April 2015 – Page 2 – charcot cha-cha

PHOTO’S OF THE WEEK!

My photo’s have nothing to do with Charcot Foot…just some images I snapped whilst sitting around waiting for my foot to heal. Some hummingbirds who managed to visit long enough to pose!

CHARCOT FOOT AND DOUBLE VISION!

Before you freak out worrying about eye damage and blurred vision due to Charcot Foot…S T O P! There is absolutely no connection!! I am only tying the two metaphorically: the awful choice I was faced with after my diagnosis. The yes or no? The up, or down? The ying or yang? The this or….that! Or, ok, ok…just gonna say it: AMPUTATE, or RECONSTRUCT ? ? ?

What a horrific choice! And as you can well imagine, I cannot begin to tell you how insane this one question made my mind! For the first two months after my diagnosis I was all tore up about which I should pick, as my foot doctor said I could go either way…my choice. Like, gasp! I’d hash the concept out with a few friends, and of course family, but no one, no one could ever really answer for me. How could they?! But to be quite honest, I wanted to just have the amputation, because then I would never. Ever. (get back together) with my messed up Charcot foot ever more! Gone, never to trouble me again! And to let you in on a secret, , you want to know what else I actually took into factor, favoring the amputation? (And I am sure this will seem really whack to some of you, yet totally sane to others!) With the amputation, and a prosthetic leg, I could still wear some bad-ass boots! There! I said it. And it’s true; fashion and vanity is going to be a concern for many of us facing Charcot Foot and it’s a hell of a struggle to come around to what is really important, which is what is best for your foot. Anyhow, my Doc sensed my ambiguity and sent me for a second opinion, and his verdict was that although an amputation certainly wasn’t “unreasonable” in my situation, he felt the foot could be salvaged with a reconstruction. I made one more appointment with an orthopedic surgeon, the one who would perform the amputation if I went that route. And he made up my mind for me then and there when he said that if it were him he would try to save the foot first. (By first he meant because there is such a high failure chance at the reconstruction, in my very severe case). Three doctors steering me towards the reconstruction, so whew, there surely was my answer!

And thus, my double vision was no longer an issue, my vision became one solid view, that of reconstruction. But there are worries and concerns with the reconstruction, of course. All of us facing this knows that there is no guarantee the surgery will be a success. And even if it is, there is a risk of the foot re-breaking again at some point in the future. There is a possibility that I will end up with the amputation anyhow. (Bet you guessed this is my worst-case-scenario!) But it is not all doom and gloom…there is an equal chance the surgery will be a success, and that is what I have to focus my thought and prayers on! And my doctors are right, it is better, much better to try and save my foot, if at all possible. And since they seem to think there is a possibility, that is what I am going with!

What about some of you Charcoter’s out there…did you have to face a hard decision too? How did you handle it, what helped you make your choice? Please share your story with us here on Charcot Chacha!

EASTER HIP-HOP, CHARCOT STYLE!!

Well, ok….no competing with the man who has hopping about down-pat!! One leg? No problem!

HAPPY EASTER to all and everyone who reads this blog, and may the rising of Jesus bring a rising of hope and courage to all!!

CHARCOT FOOT: COMING SOON TO A NEIGHBORHOOD NEAR YOU!

Heaven forbid I should toot my horn about being the next big thing! But I have to tell you, according to the evidence, it looks like Charcot Foot is going to become much more of a Diabetic condition than ever before, thanks to the fact that Diabetes is simply becoming much more prevalent in our modern culture.

According to the latest statistics, there are approximately 29.1 million Diabetics in America. But about 8 million of that number are folks who are unaware they are even Diabetic! The percentage of Diabetics who develop CHARCOT FOOT is around 3-6% of diagnosed, or conservatively, approximately 650,000 Americans! Where are all of you, and how can we get everyone HERE for regular support and sharing?!

Well, it is my dream to have a place on the internet where those suffering from Charcot Foot can share our fears, hopes, ideas and solutions! I am certainly not tech saavy in any way, and I don’t do much social media. Lord I have no clue how YOU came to read this, probably a stumble, no doubt. But if you did manage to read through any of the posts I have written on the subject, here on Charcot Chacha, please share them with your friends and family…get the word out! Because too many doctors, in too many emergency and urgent care centers are not even able to recognize Charcot Foot when your friend or loved one goes looking for answers. Please read my post “Charcot Foot: My Own Saga and Charcot Awareness” and come to know the symptoms and make sure all of your friends and family who have Diabetes (and especially who have peripheral neuropathy in their feet) are aware of the signs and symptoms. If caught early Charcot Foot can be managed without surgery, or loss of limb! Too late for me, but this does not stop me from wanting to get the word out about AWARENESS!!!!

And please know too, that worldwide, not all Charcoters are as lucky as some others. I have come across a few personal accounts of Charcot across the internet, and the U.S.A. looks to be the leading country for forward thinking doctors regarding Charcot Foot. But please pray for those in all other countries where Doctors are not skilled or educated in reconstruction, where amputation is the only tool available, where thousands suffer without proper care. Thank you.

OF HUNCHED SHOULDERS AND CRACKED PALMS.

Sitting all day definitely has it’s drawbacks (though no doubt is certainly someone’s lifetime dream!) And sitting in a wheelchair whose armrests are just slightly too high can double your dilemma. Since I have been ordered to not put any weight on my left foot (called NWB: non-weight-bearing) while I await my reconstructive surgery to my Charcot foot, I have opted to use a “transport” wheelchair for my main sit-down, because it allows me to zip all around town (ok, ok…the house). I use the chair, and a walker to get about…but I haven’t been able to figure out just which one of the two is causing my shoulders to hurt so badly that I get crappy sleep at night. And reaching up for something in the refrigerator? Get out! Super-painful. I really think it’s because of those too-high arm rests on the chair, it causes me to hunch up my shoulders all day. I have to tell myself “drop-‘em!” all day long in my half baked efforts to counter the situation. I suppose it could be all the work I’m making my arms do when I use the walker…but one thing the walker is for sure guilty of is my cracked, callused palms! I mean, like, ACK! Check out the photo (sorry for the “ICK” factor!)

I have been applying this horsey-hoof gunk my mom swears will cure up my skin, but it A. stinks, and B. is greasier than Saturday morning at the diner! I can’t do anything for like, 30 minutes, or I will get the greasy gunk all over everything! I have been trying to do some daily arm and shoulder stretches to ease the pains, but it hasn’t really worked. Anyone out there have any suggestions? In the meantime, I guess I will just paint my nails some god-awful wackiness to just bring a smile!