Foot check appointment

[Lee132]

Hi, since been diagnosed as type 2 last month but not on medication I have my first check up tomorrow to have my feet checked, just wondering on what to expect, also go to get eyes checked next week for the first time so to expect there also .

 

[Bruce Stephens]

I have my first check up tomorrow to have my feet checked, just wondering on what to expect,

They'll check for damage (skin breakage, etc.), check your pulse in each leg (I seem to remember reading that that's really hard to find even for trained people so I'm not sure how useful that is, but the idea is to try and judge whether your feet still have good circulation), and they'll try and judge whether you have good sensation in your feet (so touching the soles of your feet and asking whether you can feel it or not).

Eye test is pretty standard, and if you've ever had an eye test you'll find it familiar. The diabetes bit is the high resolution photographs of the retinas, which'll usually include drops to dilate your pupils: so make sure to take sunglasses and plan not to drive (or read) for a few hours afterwards because you won't be able to.

 

[everydayupsanddowns]

Welcome to the forum @Lee132

Ah the annual toe tickle! Everyone’s favourite appointment

Over the years I’ve had a variety of different things checked, often pulses at the ankles and underneath the soles of the feet (wear shoes and socks you can remove relatively easily). Then there are often sensitivity checks with a filament and/or lancet where you look a way and let them know when you feel contact at various touchpoints.

The eye screening service here is generally a completely separate appointment, involving eye drops and photographs, which is run by a mobile it. You cannot drive to that appointment because of the time it takes for the drops to wear off. Oh… and take sunglasses! However cloudy it is when you set off the sun will be shining brightly when you leave!

 

[grovesy]

The foot check in my experience can vary my last one at the beginning of the month, I had the visual inspection, the sensation check with multifilament stick, and then pluses checked with doppler.

 

[EmmaL76]

Well I’d love to tell you what happens. My surgery looked at me like I’d gone daft when I mentioned foot checks. Been diagnosed 2 years, never had one. Had one diabetic review in that time that consisted of a blood test and wee sample. I have however managed to find the pulses in my feet, the one near ankle is easier to find than the one on top of foot and they seem the same as the ones on my wrist so I assume that’s a good thing.

 

[Flower]

I have however managed to find the pulses in my feet, the one near ankle is easier to find than the one on top of foot and they seem the same as the ones on my wrist so I assume that’s a good thing.

Finding your pulses is a good thing 🙂

Doppler tests are usually done if you're referred on to a foot clinic/diabetes podiatry due to circulation problems. non healing foot wounds etc.

A Doppler machine can tell if there is problem with the circulation from the arteries down to the feet and legs.
A triphasic foot pulse correlating to the heartbeat means there is good circulation to the peripheral arteries and feet
A biphasic pulse indicates a mild to moderate problem with the arterial blood flow to the feet
A monophasic pulse means there is significant damage to the blood flow and circulation in the feet.

 

[Nayshiftin]

something I've never had

 

[EmmaL76]

Finding your pulses is a good thing 🙂

Doppler tests are usually done if you're referred on to a foot clinic/diabetes podiatry due to circulation problems. non healing foot wounds etc.

A Doppler machine can tell if there is problem with the circulation from the arteries down to the feet and legs.
A triphasic foot pulse correlating to the heartbeat means there is good circulation to the peripheral arteries and feet
A biphasic pulse indicates a mild to moderate problem with the arterial blood flow to the feet
A monophasic pulse means there is significant damage to the blood flow and circulation in the feet.

Ooh this is all very interesting, silly question but what does a Doppler scanner look like? See I had surgery last year and they used something that looks like a pregnancy scan thingy and I could hear the pulse. Is that the same thing? they said my pulses in my feet were faint but not weak

 

[grovesy]

Ooh this is all very interesting, silly question but what does a Doppler scanner look like? See I had surgery last year and they used something that looks like a pregnancy scan thingy and I could hear the pulse. Is that the same thing? they said my pulses in my feet were faint but not weak

That is what mine looked like!

 

[Flower]

Ooh this is all very interesting, silly question but what does a Doppler scanner look like? See I had surgery last year and they used something that looks like a pregnancy scan thingy and I could hear the pulse. Is that the same thing? they said my pulses in my feet were faint but not weak

It’s like the pregnancy scanner, a hand held unit and a probe that picks up the foot/ankle pulse. Gel is applied to the areas where you would expect to find a foot pulse and you can hear the pulse when the podiatrist finds it.

 

[gll]

what's a foot check 🙄 still not had one.

Eye check - I didn't get drops for mine so you might get lucky 😉