Charcots

[Sammii_89]

Hi,
My partner has recently unknowingly broken his foot. This is the second occasion this has happened now and neither time has he had any knowledge of the break until around a month after the incident may of happened due to him having neuropathy in both of his feet.
he went to fracture clinic on Thursday and they’ve said they believe he has charcots and there’s nothing they can do for him or his current broken foot.
is there anyone else dealing with this that could possibly offer us some advice on how to move forward with this?
he currently has a large boot that he’s struggling to wear due to a previous broken knee and the pain associated with that. They said they’ll refer him to the diabetic foot clinic but we have no idea how long that referral will take to produce an appointment.
Any advice would be greatly appreciated.
thank you.

 

[Robin]

Hi,
My partner has recently unknowingly broken his foot. This is the second occasion this has happened now and neither time has he had any knowledge of the break until around a month after the incident may of happened due to him having neuropathy in both of his feet.
he went to fracture clinic on Thursday and they’ve said they believe he has charcots and there’s nothing they can do for him or his current broken foot.
is there anyone else dealing with this that could possibly offer us some advice on how to move forward with this?
he currently has a large boot that he’s struggling to wear due to a previous broken knee and the pain associated with that. They said they’ll refer him to the diabetic foot clinic but we have no idea how long that referral will take to produce an appointment.
Any advice would be greatly appreciated.
thank you.

Hello, and welcome to the forum. I’m going to tag @Flower and hope she sees this, as she has been living with Charcot for a number of years.

 

[rebrascora]

Hi and welcome.

So sorry to hear about your partners broken feet. That must be painful and very worrying. Our resident expert on Charcot (much as I am sure she would rather not be) is @Flower Hopefully she will be along when she has a moment to give you some advice and encouragement.

 

[Flower]

Hi and welcome @Sammii_89

I'm sorry to hear about your partners feet.

Please contact the local diabetes podiatry team yourself asap and ask for an emergency appointment. Don't wait for a referral to filter through whilst there are things that need assessing now to protect the feet long term and prevent bone collapse and also protect the shape of the feet - if they haven't changed shape from the current fractures. Time is of the essence in managing Charcot Foot, being told there's nothing that can be done and not prioritising an urgent appointment is not good enough. If you need help with getting an urgent appointment try your GP or the usual diabetes team or Diabetes UK helpline https://www.diabetes.org.uk/how_we_help/helpline

This information from Diabetes UK site is useful on Charcot foot

Charcot foot and diabetes

If you have diabetes and peripheral neuropathy, also known as nerve damage, you’re more at risk of developing Charcot foot. Charcot foot is a serious foot problem. But having treatment as early as possible can reduce your risk of further complications like developing a foot ulcer or needing an...

www.diabetes.org.uk

Charcot Foot is a long term condition that requires patience and ongoing support from a high risk podiatry clinic. It impacts on every aspect of life but the best chance of living with it is to get expert care and protective boots/casts or custom made shoes to protect the vulnerable areas of the feet- this should be available to you with a new diagnosis and please keep pressing to be seen. I know from my experience that a lot of diabetes podiatry is on hold or being done virtually but Charcot needs to be seen urgently in person and assessed.

The other thing to sort out is diabetes control, blood sugar, blood pressure all the normal stuff we need to do to give ourselves the best chance.

Please let us know how you get on. It can stabilise and bones can heal with the correct help and support or surgery if necessary. Wishing you well.