I was always a barefoot boy. In the summer the bottom of my feet looked like leather! Once i was diagnosed with Diabetes I totally stopped going barefoot. In the summer I now wear hard soled-aquatic style sandals that let me feet get a decent tan but protect them at the same time.
My new podiatrist actually wants me to trim my own nails.
I have all the right tools, and who better than the person with the nerve endings to make sure that no flesh gets cut or nipped in the process?
I’ve a very, very good girl and never cut them in a curve or too short. If someone else trims them they’re likely to get kicked, anyway, as I’m very ticklish.
I don’t normally see a podiatrist, and now you’ve got me wondering whether I should. I’ve got good circulation and normal sensation, and can cut my own nails – is there any other reason to see one?
Well, in the old days (before we diabetics became “too expensive to treat” by some HMO’s) all diabetics were supposed to see a podiatrist once per year for a comprehensive foot/shoe check-up, advice on nail care, to treat any fungus or cracking/peeling, etc. I think the whole “diabetic care team” meme is kinda breaking down now.
In my case, I wear orthotics cast for my feet to treat pronation that was severe enough at one point to result in “literally millions of microscopic stress fractures” according to the sports orthopedist who treated me then (when I was 25). He said my bones looked “like milk” on the x-rays. I was a martial artist then, training “through the pain” for 15+ hours per week for my brown belt test – barefoot in the dojo – and I really screwed up my tibias. Now I’m not supposed to go without the orthotics, and I like to have a podiatrist check them and me every now and then.
I also get a “diabetic foot check” with the little poker-thingy (???) once per year to check for early signs of neuropathy (so far, so good), and I need help with my nails, which have gone insane over the years and decided to turn themselves into tubes instead of flat things, one after the other, for no good reason that I or my doctors can see. I am always babying them because I know that a bad ingrown toenail could be a nightmare with my diabetes.
I guess if someone had perfectly healthy feet, got their neuropathy check annually from the diabetes doctor, really knew how to take good care of their feet, and had no foot/toenail issues, it wouldn’t make sense to see a podiatrist. I have not been so lucky.
I agree with Jean, if you aren’t having any problems & you keep a watch on stuff, then you really don’t need to see one. Once my problems started, they never stopped. My old podiatrist used to joke that he was going to put a sign on one of the exam rooms “Kelly’s room” because I was there so much. I once went in after a bad fall & both of my feet were bruised. My regular doctor was there but leaving to go out of town the next day so was booked and I saw his partner. The partner laughed when he saw all the x-rays in my file. I ended up with a broken toe & he said it was a small enough crack that he wasn’t sure if it was old or new so those old x-rays helped me look back to see that it was new.
Kelly,
Thanks for sharing your story and I’m glad you were able to recover from your problems.
I had assumed that because I have good feeling in my feet, and exercise, that I didn’t need to be careful about my feet. I did not realize there were circulation issues involved. Now I know that may not be true.
I like to go barefoot indoors, but try not to do it in my garden. In the winter when the floor is cold I wear socks and as it gets colder I get the ugg boots out. Gotta keep warm somehow. My feet ache in flat slippers so I try always to wear something with an arch support. Am fairly recently diagnosed so must get my act together and look for some indoor shoes that don’t feel too uncomfortable.
I only go bare feet at the beach, in the tub or in bed. 
I learned my lessons through the younger years of “barefootedness”.
ROFLMAO…
As a professional martial arts instructor (ie Okinawan karate is my “day” job), I think you could say I’m barefoot far far more than most!
I wear the TEVA watershoes (no hardparts or edges)… when I must wear something at/for work. My wife got me a new pair of similar shoes recently let me see if I can find the link for them… http://www.awma.com/index.cfm/action/productdetail/product_id/11673…
But the only valid reason to wear shoes is either if you have nerve damage or if you are afraid of actual injury bcauseof something you’ll likely step on… THe whole callous & ulceration is not a valid concern for most type 1 folks… IMHV.
stuart
I had a few times after I got more into martial arts where we’d practice jumping, spinning kicks for like 1/2 hour/ 45 minutes and I got concerned about blisters in my foot. I didn’t stop but it sort of would depend on the surface? I did ok and survived and perhaps have some calluses. I also jammed a few toes pretty hard, to the point where there’d be black lines in the joint from brusing. A few other things but those are the feet issues.
