The toe ulcer was ultimately how I got diagnosed with diabetes, the consequence of wearing a cheap pair of crocs that caused a blister. This was despite having been 4 times admitted with high glucose levels and told it was probably pancreatitis (despite MIR and CT scans showing none of it - sorry rather bitter that they misdiagnosed it for at least 3 years despite classic symptoms)
Finally it was a podiatrist that made me get my levels checked, I went there for treatment for to put it bluntly a completely ******** foot unrelated to diabetes. Anyway she notices a small ulcer on my big toe which had refused to heal up. It would heal up, heal over then the skin would dry out and crack and we would be back to square one. Each time I would think - yay it is finally healed and then not again! when it wasn't. I have see a couple of podiatrists, one who is a diabetic specialist. One said, keep it dry and use betadine liquid (I had been using Vaseline to try and keep the skin moist as it healed), the betadine did not really work, so I switched to an antiseptic cream which was doing OK, but it was still not healing, but not getting worse. The next podiatrist said betadine ointment was a better bet as it was both antiseptic and an ointment so should do the work of both Vaseline and betadine liquid. This was doing OK till today when I took a good look at it and yet again it has almost healed over but the top skin has separated from the bottom skin and started to go grotty (sorry don't know medical term) so I debrided it cleaned it, put a little bit of betadine on it and then thought....
years ago OH had the sill idea to turn a log on the fire over with his had (well this side wasn't burning, so why should it be hot????) After the usual drag him to shove his hand in cold water I applied pieces of aloe vera cut in half. I had long known it was good for skin conditions. The effect was almost miraculous, within a couple of days, quite severe burns had gone. I have used it on sunburn and other skin conditions.
So as conventional treatment is failing and has done now for a couple of years, I have taped a section of the plant to my ulcer.
Has anyone else tried this? I have read various articles that it is meant to be better than betadine at treating diabetic ulcers, but so far not definitive proof that it is the way to go..
Finally it was a podiatrist that made me get my levels checked, I went there for treatment for to put it bluntly a completely ******** foot unrelated to diabetes. Anyway she notices a small ulcer on my big toe which had refused to heal up. It would heal up, heal over then the skin would dry out and crack and we would be back to square one. Each time I would think - yay it is finally healed and then not again! when it wasn't. I have see a couple of podiatrists, one who is a diabetic specialist. One said, keep it dry and use betadine liquid (I had been using Vaseline to try and keep the skin moist as it healed), the betadine did not really work, so I switched to an antiseptic cream which was doing OK, but it was still not healing, but not getting worse. The next podiatrist said betadine ointment was a better bet as it was both antiseptic and an ointment so should do the work of both Vaseline and betadine liquid. This was doing OK till today when I took a good look at it and yet again it has almost healed over but the top skin has separated from the bottom skin and started to go grotty (sorry don't know medical term) so I debrided it cleaned it, put a little bit of betadine on it and then thought....
years ago OH had the sill idea to turn a log on the fire over with his had (well this side wasn't burning, so why should it be hot????) After the usual drag him to shove his hand in cold water I applied pieces of aloe vera cut in half. I had long known it was good for skin conditions. The effect was almost miraculous, within a couple of days, quite severe burns had gone. I have used it on sunburn and other skin conditions.
So as conventional treatment is failing and has done now for a couple of years, I have taped a section of the plant to my ulcer.
Has anyone else tried this? I have read various articles that it is meant to be better than betadine at treating diabetic ulcers, but so far not definitive proof that it is the way to go..
