My feet and state of mind problems

Type 2
#1

I have read the descriptions of the different problems of neuropathy and have the same.

I was diagnosed with diabetes and year ago. It is type 2 and I am 51. My feet keep me up many nights with burning and tingling. It can be very painful. I also have feet pain and numbness when I walk. When I have shoes and socks on it feels like there are a hundred pebbles of rocks in my shoe. I have gotten to the point where I dread wearing shoes at all. It is in both feet. It got worse even though my blood sugar was totally under control. I take methadone for back pain problems(severe). The methadone helps a little bit with the pain at night but does not help the feeling of walking on "rocks" in my foot. I have been unemployed for 2 years after losing my business in a lawsuit. I have had 10 straight years of chronic back pain which I alluded to above. I have no desire to live like this. I have had 2 suicide attempts, one which got me locked up for 2 weeks involuntarily. The second one I was in a coma for 2 months in the hospital. I was and am very pissed off they spent 200,000 dollars on me to get me out of the coma. I have no family(except a brother) etc.. Please don't tell me to "talk" to someone. I have been down that road and found most depressed patients were sniveling bored housewives. Not a 51 year old who spent 9 years going to college, who is unemployed, has no family, has lost all my friends due to my fall econmically because I had to move in with brother in a situation where I don'tknow anyone and in a city I hate (L.A). I hate my medical insurance (Kaiser). It is very demoralizing to go to the office and in the waiting room I am the only White person there. It is 99% "Hispanic" It is not that I don't like minorities I just feel like I can't relate to these people who don't even speak English. I feel very alientated in my own country (though I can't even say is my country anymore)I used to be a very active world traveler. I just can't take the prospect of not being able to walk anywhere, and having serious health problems down the road (Eyes, heart,kidney, teeth, feet; the usual diabetic list). Can anyone who has diabetes and serious side effects relate? Can others maybe offer me a glimmer of hope (not B.S) about my feet problems not getting worse? Or possibly getting better? Oh and it is also very demoralizing to have many stories in the news that blame diabetics for their own disease. I am not overweight etc and I was very active.The Docs say my feet will stay the same of get worse, not get better. I just can't see having a painful life of house bound hell. Who need it?? We all gotta to go sometimes!!! :)

I am not looking for pyschological advice only people who might have similar symptoms and can give me no nonsense advice. I would very much appreciate any thoughts!

#2

Mick,

You have lived through a daunting series of economic and health set-backs. I have pain in my feet and calves but not the intensity that you describe. The only thing that I can offer you is that the pain in my feet gets less when my diabetic control gets better. It never really goes away but does become easier to live with. Unlike you, I am a T1, but high blood sugar hurts small blood vessels and nerves whether you’re a T1 or T2.

I believe that this lessening of symptoms with blood glucose control improvement was one of the findings in the '90s landmark Diabetic Complications and Control Trial (DCCT).

My gut tells me to offer empathy but I respect your wishes. I hope you find here what you seek.

Terry

#3

I’m sorry for your struggles. Depressing & frustrating, to say the least.

Yes, good control is key to helping heal peripheral neuropathy. When you say you’re completely controlled, do you mean you have near normal BG?

People have had success using alpha lipoic acid (ALA). It’s an OTC supplement. ALA has been used in Germany by prescription for many years for neuropathy. It helps to rebuild the myelin sheath of nerves.

BTW, your statement about being the only white in the waiting room is racist & not appreciated. Please keep your racist comments out of discussions.

#4

Well my Ac the last time 5.3. They said that was normal. Do you think that you can still have symptoms getting worse witrh in mind. It sounds like you know more about that then alot of the people I have talked to.

As far as your other comment about the waiting room. I thought this was a discussion of the problems diabetics face. including the health care situation they are in? I may be worng to even interject that. I don’t know. But if you don’t think that going to a situation that 100% percent of the people speak a different language than me, have a different education and cultural background is not isolating than you are in denial about life.

