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Real A & E

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andybob

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Type 2
Did anyone see the Real A & E on Tv last night?
There was a man with type 2 diabetes, he had a problem with his foot and ended up loosing his leg from the knee down. It came on so quickly his toe went black within aout 3 weeks.

As a newly diagnosed type 2 I found it very disturbing..

is this case an extreme do you think!!!?

Grateful for any comments thatmay help me get a sense of perspective on this.

I've been ok upto now and just glided along with the diagnoses and pill regime and even the finger pricking... so I suppose it was inevitable to get something to throw me back..

Thanks

Andy
 
This thing does seem to be somewhat extreme. The foot was black owing to gangrene having set in. This takes some time and infection. The reason for infection could be one of many things. Poorly controlled diabetes could well be one of the reasons that it progressed to such an extent. When a limb turns gangrenous there is nothing much that doctors can do other than refer you to a surgeon for amputation.
I hasten to add that this is somewhat an extreme case.
 
Didn't see the program, but it is uncontrolled diabetes that causes problems. Once you are diagnosed then you should have regular check-ups with your GP/DSN who will check your foot for diabetic problems, so as long as you treat your condition seriously and act sensibly, you shouldn't have a problem.

If you want the statistics then you can find them here: http://www.diabetes.org.uk/Documents/Reports/Diabetes_in_the_UK_2010.pdf

You just have to recognise the risks and act accordingly, the statistics don't take into account how well the diabetes was controlled! The news media and tv documentaries will usually show worst case scenarios.

Nice thought for you: there are more people injured in road accidents every day than have their leg amputated due to diabetes, does that stop you driving?
 
I saw the episode too. He'd only been diagnosed 2 years, although might have had type 2 diabetes for many more years.

It's a dramatic example about why looking after blood glucose levels is so important and why any foot problems need to be treated as soon as possible.
 
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