They have given him various diabetic tests. He just got blood tests results back two days ago. His fasting blood sugar is 80. It NEVER goes above that.

We even filled him with sugar once (to see if it could register above 120). It went to 100.

So no, he's not a diabetic.

I hope whatever dressing they use, works, and that's it covered because his insurance WOULD NOT COVER CUSTOM SHOES OR OTHOTICS.

Nasty people these insurance people.

And I am very careful to not have the dressing that I put on, fill in the hole in his foot. Very careful.

Thanks much

Melody

Do they do an A1C on Alan? That would show much more than a fasting glucose.

He has had numerous glucose tolerance tests. He gets a blood test every 3 months (for years). His sugar has NEVER gone over 80. And I just checked the test and his a1c is 5.7.

How could this man be a diabetic? And we truly believe his neuropathy stems from his back. Even his neurologist is sending his mri results to a back specialist. She saw something on the mri and someone once told him "your back is really screwed up and if you have an operation it's going to be a big one"

They could never in the past associate his neuropathy with his back, but now that he is 63, his back is so bad I have to massage him 2 times a day (especially if his neuropathy is going nuts), and when I pound on his back and massage his spine, the pain in his feet goes away).

To me, this smells of a back issue. He has another appointment with his neurologist soon. He couldn't make the last one because of the snow around the end of December.

He can't walk long distances because of his back. To me, that tells the tale.

They might not have seen anything on previous MRIs but this last one (so they say) was a doozy.

He has degeneration and spinal this and spinal that. Too many things on that paper. He will go over everything at the next appointment and I'll post here and tell you what his neuro says.

Yesterday he was taking a nap on the bed and he was moaning, Oh my feet are killing me". I went over, starting massaging his spine and doing what I do and he immediately fell asleep.

It that is not a back connection, I dont' know what is.

Melody

Mel, you could try a product called DuoDerm or Replicare. Something similar I have been able to find at Wal-Mart is a band aide product used to cover blisters. They are a "hydrcolliod" dressing that is made to stay on for a minimum of three days. When I was working HomeCare I would clean the wound GENTLY with soap and water, rinse well with normal saline (to make your own boil water and add 1 tsp salt to 1 quart boiled water, can seal in Mason jar or keep in ref for 1 week no longer) then if you wanted to apply a drop of the silver let air dry and apply the dressing. I would use a Metaplex tape ONLY if needed to keep in place for three days. Another product is Spenco "Second Skin" it is a saline based gel that is changed daily, more of a cushion. Like Mrs D said, I would not leave it openwhen he is up on it, too much risk for infection. Along withe the zinc and C I would increase his protien intake (unless he is experiancing renal failure). A wound consult would help with insurance.
Good Luck!
pooh

Have you ever tried honey on his ulcers? I don't mean local store-type honey, but pure honey from bee farms. Pure honey forms a crust when applied to the ulcer, and it's a treatment I successfully used for many years as an RN in a hospital setting.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but I seem to remember that Alan has diabetes...... and if so, I don't know what locally applied honey would do to his blood sugars, but I'm sure there are others here who could help with that.

Something else outside the box?

Homeopathic "remedies" or "cures"??

all the blood tests and MD stuff hasn't fixed it yet...

http://www.webhomeopath.com/
http://www.abchomeopathy.com/
http://hpathy.com/abc-homeopathy/hom...-for-patients/

Have you looked into using a knee walker instead of a wheelchair to keep him off that foot? Here's what they look like. You may be able to get a used one at better price. Don't know if insurance covers these but a few of my friends who have injured their ankles used them during recover to get around.

Here's what they look like:

http://www.amazon.com/Roll-A-Bout-Al...m/B001LJASQ0/2

Alan has NEVER had diabetes in his life. I am the one in the family with diabetes (under control thank god for that).

Alan has idiopathic PN (which they now are certain is linked to his back problems).

I have never heard of so much information about dressings, second skin.

CAN'T THANK YOU GUYS ENOUGH.

Going to print all this out and bring to podiatrist today.

THANKS THANKS THANKS.

What would I ever do without you guys??

Love ya
melody

Sorry Mel.

I knew one of you had diabetes

This is another product I've had success with when it comes to healing ulcers. Easy to use, and easily obtainable.

is this an upward trend in the A1c? this is the high end, the very end, of what is now considered normal.
when you are massaging the back is it down into the butt? I am thinking piriformis....though that is really deep and i am not sure you could do much for it....just thinking out loud.... could have more than one thing going on.