LIVING SIX FEET UNDER, MENTALLY!

It is not uncommon, especially in certain populations, that people are living lives in a fashion that might seem totally unrealistic to the norm. People are living in health conditions where one disease seeming scary enough, some have five or six different serious health conditions, and they continue to live a life that a ‘normal person’ would never understand.

Let me give an example of a patient not uncommonly seen in a hospital setting; a 58 year old male, who has suffered from a previous heart failure, is obese, weighing roughly around 370 lbs, has been drinking most of his life and smoking for 40 + years, is diabetic and has huge swollen legs.

And despite all of the proof out there, he cannot stop his bad habits; though he might be able to recognize them. He does not check, (or care to check?) his blood sugar regularly, so they are usually high. [In my previous blogs I talked about why high blood sugar level is extremely bad for the body). And although he claims to have cut down on his drinking, he cannot discontinue his smoking. This patient that I am describing also needs a wheelchair to get around, mainly because he has developed severe arthritis in his knees and cannot walk on them properly. It has come to a point that it is hard for him to get in and out of his wheelchair fast enough to go to the restroom so he has to carry around a urinal. On top of this, due to his diabetes, he has developed diabetic neuropathy which has led him to have a couple quarter sized ulcers (holes in skin) on the bottom of his foot which are not healing because his health is very poor. It is possible, if these ulcers do not heal and instead get infected, that he might need to amputate part of his foot.

And so, it comes down to why and how?

How can someone live like this and why do they choose to live like this. I believe the problem lies much deeper and is very complicated. Many patients as described above also suffer from psychiatric issues which have one way or another pulled them so deep down in the dark that they feel they will never recover. They feel that their life cannot get any better and cannot get any worse. And so they continue their ways. This is clearly not a healthy state to be in. It can lead to many tough health decisions for doctors, and us as physicians do not ever wish our patients to be in such a state.

What is important is that it takes a while for a person to get to this level, and if you or someone you know is similar in the pattern described above, or feel are treading down this path, they need your and professional help. They need close family members looking out for them, and although it might take time, a healthier and better outcome will be much more worth it in the end as opposed to not caring and letting a human being just slip away into their misery. There are many Behavioral human services organizations and consultations near your area code and a quick Google search will bring forth numerous. Such an act is a must upon everyone and it can truly make a difference in a family member, friend or a neighbors’ lifestyle. 

NATURALLY COLORED NAILS PERHAPS...?!!

Nails are not something that come in different shapes, forms, color etc. Perhaps that has to be a constant in the differences present in each human being. However, since most people have wondered at least once in their life as to the existence of finger nails, more people on a regular basis ignore anything funny going on with them. People in general are more prone to pay better attention to their finger nails than toe nails and that is simply because one remains hidden as opposed to the other which are almost always seen. This being said, people will generally tend to ignore changes taking place in their toe nails, whether this maybe the increase in length, shape including the thickness of the nail, smell, lines in the nails, decrease in thickness or increased brittleness to name some. However, most of the time people do take the time to come in the clinic when nail growth in the corners starts causing pain.

Normal, healthy individuals do not endure such changes of the nails on a normal basis as my patients who have multiple health risks such as Diabetes, alcohol addictions, smoking, unhealthy lifestyles and at times all these together. Nails changes are quite common in those who have serious health risks and thus these nail changes cannot be ignored. Proper care by a podiatrist is important because nails can be little portals for infections to start, and if there is a cut around the area, can cause the infection to spread inside of the body and this can lead to not so comforting outcomes, including but not limited to thorough exams, more frequent clinic visits and lastly amputation of the toe if the infection gets worst and if it gets into bone. If the infection gets in the bone, it has a tendency to disrupt the normal functioning of the bone and start to spread up the bone, destroying the bone in the process. This can further lead to more bone having to be taken out à more amputation.

This might sound scary, and extreme, but the key to this is if you have serious health risks/disease, nail care is just as important as checking your blood sugar or your blood pressure. It cannot be ignored just because there is no pain and podiatry visits are a must.