KEEP YOUR FEET TAKE THEIR TEMPS!

As a diabetic I do worry about my feet and legs. An infection that goes untreated could lead very easily to an amputation. I don't want to panic anyone but I must tell you I worked with a resident of a nursing home as an Activity Director, who was diabetic and had one of his feet amputated. In the two years or so that I knew this man, he had several surgeries on that leg. Each time they cut more and more of it off. When I left the home for the last time he was missing the leg up to his middle thigh. I tell you this story to drive home the importance of checking the feet every day.

As I understand it, it doesn't have to be an out right cut in your foot that gets infected. I just read a story about another man who sustained a fall on the ice and had no pain but found out he had broken one of his toes. Had he not known about the break, in all probability it could have gone untreated and uncared for then may have gotten infected and you know what could have happened next.

What I just found out is that this man had a special thermometer called the TempTouch, which he would use every morning to take and compare the temperatures of his feet. When a part of one of your feet becomes infected or injured the temperature raises in that spot. They say the temp goes up before the tissue starts to break down, alerting you early to a problem, usually while there's still time to treat it.

This thermometer requires a doctors prescription and is not cheap, I believe the cost is about one hundred and fifty dollars, but compare that to what it would cost for an amputation and the loss of part of your body. How can you put a price tag on that? I intend to ask my doctor about getting one at my next visit.