I’ve had a few issues running too. The first time I ran > 30 miles in a week, I felt great but one of my toenails turned black and got red and puffy. The doc was very much “you should DEFINITELY come in when ANYTHING” like this happens. Antibiotics cleaned it out fairly handily but it certainly was something to watch for.
Yeah, it seems that a recurring theme in some of the bad infection horror stories is the injured party seeing swelling, inflammation, even a scary discharge and still putting off going to the doctor or the ER until things have progressed pretty far.
Hearing these stories is kinda like watching the B horror films, where the girl inevitably goes traipsing into the basement with the candle and you’re screaming at the television, “What in the heck are you doing, for goodness sakes. GET OUT OF THERE.”
Better safe than sorry is my motto. I’d rather get the it’s nothing eye roll than the amputation!!!
I also sprained my ankle-- bowling of all things…freshly waxed lane and I was flexible enough to go down in the splits by my foot was pretty much flat and I was holding a bowling ball-- and the podiatrist listened to me describe where it hurt, sort of deep in the middle of my ankle joint and said “if it’s broken in there, it might not heal and you’d be in a wheelchair the rest of your life”.
I must be a bad diabetic. I don’t wear shoes indoors; I wear flip flops all the time in the summer; and I get pedicures. My only redeeming quality is that I do check my feet every night. Oh well, you only live once.
In the winter I tend to go barefoot in my Dollar Store “crocs” even when the house temp is 16C! In the summer time - it’s flip flops in the house. Hate wearing enclosed shoes / socks if I don’t have to. The only place I go barefoot is in my own backyard - I know it’s safe - no broken glass, etc. I do go barefoot in the house in the summer time at times - but still do tend to shove on a pair of flips flops. On my sailboat, I go barefoot, except when in bad weather, and scrambling around the boat, you can knock your toes on some of the fittings on the top deck - and that isn’t fun (been there done that - bye bye toe nail - 2 years regrowth - no more being a model for Sears catalogue for sandals … KIDDING).
I dont wear socks unless my feet are cold. in the summer Ill walk barefoot in the yard, in the house, the beach. I dont have any issue with my feet yet so I dont think its an issue. Of course if I get an injury on my foot Im super fastidious about keeping it clean so I dont have problems, but if future Sam is gonna have neuropathy than Im going to enjoy my life now.
Typically I do not go barefoot. I do go barefoot in the house. Recently I went to a beach on the Florida gulf and I decided to go barefoot. Beautiful white sands, prestine beach and warm sand. Simply wonderful.
But later that night, I realized my mistake. The shells in the sand had irritated my feet. The realization that I have diabetic feet scared me. A possible laceration, contamination from the sand, glass or what ever else could have seriously injured my feet could be very serious. For the remaining time of my visit to Florida I decided that my crocks, tennies, sandals would be my best bet for protection.
Well, that was a charming thing for him to say pre-diagnosis. Nothing like giving a fellow hope!
If you’re running now, I trust that means that it did heal well?
Her!
It’s fine now. I have way more arthritic DDD in my other ankle although that seemed to get a lot better since I’ve worked out more, particularly the jumping drills, strength stuff in TKD and also dropping 90 lbs.
LOL - her – what a sexist oinker I am!
I have some “shoes” that are just for the pool or beach. They’re mesh on top and they have rubber soles that wrap around to protect the toes, heels and sides of the feet. They might not stop a direct hit on a broken bottle just under the surface of the sand, but they’re great for wading, swimming, walking on the sand and trips back to the car. What a great invention. I used to wear them to the pool when I swam laps every day. Once I started wearing them in the locker room and out in the pool and even in the shower, I never again got a case of athlete’s foot from touching the icky floor with my tootsies.
I’m on my third pair.