father toe amputation

[chrisrajive]

Hi,my 70 year old father has been diagnosed as type 2 diabetic for some time now. Recently,several months ago he noticed a numbness in his foot and was told he was suffering from diabetic neuropathy and was given medication to help. However despite this medication it still seems to persist and so he is going back to have stronger medication prescribed. the word "amputation" crossed my mind and it absolutly terrified me looking at the survival rates following such a procedure. He has had good control over his blood sugar according to his blood tests and is relatively careful about what he eats..no sugar binges for example. He has no history of heart disease in his family and his father lived to be into his late 80's. But because of he was diabetic for a long time wihtout knowing it so this is probably be the result of long term damage. If he does require amputation what can be done to prolong his life expectancy? if he continues to watch hsi blood sugar,do some exercise then do u think his chances are improved?...i really dont know why the mortality rate is so high? is it because people continue bad eating habits or something?...please help..im petrified and i feel like my world just collapsed...i dont want to lose him

 

[LeeLee]

Hi there, welcome. First of all, don't panic.

The numbness won't in itself be something that requires such drastic treatment. The problem with neuropathy is that the numbness means you don't feel any pain and therefore might not notice an injury, and that can then get infected. It's when an infection refuses to heal that radical surgery can be necessary.

 

[AlisonM]

Welcome to the forum.

If he has good control then you need to look to the positives and help him maintain that. The best thing he can do for himself is take extra care of his feet, being careful not to go barefoot and checking them frequently, or having someone do that for him, if he can't. Does he see a podiatrist at all?

 

[Highlander]

Don't worry, I have had part of my foot numb for quite a long time now. Just have to be careful I don't tread on any nails or other sharp objects. All he has to do is eat sensibly and take his meds. Then remember to go for his checkups.

 

[Redkite]

Sorry to hear about your Dad's neuropathy. From what you say, he has lost sensation in his toes but there is no injury? As you probably know, the risk with neuropathy is when an injury to the foot is not felt, and then proves difficult to heal due to insufficient circulation. If the injury becomes gangrenous then amputation would be necessary, but it is a last resort and is not performed just because of a loss of sensation.

Your Dad needs to be very careful to always wear well-fitting shoes, never going barefoot, and to get his feet checked regularly by a podiatrist (I imagine he is already having this done?). It sounds as though he is also doing well at keeping his blood glucose levels in range, which will help prevent any further deterioration.

I know it's easier said than done, but please try not to worry. If your Dad is careful he will hopefully never have to have an amputation. Bear in mind also that statistics are misleading - survival rates published for amputees do not show you what other health conditions the patients may have had, nor do they factor in the level of self-care that they managed. There are many patients who have neglected their diabetes for many years and have cardiovascular disease as well as kidney damage and neuropathy - such patients unfortunately are at much greater risk of dying following an amputation or any surgical procedure. Your Dad is doing all the right things to ensure he can have many healthy years ahead of him. 🙂

 

[chrisrajive]

so its not the actual numbness that leads to amputation but only if he doesnt take good care of his feet and it becomes infected?

He hasnt seen a podiatrist yet,he had an ultrasound scan a few weeks ago and is scheduled to meet with a vascular sugeon later this or next week to find out exactly what the situation is.

Thank you so much for your replies,im trying so hard to see the rational side of things...i dont know much about this yet and searching for answers on google only brought up low survival rate after amputations.Im away at university and havent stopped crying scince i called home this morning...just an innocent question of how are your feet doing? and i feel like ive just been punched in the stomach..... all i want to do is run home and hug him and never let go

 

[AlisonM]

Ah, that explains the Czech IP address. I can understand how hard it is to be so far away at such a time. As long as your dad only has numbness and hasn't actually damaged his feet then there's a good chance it will be OK. I hope it all works out OK for him.

 

[Redkite]

I know what you mean. My Dad is turning 70 next week and just recently seems to have noticeably aged, in his case he is limping around with painful knees and back - years of being super fit and sporty now catching up with him. It's very worrying seeing your parents getting old. But please be reassured that you have every reason to be optimistic about your Dad. Amputations are only necessary if there is an injury that will not heal up - and such injuries can be avoided 🙂