Most people think that amputations are for crusty old pirates. Well think again. Rebecca is a 39-year-old woman who recently lost her right foot and lower leg to a diabetic foot amputation. Following the amputation she had to spend five months in a nursing home. She felt out of place there, as most of the other residents were twice her age. But she had no choice as she simply could not fully recover from the tragic operation at home. Now that her surgical wound (at the stump where her foot and ankle used to be) is healed she is back home with her husband David and her dog Rusty.If you have ever been to a nursing home, you can understand why she would be grateful to be back home.
“It's a huge responsibility to move someone out of a nursing home,” Rebecca said. “The process of moving out really tests them.” Most people don't even realize that their home will need expensive structural modifications, such as widening doors, reconfiguring bathrooms, and installing wheelchair ramps. They also usually need remote controls for ceiling fans and light switches that are impossible to reach from a wheelchair. In can be financially destructive.
All of this started when two sores (known as diabetic foot ulcers) started to appear on Rebecca's right foot. Eventually gangrene set in and the leg had to be cut off. “Once gangrene sets in, (amputation) is pretty inevitable,” she said. Gangrene is basically the death of a persons living tissue. The dying tissue becomes a breeding ground for bacteria which quickly spreads through the body. Without quickly removing the infected limb through amputation or limb salvage. If not, the person can die.
Even though the sores that typically start these sorts of episodes are largely preventable, insurance companies don't pay for preventative care. As a result, many patients like Rebecca can wind up missing a leg and feeling stranded in a nursing home. Most people don't realize the amount of care that is required when someone has this type of surgery. They need to be in a bed 24/7. If not cared for properly, they can get bed sores.
Given the huge cost associated with this sort of preventable amputation, you would think that more would be done to stop the amputations. But insurance companies refuse to pay for the care and monitoring to prevent diabetic sores and diabetic foot amputations. Rebecca was able to get government assistance, but not everyone can qualify.
The thing to keep in mind is that even if you or someone you love has diabetes, these sorts of episodes are preventable. Doctor's today have the capabilities to prevent most diabetic foot amputations. With intense monitoring, patient education, and access to the latest technologies, diabetic foot amputations are preventable. Don't let the insurance companies tell you otherwise.
Dr. Christopher Segler is an author, inventor and award winning diabetic foot doctor. After discovering how amputations resulted from a failing health care system, it became his passion to teach strategies to stop diabetic amputation. If you have diabetes, you can learn more by requesting your FREE report “No Leg Left To Stand On: The Secrets Insurance Companies Don’t Want You To Know About Diabetic Foot Amputation” at http://ineedmyfeet.com.
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