Taking Diabetic Foot Care Seriously – Lisa’s Story
By Buffalo Medical Group | April 20 2018 | Patient Testimonials
As a diabetic patient, foot care becomes an extremely important part of your health care. According to the American College of Foot and Ankle Surgeons, diabetes can have extremely dangerous effects to your feet. Minor cuts and wounds can cause severe infections that may even lead to amputation if not cared for quickly and properly.
For Lisa, a 59-year-old diabetic, the possibility of amputation almost became a reality, but because she was on top of her foot care, and addressed the wound quickly, she was able to avoid this. About six months ago, Lisa bought a new pair of hiking boots. She put her shoe inserts in, like she always does, but this left her toes with little room. She got a blister on one of her toes – which many of us have had before – but because of her diabetes, this blister quickly turned into a major infection.
Lisa went to her Primary Care Physician almost immediately after waking up one morning and noticing her foot was very swollen. Her doctor told her she needed to see a specialist, and called BMG Podiatrist, Dr. David Davidson.
“Dr. Davidson saw me within 20 minutes of me leaving my Primary Care Physician’s office. The office staff was all amazing, and so kind.” When Lisa went back to Dr. Davidson’s exam room, he instantly knew this was a serious infection, and needed to be handled immediately. Initially, Dr. Davidson wanted to have Lisa receive a one time antibiotic, which is infusion, or IV, based used to treat serious infections like Lisa’s quickly, and effectively, but it wasn’t covered under her insurance due to the fact that it’s a fairly new drug on the market.
“Dr. Davidson took it upon himself to call my insurance provider, and work out a solution so I was able to receive this treatment.” In the day it took Dr. Davidson to resolve this, he prescribed her a couple different antibiotics to ensure the infection didn’t get worse.
“He took a marker and drew a line on my foot. He told me if the swelling moved past this mark, I was to go to the emergency room, and have him called. I was very impressed with the level of care he provided me. He was thorough, explained everything well, and showed he really cared about me – despite the fact that this was the first time we had met. He had my full trust.”
Dr. Davidson was successful at having Lisa’s insurance company cover the one time IV antibiotic, so a day later, she was sent to BMG’s infusion department at 325 Essjay to receive the treatment – which is a three hour transfusion.
“Dr. Davidson called over every hour to check on me, and make sure I was doing okay – it was so thoughtful, and reassured me that I was in good hands at Buffalo Medical Group.”
Within 48 hours, the infection was nearly gone, which was remarkable considering Dr. Davidson had told her the infection was so severe, if left untreated any longer, would have likely resulted in the loss of her leg, and possibly her life.
Lisa had several follow up appointments after she received the treatment to ensure she was healing properly, and the infection was completely cleared. It was important for Dr. Davidson to guarantee the infection was completely gone, especially considering Lisa had a vacation planned only two months after getting the infection.
Lisa was concerned not only that she wouldn’t be able to go on the trip, but that she wouldn’t be able to complete the activities she had planned, being that she is an very active person. She was happily surprised this wasn’t the case. Not only able to go on this trip, but was able to complete days of rigorous hiking, with no pain at all.
Today, it’s been over six months since Lisa had her infection, and she’s feeling great.“Now that some time has passed, it’s very helpful to have MyBMGChart to go be able to see my treatment plan, and share this information with my other health care providers when needed. Everything is in one place, and I don’t have to worry about remembering any of it.”
Lisa experienced a frightening and serious situation, and was lucky enough to pay attention to her foot health, and seek help quickly.
“I would highly recommend Dr. Davidson to anyone suffering from foot related issues. I’m extremely appreciative of the care he provided me.”
If you or someone you know is suffering from a foot-related issue, please call David Davidson, DPM, at 716.630.1295.