Do you go to a health care system where 99% of the people are different than you in every way?. A virtual Third World wth a situation with babies running lose all over floors, people as sleep on the floors.

Are you an official of this site? Or just an individual reply person. Also I have spent alot of times in Mexico and the Mexicans would be the first to say they would feel better to be with each other in stressful situations such as serious health care. I realize political correctness suggest that only Whites are"racist". Which by the way I am not.
By the way, where do you live? I bet if your honest you live among your own kind! As most people do. That is HUMAN NATURE to feel comfortable among your own cultural group, not racism.

I live in L.A which is “diverse”. However it is totally segrated. Only because of my economic situation , I can’t live in the areas that are desirable.If it is not natural to want to be among your own group why is every country I have been in (170) segrated.

That said I may be misunderstanding the reason for this site. It may be only to discuss your physical problems and not the ancillary problems caused by the physical problems. If that is so, you are right I am out of line. However, if I am right you are OUT OF LINE telling me I am a racist and that my feelings are neither warranted not understandable.

#5

Thanks for the reply. I will try to keep my BG down and maybe it will get better. I hope so. Not being able to walk is scaring me.

#6

Mick,

It does take time to heal neuropathies. An 5.3 A1c is great (congrats), but it depends how long prior that it wasn’t that great. BG consistently over 140 causes damage.

As long as you can communicate with your healthcare team, who’s in the waiting room is immaterial.

Being among one’s own kind may be a natural leaning, but I fail to see what that has to do with other patients, why this is isolating, or what people speaking a different language has to do with your healthcare. I’ve yet to seek or make friends while waiting to see my doctor. Whether or not you’re getting appropriate medical treatment is an issue, not who the other patients are.

You’re clearly angry about your current economic situation & that’s understandable. Lashing out at others who are in the financial same boat as you, isn’t understandable.

Whether other ethnic groups are racist isn’t what we’re discussing.

Not that it has any bearing on your racist statements, but I grew up in NYC. Doesn’t get more diverse than that. I currently live in rural VA. I’m a city person, a Northerner & a Jew living in Appalachia. I don’t know anyone else who’s Jewish. How’s that for not living among my own kind:) My husband is not from my cultural or religious background.

No, I’m not a member of the TuD admin team. Perhaps you’d like to write Manny Hernandez, the founder, or review “Our Values” under the About Us link at the top of every page.

#7

I too suffer from what is often called “burning feet syndrome” It is definitely a nightmare! I have found it is the least horrible when I eat very little and keep my blood sugar down as close to normal as possible. It’s always better for me in the daytime, as the day goes on it gets worse. Sit with your feet in a tub of water until they cool off and then dry them and put minty cooling lotion on them - if you have to do that every hour then, well, your’e not that busy, you can spend your time caring for your feet. There is a new medication but I don’t know what is called yet - when I find out I will let you know. I haven’t worn shoes or sox in over a year and I live in a cold climate! You probably need anti depressants, but thats something only you can decide. I find that self-pity is just the most destructive emotion - it only hurts you, it never helps. Maybe you could try to be a bit more philosophical about the situation; try to force yourself to find things to be grateful about. I am trying to develop grace, that is a serene acceptance of reality, and an optimistic view of life. I am T2 and was diagnosed with Diabetes last summer - I went to the doctor about my feet and discovered my sugar was through the moon! Best of luck, and please, stay with us.

#8

Mick, I’m sorry to hear about the pain that you are dealing with. I can only imagine what a burden this is for your to carry.

I know that in Europe, they use high doses of fat soluble vitamin B1 (called Benfotiamine) to help repair nerve damage. There are also some lamp therapies that can help repairing the nerves.

If neuropathy is causing your pain, know that this CAN get better. Good blood sugars are essential, but there can also be other treatments that help your nerves to repair.

Please visit back with us often and keep us posted on how you are doing! We are here for each other to remind each other that we are not alone!