The Diabetic Foot

Abstract

Self help groups can have an effect on diabetic feet. I’ll tell you 2 stories which happened while I was acting as a member of our group. A blind diabetic woman who, over the course of several years had had some serious problems with her feet, was busy telling me how she hated the way oxfords looked. I gave her a couple of suggestions: wear the same color stocking as shoe - it makes them stand out less, and in the winter wear flat, round toe boots with socks - no-one would know the difference. The suggestions worked. Second story: while visiting transplant patients in the hospital, I saw a lovely young blind girl being walked along the corridor BAREFOOT. Never having met her before I still had the nerve to tell her that she had no control over losing her sight or her kidneys but that she darn well could try to keep herself from losing legs. Next time I saw her, she was wearing slippers. What did I mean by my statement? About 25% of diabetics will develop foot problems related to their disease and 20% of all diabetic hospital admissions are for foot problems. Also between one half and two thirds of the lower limb amputations performed in the U.S. are done on diabetics.