent such complications from occurring......
 
Yes, he is in denial and I don't see any likelihood that he will accept the risks and realities in the short term. Something might happen that gives him a wake up call, and I think it's just a case of waiting. I'm so sorry he is like this, it must be really hard for you. xx
 
@CatLadyNZ ....had come to this conclusion myself....just hoping the wake up call doesn't come when we are away on holiday next month....or has the consequences suffered by the person I met this week...
 
Molly56 said:
@CatLadyNZ ....had come to this conclusion myself....just hoping the wake up call doesn't come when we are away on holiday next month....or has the consequences suffered by the person I met this week...
Click to expand...
I can identify with your situation because my ex had/has some serious health issues and he was/is in denial about it. It was horrible, I wore myself out with worry about him. Argh... some men! Hugs.
 
Very sorry for this person, especially as I have had a lovely week in hospital after having what turned out to be appendicitis and peritonitis, the guy in the next room was type II, on insulin, morbidly obese (I'm not suggesting anything, I'm not qualified) and just had a leg amputated below the knee. Been in hospital for 9 weeks because he's waiting for housing to find him somewhere to live. If nothing else it will remind me to be especially careful about my feet because I tend to walk about bare feet in the house, sometimes in the garden. I have very soft feet, the heel and the ball of my feet.
I wonder if this person's immune system was so poor that the bacterial infection, which I assume did the damage (gangrene I suppose), is part of the problem.
Thanks for the reminder, although very sad for this person.
I'm hoping it doesn't happen to me because my knees cost an arm and a leg (oops, unintended pun, almost).
 
@graj0 .....interestingly the person I met was not what I would have expected as being a typical candidate for this happening ...was average weight I would estimate, reasonably fit and active on the face of it, mid fifties, worked full time, lived on their own....guess this is why I found it so shocking as it just proves it can happen to anyone....his positive attitude did impress me though and don't suppose it will be long before he is back on his feet so to speak...
...guess this is what worries me about my partner who is more typically like the guy in the next room to you and who I would class as higher risk for something like this happening...
....wishing you a speedy recovery from your hospital stay...
 
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