OK, new problem...today my husband took me to one of the local beauty parlors to have a pedicure. I can't reach my feet right now to do it and I was in bad need of one. I made sure everything was sanitary. When the little girl doing took off my nail polish, there was a huge white streak covering a large part of the tonail. Starting from the outside edge going sorta diagnally accross both big toenails. None of the others. And there was also a new bruise on the top of my right foot. (I hadn't noticed it this morning) I know it wasn't there yesterday. I've noticed in the past that my big toenails looked sorta bluish. Have any of you noticed things like this?

And the toenails on my left foot (always the worst neuropathy area) aren't growing at the rate the other foot is.

Billye

Yes...

Cathie

You may want to start having either a podiatrist or perhaps a home care nurse do your toenails. Being a former home care nurse, I can tell you that even the nursing assistants were not allowed to cut the toenails of people with diabetes, an RN had to do it. Some agencies actually have 'foot care clinics' where you can come in and have an RN do that care. With PN, especially with vascular insufficiency, not to mention immunosuppressive therapy, you are at higher risk of losing toes or feet, just like a diabetic. I would take a look at diabetic foot care information and would consider getting a 'higher' level of care where nail care is involved.

PN is PN regardless of the source, and one of the reasons that diabetics have the complications of 'diabetic neuropathy' has nothing to do with the actual diabetes, but rather to do with the chemistry of PN.

With PN, regardless of how much a given individual's feet may hurt, they are unaware of injuries to their feet.

I'll post my 'Old Faithful' again:

http://telemedicine.org/stamford.htm

Go to the 'diabetic neuropathy' sections. - j

Boy, that one will get your attention, Dahlek,
And thanks Cyclops, I'll make an appointment with the podiatrist.

Billye

It does and have nurse come out to do toes,if you can. dahlek can and
is amazing,and Sue

Billye, you are too valuable to take a chance with your feet at a nail parlour. I am glad you have decided to go to a podiatrist. Ick, you could get a fungal or bacterial infection, or accidently get a cut when they trim your nails because you didn't feel it or say ouch. We all need to stay away from those places. Thanks for bringing such a good topic to the forum. The podiatrist office doesn't have the same ambience, however, nor do they do the little whirlpool and massage your feet with scented cream or paint your toenails. Sigh! That is a lot to have to give up. Maybe we should all go out and buy ourselves a new outfit to make ourselves feel better again. I'll meet you at Macy's at 10:00 Sat., and we can do lunch afterwards.

literal Savior! It was his suggestion that I get a second neuro opinion. I do believe his experiences dealing with diabetic feet made him a bit uneasy about how my now 'former' neuro was treating or more aptly not treating my neuropathy and it's progression. At least I got some treatment before the entire nervous system was 'done in'!

My podiatrist DOES have a whirlpool...and for the first three years it aggravated my feet and all attached to them, I can do it now about once a year -heaven when I can get it! No pretty setting, more like a closet and a tub, but I do get the lotion [no massage, sigh] after he 'does' my feet.

I do actually see my podiatrist more regularly than any of my docs! HE gives me his opinions of my status far more succinctly than the docs! Were it not for him, I do guess I would be in a wheelchair.

Happy pedicures to all! - j

Perhaps I could have been a little more specific...
White streaking, left big toe now looks bluish. I don't know if that is an improvement over their former yellow color, which I was told is candida... Nails are all wierd.
Left big toe, I had 2 layers of toe nails, no kidding... I freaked when the Dermatologist cut the top layer off-it looked disgusting.
Ridged and striped fingernails.
Right little fingernail will NOT grow.
Right thumbnail is shorter than the left one...

I could go on, but like Mel says, blah, blah, blah... I am a Dermatologist's dream, or maybe his nightmare...

Cathie

You know, Billye. This all was worrying me greatly. Every time I looked at my hands or feet, I would get upset. I know this is probably NOT a very good fix, but after the doc looked at all of this, you would have been amazed at the change in my attitude, once I painted over all of these things... Other than the candida, there was probably nothing that could be done anyway.

--the nail business does sound like it could be either a pharamceutical effect--there are a lot of meds that cause odd nail growth--or possibly a nutritional deficiency. Of course, both factors may be contributing; a lot of meds can deplete essential nutrients.