Sign-in to Ask A Doctor - 24x7
OR
Sign in with GoogleGet your health question answered instantly from our pool of 18000+ doctors from over 80 specialties
Suggest Treatment For Painful Swollen Legs And Difficulty Walking Post By-pass Surgery In Leg
HHi! My dad was diagnosed with diabetes in 2005, and has been taken Humalog and Glucopage since then. Because he had minimal blood flow to his right foot, doctor did a by-pass in his right leg (groin to foot) in 2008. He got infection after the operation, so bad that the whole wound burst open, and it took a long time to heal. In 2009 the put stents in his left leg (groin to foot) in order to open up the artery. They said that if they do a by-pass on his left leg, they will have to do it from the heart, but because my dad is overweight, they cannot perform it now. After the by-pass and stents, my dad s body just deteriorated. He can hardly walk 50 meters, and then his legs just give in. He complains that it feels like the pain is coming from his hip and his back. In addition, my dad has been on Humalog Micropen for a while, but a recent visit to the doc showed that the Micropen alone is not working, so they gave him Lantus also to inject, as it will bring the sugar level down quicker. My dad s sugar level is fluctuating more than ever before and now he does not want to eat because of the sugar level going up and down so much. According to the doctor that is fine and he does not have to eat if he does not feel like it. I hate seeing my dad like this. His feet are swollen and a dark color, dark rings around his eyes, and have little blisters forming on his feet. The doctors keep telling him to lose weight and exercise, but how can he if he can barely walk 50 steps? At the moment he is using: HUMALOC MICROPEN, 56 UNITS, 3 TIMES A DAY WHEN EATING & LANTUS 60 UNITS IN THE EVENING & 1000MG GLUCOPAGE 2 TIMES A DAY. Could you please give me advice on how to help my dad, as it just feels like the doctors not listening to us and i really hate to see my dad like this? Thank youi, may I answer your health queries right now ? Please type your query here...
Thu, 13 Nov 2014
I can understand the complexity of your father's health problems and your helpnessness. You can try the following owing to the limitations he is having:
1. Due to limited mobility, I would suggest him to do some arm and chair exercises which will help in lowering his blood sugar levels. You can learn about these from a physiotherapist or from web searching also if a physiotherapist is not available.
2. Check his blood sugar frequently before and after meals to adjust food intake with insulin dose.
3. Cut down on the intake of calories from fats and give him more fibre rich foods like whole fruits, raw vegetables as salads and whole grain cereals like whole wheat chapati, broken wheat porridge or dalia, oat bran, wheat bran added to foods will help in lowering his total intake of calories thus lowering his sugar levels.
4. Check his feet daily for any cuts, blisters, bruises and ulcers and see a foot care specialist for further treatment.
5. Control portion sizes of food and give him small frequent meals to prevent blood sugar spikes.
6. Avoid skipping meals or staying hungry to bring down sugar levels as this will harm him more than doing any good.
7. Make sure he includes adequate amounts of proteins from pulses/legumes/beans and if non-vegetarian eggwhites, lean meat, chicken and fish can be taken.
8. Avoid giving any sugary foods, fried foods and nuts and dry fruits due to their high fat content.
9. Choose low fat milk/curd and cheese.
10. Apply some aloe vera gel to heal blisters. Ask him to wash his feet in warm water and soap and dry it with a towel. Apply a good moisturiser to the feet to prevent dryness. Inspect feet daily after washing for any skin changes.
Hope this will guide you in helping your father manage his health in a better way.
1. Due to limited mobility, I would suggest him to do some arm and chair exercises which will help in lowering his blood sugar levels. You can learn about these from a physiotherapist or from web searching also if a physiotherapist is not available.
2. Check his blood sugar frequently before and after meals to adjust food intake with insulin dose.
3. Cut down on the intake of calories from fats and give him more fibre rich foods like whole fruits, raw vegetables as salads and whole grain cereals like whole wheat chapati, broken wheat porridge or dalia, oat bran, wheat bran added to foods will help in lowering his total intake of calories thus lowering his sugar levels.
4. Check his feet daily for any cuts, blisters, bruises and ulcers and see a foot care specialist for further treatment.
5. Control portion sizes of food and give him small frequent meals to prevent blood sugar spikes.
6. Avoid skipping meals or staying hungry to bring down sugar levels as this will harm him more than doing any good.
7. Make sure he includes adequate amounts of proteins from pulses/legumes/beans and if non-vegetarian eggwhites, lean meat, chicken and fish can be taken.
8. Avoid giving any sugary foods, fried foods and nuts and dry fruits due to their high fat content.
9. Choose low fat milk/curd and cheese.
10. Apply some aloe vera gel to heal blisters. Ask him to wash his feet in warm water and soap and dry it with a towel. Apply a good moisturiser to the feet to prevent dryness. Inspect feet daily after washing for any skin changes.
Hope this will guide you in helping your father manage his health in a better way.
I find this answer helpful
Disclaimer: These answers are for your information only and not intended to replace your relationship with your treating physician.
This is a short, free answer.
For a more detailed, immediate answer, try our premium service
[Sample answer]
Related questions you may be interested in
Recent questions on Insulin glargine
Loading Online Doctors....